Australian Shepherd is a medium sized, robust dog which
originally was bred in the USA. They are intelligent; active dogs with a desire to
protect their owners from every possible threat.
Energetic and playful, they can work for the whole
day and won’t get tired of the process.
They are always very devoted to their owners and are faithful companions. They
are obedient, skilful and always with an intention to please their masters.
Let’s look at the characteristics of this dog breed in this article.
Appearances
They are medium sized and
can weight up to 30-70 pounds when fully grown. An Australian Shepherd comes in varieties of colours, are attractive
looking with a solid and muscular body. They are born with tails ranging from
short to long, protective outer coats with underlying inner coats, triangular
ears at the side of the head, soft hairs and strong legs. In all, they look
like a dog with a high personality.
Understanding Australian Shepherd dog
Bred to be working dogs,
they have a high energy level. They like to work and must always be provided with something to do. Training and early socialisation is a must needed thing for them.
As they are intelligent and hardworking, it’s not that difficult to train them.
They must be always engaged in activities, be it mental or physical. As they
are protective in nature, early training
can prove fruitful at times.
They are courageous and
intelligent dogs, so they are at their best when it comes to protecting their
family. They are loyal and devoted to the people they know and become fierce to protect them from the people whom they
consider as threats. So the Australian
Shepherd puppies must be trained as early as possible on how to behave with
strangers, with kids and other domestic pets.
It must be noted that, without
proper training, they may turn quite ferocious in their adulthood, though it is
a rare case.
Bringing guests at home and
training these dogs not to be wary of them would be a good practice. But it
should be kept in mind that, they must be
trained to detect suspicious things and alert their owners when they sense
threats from strangers. Talking about exercises, they need heavy activities, so taking them for short evening walk won’t
do any good. They must be provided with hard exercises. Hiring a trainer for a
puppy would be a good idea.
They are only aggressive
while working, otherwise they very loyal, friendly and affectionate to the
people they know. They love to play, and
if trained properly, they can be good
companions for the kids and be their playmates. Just you must be cautious
because of their habit of chasing others, a habit shown by herding dogs. If not
trained properly, they may chase your kids or other humans and bring
unintentional harms.
Taking care of Australian Shepherds
Australian Shepherd puppies must not be given hard training as given to their adult counterparts. The
adult ones must be engaged in activities or provided with a companion most of
the times, or else they may turn destructive. They have a tendency to go out of
the house, which in turn may create problems, so you must make arrangements so
that the dog remains within the permitted area. Training them and making them
learn to avoid inappropriate behaviours is advisable.
They are originally bred
for herding, which has both positive and negative effects. They have the intention to chase others. So they may
chase anyone including the kids, toddlers and friendly guests, a sign not good
for domestic dogs. So a specialised trainer can be hired to train them.
Do not buy the dog if you are a first-time
dog owner because they need to be handled with experience and care. Consult
reputable Australian Shepherd breeders
before buying a puppy.
Good nutritive foods must
be provided to them from their puppyhood to adulthood. Regular brushing of
coats and teeth, trimming of nails and checking for infections must be done.
They are prone to health problems such as hip dysplasia, epilepsy, deafness,
cataracts, allergies, cancer and etc. So if you notice any abnormal behaviour
or symptoms of these diseases, immediately contact the vets. Making them
undergo regular health check-ups is advisable.
Points to be noted
There are several breeders
in the USA and the UK. You just have to find the right Australian Shepherd Breeders before
buying a puppy. You must study a puppy and learn about it from the breeders
before buying. Several factors like early up bribing, how they were brought up,
have they exposed to a lot of people and
etc. matters in shaping up the personality of Australian Shepherds. Also, the
health status of a puppy must be checked before buying. Once everything seems
perfect about a dog, you may consider buying it.
Australian Shepherd Dog Images
