Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Australian Shepherd Breed Overview
- History of the Australian Shepherd Breed. Where Australian Shepherds came from
- What the Australian Shepherd Looks Like
- How Much is the Australian Shepherd Puppy?
- Best Australian Shepherd Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Australian Shepherd
- Australian Shepherd Growth
- The Temperament of the Australian Shepherd
- How Long Australian Shepherds Live
- Australian Shepherd Litter Size
- How Fast Australian Shepherds Can Run
- Good Names for Australian Shepherds
- How Popular are Australian Shepherds with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Australian Shepherds and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Australian Shepherd
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Australian Shepherds
- Other Things to Know About Australian Shepherds
Australian Shepherd Breed Overview
The Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized dog.
The adult Australian Shepherd stands 18 to 23 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Australian Shepherd belongs to the Herding Dogs group.
Dogs in the Herding Dogs group, like the Australian Shepherd, were bred for moving livestock, including sheep, cattle, and even reindeer.
Herding dogs work closely with their human shepherds, and their natural intelligence and responsiveness make them highly trainable.
Herding dogs have high levels of energy, which needs to be channeled properly to prevent destructive behavior.
Herding breeds are protective of their people and property and make excellent watchdogs. Their intelligence, agility, and activity level make them well suited to dog sports.
The fact that the Australian Shepherd belongs to the Herding Dogs group is one of the reasons why Australian Shepherds have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Australian Shepherd is generally described as:
- Active
- Affectionate
- Good-natured
- Intelligent
- Protective
History of the Australian Shepherd Breed. Where Australian Shepherds came from
The Australian Shepherd did not originate in Australia but rather has ancestry found somewhere between France and Spain in Europe.
This initial cattle dog was bred to help those who watched flocks and had large herds of cattle to drive vast distances.
The Australian Shepherd was readily bred from those cattle dogs and most likely dogs from the Collie group in the 1900s on the west coast of the United States and was labeled as the cowboy’s dog of choice.
This breed could herd with efficiency and for long hours without getting hurt by kicking and jostling cattle.
Australian Shepherds were fierce protectors of flocks as well and were great for guarding them at night.
The Australian Shepherd is a loyal dog with a great temperament.
They are friendly and can be familial, and enjoy spending time with their human families.
It is important to remember to offer an Australian Shepherd a job to do around the house, or you might find them herding young children and other animals to give themselves something to do.
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What the Australian Shepherd Looks Like
The Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized dog and a sturdy, healthy breed.
The Australian Shepherd is a herding dog bred to run large distances with cattle and has an instinct to protect sheep and goat flocks.
This breed can have multicolored or different color eyes called heterochromia.
Australian Shepherds` colors vary from black, black tricolor, blue merle, red, red merle, and red tricolor.
Sometimes patches of brindle, sable, and white will show up in interesting markings or patterns from time to time but are considered flaws more or less in an Australian Shepherd’s coat.
Australian Shepherds are not hypoallergenic and, depending on the parents, can shed quite frequently, if not all at once, in large shedding sessions called “blowing the coat.
” The Australian Shepherd is known to blow its coat seasonally, shedding its dense outer, longer coat to sport a thing and short coat underneath.
This breed will need to be brushed extensively during this time and then once weekly during the rest of the year.
The Australian Shepherd is a great family dog in temperament, but it really needs the opportunity to run and have its freedom to explore.
Make sure to provide this breed with appropriate exercise and jobs to do as it is considered a working dog breed.
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How Much is the Australian Shepherd Puppy?
The average price of a Australian Shepherd puppy is $1210. The price of a Australian Shepherd puppy ranges from $800 to $1500.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Australian Shepherd. These factors include what health records the Australian Shepherd puppy has, the lineage of the Australian Shepherd puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Australian Shepherd based on the many factors that determine the price of the Australian Shepherd puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Australian Shepherd puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Australian Shepherd breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Australian Shepherd Breeders
We have researched reputable Australian Shepherd breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Australian Shepherd breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
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Sitton Pretty Shepherds
Puppy Price: $1500
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Haint Blue Australian Shepherds
Puppy Price: $1500.00
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Steadfast Australian Shepherds
Puppy Price: $1200 -$ 1700
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DEL RAE KENNEL
Puppy Price: $800-$1600
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Lisa Dyer Triple J Aussie Ranch
Puppy Price: $1000-$2000
Adopting or Rescuing the Australian Shepherd
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Australian Shepherds included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Australian Shepherd named Milo that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Australian Shepherds like Milo on pefinder.com.
