The Australian Shepherd was brought to the United States by Basque sheepherders,
who came to this Country from Australia in the 1800's.
They come in various colors there are black, sometimes with white or tan markings
which is called a Black Tri, Blue Merles, Red Merles, red, sometimes with white
or tan which is called a Red Tri. They can also only be two colors like black &
white which is a Black Bi or Red & White which is a Red Bi. Their eyes can be blue,
brown, hazel or mixed one blue, one brown or hazel. That does not mean they are
blind in the blue eye. Usually the merles are the ones that have the different colored
eyes. They can weigh 40-65 lbs and are 18-23" tall.
The Aussie (a nickname) is a very active dog that needs a great deal of exercise
on a daily basis. If you love the great outdoors, a good run or hike and have a
lot of attention and love to give this would be the dog for you. They are also great
at all dog sports games and of course as herding working dogs.
Aussies are not suited to an independent lifestyle. They rely on human companionship.
They often follow their owners from one room to another just to be with them. They
are very loyal and make a great family dog.
Australian Shepherds have been used as service dogs to help the physically handicapped,
therapy dogs, police and narcotics dogs, search and rescue dogs and are very successful
at these jobs.