Appearance

The Australian Shepherd has highly set, triangular ears, a moderately defined stop (point at which the muzzle meets the forehead), a scissors bite, and brown, blue, or amber eyes (or a combination thereof). It has a flat back, natural or docked bobtail, and oval feet. The Australian Shepherd is slightly longer than it is tall.

History

The Australian Shepherd we know today was developed mainly in the U.S. In fact, this breed has no real connection to Australia. Originating in the Basque region between Spain and France as a working dog and sheepherder, the breed drew the name “Australian Shepherd” because many of the Basque shepherds came from Australia. Australian Shepherds became more popular in the mid-twentieth century, favorites of ranchers and cowboys for their unique herding talents, but did not enter the AKC Stud Book until 1991.