You can find more Australian Shepherds that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Australian Shepherd Growth
New Australian Shepherd owners need to know about the growth of their Australian Shepherds. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Australian Shepherd will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Australian Shepherd early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Australian Shepherd puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Australian Shepherd at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Australian Shepherd
The Temperament of the Australian Shepherd
The temperament of the Australian Shepherd based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Australian Shepherd for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Australian Shepherd here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Stubbornness | 9.0 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 72.2 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 7.0 percent |
| Energy Level | 68.5 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 50.9 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 47.9 percent |
| Excitability | 47.5 percent |
| Prey Drive | 47.3 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 39.1 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 34.6 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 34.5 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 32.6 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 25.2 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 22.0 percent |
How Long Australian Shepherds Live
The lifespan of the Australian Shepherd is typically from 12 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Australian Shepherd. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 22 pet Australian Shepherds lived.
From the study, it was found that Australian Shepherds have an average lifespan of 9 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Australian Shepherds to live as long as 15 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Australian Shepherd to live long.
Australian Shepherds live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Australian Shepherd to improve your Australian Shepherd`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Australian Shepherd live long.
Australian Shepherd Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 20 different Australian Shepherd birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Australian Shepherds can have is 8 puppies. Also, the Australian Shepherd can have as few as 2 puppies per litter and as many as 13 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Australian Shepherd will have depends on factors such as the age of the Australian Shepherd, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Australian Shepherd will have and how the litter size of the Australian Shepherd compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Australian Shepherds Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 815 different Australian Shepherds, the average speed of the Australian Shepherd is 24.2 mph (38.9 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Australian Shepherd ran in a race is 31.86 mph (51.3 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Australian Shepherd is 3.81 mph (6.1 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Australian Shepherd compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Australian Shepherds
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Australian Shepherd ranked by popularity:
- Bear
- Cooper
- Duke
- Koda
- Max
- Scout
- Milo
- Blue
- Buddy
- Chip
How Popular are Australian Shepherds with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Australian Shepherd.
The popularity of the Australian Shepherd averaged over the years is Number 15 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Australian Shepherds and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Australian Shepherd is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Australian Shepherd puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Australian Shepherd breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Australian Shepherds for:
- Autoimmune thyroiditis
- Clear By Parentage
- Collie Eye Anomaly
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Eye Examination
- Hip Dysplasia
- Multiple Drug Sensitivity
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Australian Shepherds here.
How to Take Care of Australian Shepherd
To take good care of your Australian Shepherd, you need to make sure that you groom your Australian Shepherd regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Australian Shepherd regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Australian Shepherd`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Australian Shepherd daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Australian Shepherd.
Also, you need to feed your Australian Shepherd high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Australian Shepherd from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Australian Shepherd and how much food to feed the Australian Shepherd at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Australian Shepherd has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Australian Shepherd needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Australian Shepherds
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Australian Shepherd.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Australian Shepherd:
- Airedale Terrier (80 percent match with Australian Shepherd). Learn more about the Airedale Terrier here.
- Boykin Spaniel (79 percent match with Australian Shepherd). Learn more about the Boykin Spaniel here.
- English Springer Spaniel (81 percent match with Australian Shepherd). Learn more about the English Springer Spaniel here.
Other Things to Know About Australian Shepherds
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Australian Shepherd that you need to know about the Australian Shepherd breed:
- Australian Shepherds do not adapt well to apartment living.
- Australian Shepherds do not have the tendency to drool.
- Australian Shepherds require a lot of grooming and are not very easy to groom.
- Australian Shepherds are not the best dogs for new dog owners.
- Australian Shepherds do not like to be left alone.
- Australian Shepherds have the tendency to develop certain health problems.
- Australian Shepherds can tolerate cold weather.
- Australian Shepherds can tolerate hot weather.
- Australian Shepherds get along well with kids. They are kid-friendly.
- Australian Shepherds gain weight easily. You need to pay careful attention to what you feed them.
- Australian Shepherds are prone to nip and chew at things.
- Australian Shepherds have a high prey drive. They do not get along well with other pets.
- Australian Shepherds are highly vocal. They have the tendency to bark and howl.
- Australian Shepherds do things with high intensity. They can be very forceful.
- Australian Shepherds are easily disturbed by noise in their environments. They are sensitive to human tone. They will understand the tone of your voice when you try to correct their behaviors with a firm tone.
- Australian Shepherds are great family dogs. They are very affectionate with family.
- Australian Shepherds get along well with other dogs.
- Australian Shepherds are very easy to train.
- Australian Shepherds are highly intelligent.
- Australian Shepherds have a high tendency to wander. They are easily distracted by other animals or objects.
- Australian Shepherds have very high energy levels. They need a lot of exercise time to release their high energy.
- Australian Shepherds require a lot of exercise. They are good for owners who like to exercise.
- Australian Shepherds are very playful.
- Australian Shepherds weigh 40 to 65 pounds when fully grown.
- Australian Shepherds are 18 to 23 inches tall at the shoulder when fully grown.
- Australian Shepherds have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years.