The Australian Shepherds can provide good companionship. You should lead an active lifestyle to appreciate this kind of breed. These animals are full of zest and very athletic and therefore can be a handful if one is not properly armed with a good dose of knowledge on how to train the Australian Shepherd. Find out the basic information about this breed.

Quick Facts

The Australian Shepherd or Aussie as it is commonly called from the US was used to herding in ranches. Robustly built medium sized country dog, has triangular shaped ears that is slightly rounded at the tip. An identifying characteristic is its docked bobtail. Aussie has deep robust chest and stands evenly on all fours. Masculinity or femininity is discernible in Australian Shepherds.

Height: Dogs 20-23 inches (52-58cm.) Bitches 18-21 inches (46-53cm)

Weight: Dogs 50-65 pounds (25-29 kg) Bitches 40-55 pounds (18-25 kg.)

Personality

Aussies are intelligent animals, hardworking and has an innate herding and guarding instincts. They can be easily trained and love performing tasks. You will not likely find them in one corner just sitting around for a long time. Aggressive and attentive, they can be a good guard dog. Their animated quality makes them popular with children who love to play and run around. Though they are friendly and affectionate with their human family they are actually reserve and cautious around strangers. Typical Aussies would be happy with constant activities going on around them. Schedule a lot of activities like walking, running, jumping and playing around to keep their general well being in a balance.

Training

The great qualities that make these animals so endearing can also be damaging if they are not properly trained since this could result to undesirable behavior like nipping, chewing and digging. Obedience training for Australian Shepherds is highly recommended since they are quick learners and this will make them realize what are expected of them early on. One way of developing their social skills is to expose them to a variety of people and other animals for them to learn how to discern between a friend and a foe. Since they are able to form a strong bond with their masters, they suffer from separation anxiety when left alone for a long period of time. Poorly socialized Aussies may become aggressive if not properly trained.

{Aussies can live up to more than 12 years}. Higly active Aussies results to big appetite so be sure to sypply a big amount of quality food to supplement their energy level. If you have the time and sense of commitment for this breed, you will not be disappointed as your well spent effort will be amply reciprocated. With proper care and training of Australian Shepherds, a life with them will be enjoyable and rewarding.