Australian Shepherd Dogs 101 (Aussie) Facts
Australian Shepherd
With its unusual markings and piercing blue
eyes, it’s hard to ignore the.
Australian shepherd.
He is smart, exuberant, and blessed with outlandish
amounts of stamina.
While heβs called the Aussie, heβs as
American as Apple Pie.
Hi, welcome to Animal Facts.
Today, we look at ten fun facts about the
eye-catching, bob-tailed herder, the Australian
Shepherd.
Letβs Get Started.
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10.
The history of the Australian shepherd may
be a bit cloudy and borderline mythical, but
one thing is for sure: the Aussie is not from
Australia.
In fact, the breed we know today is distinctly
American.
The Scotch collie, Border collie, and English
shepherd are all believed to have contributed
to the Australian shepherd bloodline as stockmen
worked to create an alert, intelligent, agile,
and adaptable dog ideal for herding in varying
terrain, as herders from France and Spain
settled the American West by way or Australia.
The dogs are called Australian shepherds because
they were associated with Basque shepherds
that came through Australia to the United
States in the 1800s.
It was first recognized by the AKC in 1991.
9.
Being a working dog, Australian shepherds
need a job to do.
Aussies are bred to herd, and if you don’t
give yours a job to do he will find one on
his own.
Inadequate mental stimulation and exercise
causes destructive behavior and misbehaving.
Be prepared to give him at least 30 minutes
of brisk exercise daily.
8.
If your Aussie chooses you as his favorite
person in the family, you will find yourself
with an extra shadow.
He will follow you everywhere, from room to
room, indoors and out and even to the potty.
The Australian shepherd loves to be close
to his family members.
7.
Despite his love for HIS humans, the Australian
shepherd is very shy, apprehensive dogs around
strangers.
Because of this, it is important to socialize
your Aussie as a puppy and to expose them
to as many people and situations as possible.
6.
Itβs all in the eyes.
When people think of the Aussie, they normally
think of his crystal blue peepers.
In fact, some Native American tribes called
the breed the ghost eye dog, because of his
blue, phantom-like eyes.
They were said to be considered sacred.
His eyes may also be brown or hazel and itβs
not uncommon for his eyes to be heterochromatic,
meaning that both his are are different colors.
5.
Of course a hardworking westcoast dog is gonna
end up in Hollywood.
Of notable celebrity Aussie owners are Mel
Gibson, Jennifer Connelly, Steven Spielberg,
Alyssa Milano, and Trace Adkins.
4.
They make great family pets for active families,
but there are a few things left over from
being a herding dog you should know.
They do tend to bark a lot, but thi can be
overcome with proper training.
While Aussies do well with other pets they
may chase and nip them due to their herding
instincts.
Your kids may not be immune to this herding.
3.
They love to learn and are eager to please,
so training an Aussie is usually a pleasant
experience.
Theyβre super responsive to positive feedback
and praise.
Anyone interested in competitive dog sports
like flyball, agility, herding, Treibball,
or obedience training.
Itβll keep your Aussie happily employed
and theyβll easily be a top contender.
2.
When youβre doing hard work like herding,
long ears and tails can get in the way or
stepped on.
To avoid injury, many workers would dock their
dogsβ ears and tails.
The tail was somewhat bred out of this breed,
as one in five Aussies are born with a naturally
bobbed tail.
Show dogs are expected to have either docked
or naturally docked tails.
1.
In the ’70s, Australian Shepherd Hyper Hank
and his owner Eldon McIntire found a lot of
fame for their expert Frisbee routine.
The talented disc duo won contests across
the country, performed at the pre-show of
Super Bowl XII, and even spent some time with
the Carters at the White House.
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