Where did Aussies Come From?
Not Australia! Australian Shepherds (or Aussies) are an American Breed despite the name. Although there are different theories on the name and exact origin many agree that Border Collies and Australian Cattle Dogs were bred to produce a dog with superior herding ability and stamina for the larger ranches in the American West and Southwest. Some feel that Basque Shepherds brought the forerunner of today's Aussies to the US where it was further developed.
What colors do Aussies come in?
Blue merle and red merle, black and red all with white markings and tan (copper) points. Typically the black and red dogs have white and tan and are called black tri color or red tri color. Merle dogs carry the merling gene which breaks up the black color into black patches on gray for the blue merle or red into red patches on beige for the red merle. Blue eyes and blue eye flecks occur in merle Aussies, one eye color is not preferable over another according to the breed standard.
How big will my Aussie get?
Typical males are 20 to 23 inches at the withers, while females are 18 to 21 inches. Aussies will vary in breadth of the chest and hindquarters and in weight. Although weight is not addressed in the breed standard, typical male Aussies weigh 55 to 70 pounds and females 35 to 55 pounds.
What can I do with my Aussie?
The same qualities that make Aussies great working dogs make them great family dogs. They love to play Frisbee and excel at dog agility events. Our ranch dog Scout loves to ride in the truck, play frisbee and play with the other dogs as much as he likes his more serious "ranch work".
Registries
The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) has been the parent club of Aussies since 1957 and is the largest single breed registry. Aussies were admitted to the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1991 and the AKC Working Group in 1993. The National Stock Dog Registry (NSDR) has registered Aussies since 1956.
NOTE: Registry information is provided for reference purposes and does not imply any specific endorsement of our dogs.
Links
Looking for Standard or Mini Aussies? Our foundation dogs came from Becky at Twin Pines Kennels and she is a knowledgable, caring breeder with great dogs. Take a look at twinpineskennels.com
