The Australian Shepherd dogs can be a good companion if one leads an active life. This breed is a very active dog and a high spirited lifestyle suits best for them. In order to maximize this breed's potential you must learn some basic facts about them.
Quick Facts
Commonly known as Aussie Shepherd, this breed originated from the U.S. working as a herding dog in ranches. A medium sized, stout, well-balanced country dog characterized by its triangular shaped ears set high on the side of the head and slightly rounded at the tip. These animals have a strong, deep chest and squarely stand on all fours. An identifying characteristic is its natural or docked bobtail. Masculinity or femininity is clearly defined in Australian Shepherd dogs.
Aussies are intelligent animals, hardworking and has an innate herding and guarding instincts. They are easily trained and perform tasks with enthusiasm. 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. Make sure to schedule plenty of walks, play and training to keep both their mind and body in tip top shape.
Teaching
Since herding is ingrained in this breed, it is imperative that they are well trained from the start to obey commands and control their exuberance especially around children lest their herding instinct gets better of them. Training an Australian Shepherd dog should involve a lot of vigorous activities in order to get the benefits in owning such a breed. It is recommended to get them into an obedience training school to properly channel and control their liveliness. The energetic nature of Australian Shepherd needs to be channeled to productive tasks, lots of play and active training otherwise their pent up energy will result to destructive chewing and digging. They are happy when they are doing something rather than lazing around. Rough housing, playing around, jumping and running are characteristics of a normal Aussie.
Australian Shepherd dogs can live up to 12 years or more. Active Aussie's appetite is generally bigger than other dogs of the same size so ensure that you feed him plenty of high quality food. Owning this kind of breed requires a lot of preparation and commitment to get the best out of them. Known to be loyal and hardworking, life with a well-trained Australian Shepherd dogs can be enjoyable and rewarding.
