Australian Shepherds, Know Your Breed
Tracy Britt, Certified Master Dog Trainer
Are you someone who loves to lay around all day and watch reruns of Maury Povich to find out who’s the father? Do you hate the outdoors? Are you an adult person over the age of 40 who still lives in your parent’s basement playing mortal combat for a “living?” Well sit back and listen up. I have a dog for you, and It most certainly is NOT the Australian Shepherd. I’ll get back to what breed is good for the above described superhero some other time.
For now. Let’s chat about these cute little balls of fluff known as the Australian Shepherd.
The Australian Shepherd AKA the “Aussie” is a high drive, intelligent, medium sized dog that arrived in the United States sometime around the 19th century to serve on ranches as the herding help. This ball of energy, as adorable as they are, are not for the couch surfers or basement dwellers who fear sunlight. Aussies need to have a job and to be out, exercising on a daily basis. They excel in obstacle work and are one of the most popular dogs used in agility competitions where the goal is to master a course in the shortest amount of time and in the cutest way possible. They’re fast, agile, eager to learn and even more eager to please an owner who’s willing to work with what they do best. Moving.
Are you tired just reading that? I know I am.
To round out the Aussies great energetic personality, they are categorized in the AKC Herding Group. Do you know what that means? Yes, they also have a genetic trait that makes them want to herd all living things into a tight knit ball just for the fun of it. This means, small children running around, other animals, ducks, cows, sheep, basically anything with a pulse will be on the business end of an Aussie if they had their way about it. Some unsuspecting people get nervous and scared thinking their Aussie is a cold-blooded ankle biter, but given enough education on them, you’ll understand that their genetic stamp makes it almost impossible for them to hold back their need to heard things that are moving.
Australian Shepherds make wonderful, loyal companions but they aren’t for everyone. Before purchasing any breed like the Aussie, make sure you do your homework and research everything you can on the breed to make sure you have the skill set, lifestyle and mindset to take them on. After all.. learning about them, and giving your dog what it needs and what it was born to do is one of the greatest gifts you can give.
Kahlúa aka Lu, has one of the best smiles ever.
Tracy Britt lives and works on the South Shore of Massachusetts.