Australian Shepherd. Charlotte Schwartz

is a very beautiful dog. It is well balanced and symmetrical, and stands a little under 2 feet tall at the shoulder.

      The Australian Shepherd is a moderate dog in all respects. His appearance bespeaks agility, strength and stamina. His heavy coat and bobtail give the impression that he’s well equipped for life in the outdoors. His build tells of his physical abilities, and his demeanor and facial expression indicate his intelligence and determination to get the job done.

      There is no doubt in the minds of all who meet him that he is capable of performing his work while devotedly serving his owner as friend and partner. He is an enthusiastic worker, a devoted companion and an excellent guardian of home and family. Males carry a distinctive look of masculinity about them, while females are usually a bit smaller and more feminine in overall appearance. In other words, it’s easy to distinguish the difference between the sexes by sight.

       OWNER CONSIDERATIONS

      With regard to behavior, Aussies are not normally dog-aggressive nor are they fence-climbers or diggers. Unlike some of the hunting breeds, they do not have a genetic predisposition to run away from home and master. Indeed, as they strive to please their owners, they prefer to stay close to home.

      They do not like being separated from their families, so crate training is a wise choice. Then, when they must be left alone, they can stay in their crates where they feel secure.

       The facial expression of the Australian Shepherd tells the story of an intelligent dog who is more than eager to please and share affection with his owner.

      In addition, they aren’t chewers, so they can be offered a variety of toys such as soft, fluffy ones, flying discs and hard chew bones, which will help keep their teeth clean.

      All dogs, however, need to be supervised when playing with toys to make sure they don’t swallow or choke on pieces of toys that get broken off. When a toy begins to get tattered and gnawed out of shape, discard it and give the dog a new one.

      If you allow your dog to run free in a fenced yard, the fence should be at least four feet high. Even though Aussies aren’t fence-jumpers, the four-foot height would discourage any thoughts of scaling it to go wandering through the neighborhood.

       THE IDEAL OWNER

      There are two types of ideal Australian Shepherd owners. Let’s look at both of them. Then you can decide if, in fact, you fit into either category.

       Although a wonderful pet for many, the Aussie is a working dog at heart and, thus, must have his attention diverted with plenty of safe toys and activity.

      The farmer or rancher is the most desirable Aussie owner. In an environment where the dog must work every day, he is capable of making herding and guarding decisions while working long hours, even in rough weather. Aussies like nothing better than to help their owners with whatever chores need doing.

      The second type of ideal Aussie owner is the active suburbanite. Though the owner’s professional life may demand that he work indoors, he is the kind of person who uses his free time and days off to get outdoors and do things with his dog. He is a person who needs to keep physically fit and active, an athletic individual who makes a point of spending some time each day outside. Furthermore, he is not discouraged by reasonable extremes in temperature or moderate amounts of rain.

      Conversely, the person who enjoys spending his free time in quiet activities such as reading and watching television would not make an ideal Aussie owner. Australian Shepherds are not “couch potatoes” and do not do well, either physically or emotionally, in passive lifestyles.

      An Aussie can cope with living indoors in a small apartment or house, providing the owner joins him during part of each day in some form of vigorous outdoor activity. Given this lifestyle, the Aussie quickly learns that his master’s arrival home means great sport will soon be enjoyed. Given a stretch of bad weather or an owner who is recovering from an illness, the Aussie can be exercised indoors by teaching him a trick or in some way stimulating his mental abilities.

      Another consideration for the ideal Aussie owner is the enjoyment of brushing his dog regularly, as in several times a week or whenever the dog’s coat collects foreign matter such as grass clippings, seeds or leaves.

       Never far from his working background, the intelligent and tractable Aussie can be taught to aid his owner in a variety of tasks. He’s a willing and able helper!

       AUSSIE PERSONALITY

       INTUITIVENESS

      As an Aussie owner, I have found them to be extremely sensitive to my emotions. For example, if I am happy and/or excited, the dogs are too. However, when I’m sad or tired or just not feeling well, they are subdued and silent while staying close to me in quiet concern. Nervousness, such as that experienced in preparing for a dog show or going on a trip, usually results in the dogs’ experiencing anxiety as well. In other words, Aussies, it seems, are intuitive animals who are aware of and sensitive to their owners’ moods and to situations going on around them, and they react accordingly.

       DOGS, DOGS, GOOD FOR YOUR HEART!

      People usually purchase dogs for companionship, but studies show that dogs can help to improve their owners’ health and level of activity, as well as lower a human’s risk of coronary heart disease. Without even realizing it, when a person puts time into exercising, grooming and feeding a dog, he also puts more time into his own personal health care. Dog owners establish more routine schedules for their dogs to follow, which can have positive effects on their own health. Dogs also teach us patience, offer unconditional love and provide the joy of having a furry friend to pet!

       SOCIABILITY

      Possibly the most interesting attribute of Aussies is the manner in which they relate to strangers. They are, by nature, reserved toward those whom they don’t know. They are not openly aggressive toward strangers, as is common with many of the working breeds. Rather, they choose to ignore those they don’t know, providing that they (the strangers) do not threaten their masters or families.

       Even Aussies need to relax! Quiet time with his owner is just as important to the pet Aussie as regular activity.

      Devoted to their owners, Aussies constantly keep track of their charges while ignoring others in their environment. Take an Aussie out among people and he will, in all probability, focus his attention on his owner while acting as if there is no one else present.

      However, if the owner chooses to speak to or interact with another person, he merely has to introduce his dog to the stranger and the Aussie will accept the person’s attention. Aussies are polite, reserved and non-aggressive dogs who openly demonstrate their loyalty to their owners while exhibiting restrained good manners to others.

       AFFECTION

      Along with loyalty, the Aussie demonstrates great affection for his owners. He loves a scratch behind the ears or a hearty pat on the side. If allowed, he’ll nuzzle next to his owner and will often use those expressive eyes to beg for attention in return.

       INTELLIGENCE

      Perhaps the most valuable attribute of the Aussie is his intelligence. If we define intelligence as being genetically engineered to perform tasks for and/or with humans, then the Aussie is among the