| By :
Brent McCoy
The Australian Shepherd (nicknamed the "Aussie") is a herding breed of dog that features in blue merle, red merle, black and red or a variety of other coat colors as well as either blue or brown eyes. The breed was largely developed in the United States during the 1800s despite their name, and was first used for the main intention of herding sheep. A small number of their more distinctive attributes often are their high level of versatility, intelligence and trainability - which assist in making the Australian Shepherd a common choice for herding, movie and television roles, guide dogs for the blind, therapy dogs, for search and rescue or as companions in active households. The Australian Shepherd is well-known for their bold, alert and confident manner. They are typically shy around unfamiliar people, which often makes them fairly unsuitable as a guard dog. The Australian Shepherd is also known to be highly intelligent - though only ranks equal 42nd in comparison with other dogs based on their capacity to learn obedience commands. They are additionally well-known to be great with children who they may often try to herd without proper training - making them quite suitable as a family pet. The Australian Shepherd is usually compatible with other animals such as other dogs and pets once properly socialized. Grooming the Australian Shepherd is a relatively easy chore. They require only occasional brushing once a week and bathing not too often to avoid removing the natural oils in the coat. The Australian Shepherd enjoys having a large yard to provide them with enough space, and they are largely unsuitable for living in an apartment. The Australian Shepherd gets pleasure from endeavors such as agility, flyball, obedience, tracking and herding. They possess a high level of energy and have a need for daily exercise in the form of long walks, runs or other physical challenges to stop destructive behavior and excessive barking. The Australian Shepherd can make the perfect dog for an active owner or family with a large yard and a job to give them. They are well-matched for anybody who is able to commit to a small amount of grooming and allow time to give them early obedience training and socialization plus ongoing mental challenges as well as take them on long daily walks and provide a good amount of companionship and attention. Though they could be somewhat out of place as a city dog or in a less active household, if you are able to meet their needs for physical and mental challenges then the Australian Shepherd possibly will make the perfect dog breed for you.
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