The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent, agile, and highly energetic working dog. Bred in their native California as a herding dog, the instinct to work and to perform difficult tasks is strongly present in their genetic makeup. Australian Shepherds suit active, energetic owners who will take a firm hand with them; they're not recommended for novice owners, as without experience and a strong working knowledge of dog psychology and communication they can be an impossible handful.
Some Facts About the Australian Shepherd
Here are some things that I'd want to be aware of if I were considering adopting an Australian Shepherd:
- These working dogs are happiest when they have a job to do. A Shepherd with no demands on his time will use his excess energy to get into mischief - destructive behavior, obsessive barking, anxiety and neurotic behavior, and aggression towards other dogs, including fear-biting and lunging, are all characteristic behaviors of a Shepherd who doesn't have enough to do.
- It bears repeating that these dogs are ACTIVE. They can - and will - happily sprint for miles on end. Aussies need lots of vigorous exercise on a daily basis, as well as lots of playful energetic romps.
- Intelligent minds need to be kept active. All Aussies need ongoing, challenging training - take your Aussie to agility training, obedience work, herding classes, or flyball.
- Typically of a working breed, Aussies are snappy, aggressive, and/or excessively shy and timid around strange people and dogs if not socialized THOROUGHLY and from a YOUNG AGE. Their natural caution and wariness, which serves so well in a shepherd dog, is not appropriate for a family pet, and you'll need to really work to counteract this tendency.
- Shepherds are intensely affectionate with the members of their human families, and form strong bonds with their owners. They can be prone to separation anxiety, which is a horrible condition for any dog to suffer; it's pretty hard on the owners, too. To prevent this from occurring, you must not leave your Shepherd alone for anything more than a few hours. You cannot keep him outside, away from his family; he can't be left in the yard by himself when you go to work. This is NOT an 'outside dog'.