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 he’s called the Aussie, he’s 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.
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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.
It’s 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 it’s 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.
They’re super responsive to positive feedback and praise.
Anyone interested in competitive dog sports like flyball, agility, herding, Treibball,
or obedience training.
It’ll keep your Aussie happily employed and they’ll easily be a top contender.
2.
When you’re 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 dogs’ 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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