Australian Shepherd History Their Pyrenean Shepherds crossbred with other working dogs, including
Australian shepherd colors and patterns can vary greatly, but the United States Australian Shepherd Association recognizes these four major categories: black, red, red merle, and blue merle (merle being the genetic pattern that occurs in a dog's coat, often appearing as speckled patches of color).
The Australian Shepherd belongs to the UK Rural clade, alongside the Collie, Shetland Sheepdog, and Border Collie.
Australian Shepherd, byname Aussie, also called Australian Shepherd dog, breed of herding dog that, despite its name, was developed in the western United States in the late 1800s primarily from British-derived herding dogs, most of which came to the American West via the East and Midwest, though some arrived via ...
But Aussie shepherds aren't only common in purebred form — they also occur as mixed-breed mutts, who each vary in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. We'll share some of our favorite Australian shepherd mixes below and explain some of their characteristics, so you can decide if one would work well with your family.
Types of Australian Shepherds
These categories are Black Australian Shepherd, Red Australian Shepherd, Red Merle Australian Shepherd, and Blue Merle Australian Shepherd.
Australian Shepherds and Border Collies are two popular breeds of herding dogs known for their intelligence, agility, and high energy levels. While these two breeds may look similar at first glance, they have distinct origins that have shaped their unique characteristics.
Despite being medium-sized herding dogs, the German Shepherd vs Australian Shepherd are two unique breeds. They have different origins and distinct personalities. For example, Australian Shepherds are ranch dogs from the United States, but German Shepherds are native to Germany's farming communities.
In addition to being herding dogs, Australian Shepherds serve as Seeing Eye dogs, hearing dogs, drug-sniffing dogs, and search and rescue dogs. Because of their high intelligence, Aussies are well-suited to do a wide variety of jobs.
The solid red coat of an Australian shepherd is the rarest color. This Australian shepherd coat color, which ranges from deep reddish to lighter shades of red, is the rarest color. To create a solid red coat, breeders must strategically pair dogs with the ee recessive form of the E gene.
Red merles are far less common than blue merles because the red-colored gene is recessive in dogs, meaning both parents have to have it for their offspring to inherit the coat. Red is the rarest color in Aussies generally, although the red merle coat is one of the more common red-colored coats in the breed.
Merle is a genetic pattern that can be in a dog's coat and alleles of the PMEL gene. Merle results in different colors and patterns and can affect all coat colors. The merle allele creates mottled patches of color in a solid or piebald coat, blue or odd-colored eyes, and can affect skin pigment as well.
Your Aussie will bond to his family and be protective of and loyal to them. Many dog owners are surprised to learn that even though Aussies have strong guarding and herding instincts, they are sweet and cuddly indoor dogs that can even be kept in apartments.
Australian Shepherds will bark at strangers, loud noises, and other animals as a way of getting rid of all that excess energy. More so, they can display the same type of behavior towards squirrels, thunderstorms, or even a passing car.
Australian Shepherds are known for their fierce loyalty with one person, that doesn't mean every Shepherd will act like that. Some Shepherds might not build a particularly strong bond with any one family member. Others might like one of you more than another, but they don't sit on you to show it.
While intelligent and hardworking, the Australian Shepherd can still be a goofy and loving family pet.
The breed is considered highly intelligent and easy to train. Aussies are known for being especially eager to please their owners. True to their herding instincts, Aussies are very protective of their families and territory and will let you know if strangers approach, but they are not considered aggressive.
Australian Shepherds are extremely active dogs that require more than 2 hours of exercise a day. They require committed owners who are willing to give them lots of exercise if they are not going to be used as a working dog.
Yes, as with any other dog breed, Australian Shepherds may come to develop a dislike of other dogs and may react accordingly. Several of the triggers that can cause Aussies to become aggressive with humans may cause them to become aggressive toward dogs.
Australian Shepherd
Despite their high energy, Aussies are usually quiet. They may bark to alert their owners of a stranger or an unfamiliar situation but other than that, you won't hear much from them. This fits the self-controlled personality that Aussies possess.
Dogs with excess white markings, sometimes referred to as mismarks, or over-marked. Australian Shepherds with too much white are usually healthy(exceptions noted below). There are entire breeds that allow far more white than typical of Aussies.
Are Black Australian Shepherds Rare? Only solid black Aussies are rare, since this breed typically has a multicolored coat. The other coat patterns in the black category are much more common. Here is a black and tan Aussie with tan points above their eyes, on the sides of their muzzle, and on the front of their neck.
Aussies are people-oriented dogs who tend to follow their family from room to room just to be near them. They require plenty of attention. Being left alone for too long may cause the intelligent, energetic Australian Shepherd to create her own fun—often through destructive behaviors or barking.