Breed library

Australian Shepherd

Also known as Aussie.

Australian Shepherd photograph.
Australian Shepherd red bi.JPG - Trickdog-Fina. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Shepherd_red_bi.JPG. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Breed overview

The Australian Shepherd, also known as the Aussie, is a breed of herding dog from the United States. Despite the name, the breed was developed in California in the 19th century. It is believed to have its origins in sheepdog breeds from northwest Spain, as well as collies imported, alongside sheep, from Australia and New Zealand; the breed reportedly took its name from this trade. Originally used solely as a herding dog, the Australian Shepherd has become one of the most popular companion dog breeds in North America.

  • Breed classification: herding dogBreed reference breed group.
  • Country of origin: United StatesBreed reference country of origin.
  • Country of origin: AustraliaBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • The Australian Shepherd descends in part from pastoral dogs brought to herd Spanish flocks in North America as early as the 1500s.
  • There is some speculation that these dogs included the Carea Leonés, a mountain sheepdog that can display the eye color and merle coat found in many contemporary Australian Shepherds.
  • The breed as it is known today developed in California in the 19th century, as a sheep herding dog for Californian shepherds.
  • The Australian Shepherd spread from California throughout the Western United States where it became extremely popular with ranchers who valued the breed's sheep working qualities, as well as their ability to handle cattle and other livestock.
  • A purely working breed for over a century, the Australian Shepherd was virtually unknown outside of the livestock industry until the mid-20th century when the breed was popularised by Jay Sisler, a rodeo performer, at rodeos across the western states with his Australian Shepherds performing all manner of tricks.

Size and appearance

The Australian Shepherd is a medium-sized, athletic breed; they typically stand between 18 and 23 in and weigh between 35 and 70 lb. The parent club, the Australian Shepherd Club of America's breed standard states male dogs should stand between 20 and 23 in and females between 18 and 21 in, at the withers; the standard does allow individual animals to exceed these limits slightly. The Australian Shepherd has a moderately long and wavy double coat that has a dense undercoat and coarse topcoat; the coat is short on the face and well feathered on the rear of the legs. The breed is known for its unique colorations and variable coat patterns, it being said no two dogs sharing a coat. The breed standard allows for blue merle, red merle, solid black or solid red, with or without white markings and with or without tan points.

  • Body mass reference: 15.876 - 31.751 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 35 - 70 lb. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 45.72 - 53.34 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 18 - 21 in. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: Up to 53 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
  • Height reference: 46 cm or moreBreed reference height. female, minimum.
  • Height reference: 50.8 - 58.42 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 20 - 23 in. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 51 cm or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 58 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.
  • Coat layers: double
  • Coat length: short
  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: wavy
  • Height category: tall
  • Height category: medium
  • Weight category: medium
  • Weight category: large

Personality and behavior

The Australian Shepherd is described as intelligent, active, loyal, protective, playful, and adaptive. The modern breed is predominantly bred for pets; despite this, many retain a strong herding instinct and it is not uncommon for companion dogs of the breed to try to herd children or other pets. A very active breed, the Australian Shepherd is known to become destructive if it does not receive adequate exercise.

  • Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.39 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 1.88 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.87 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.72 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.45 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.20 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.42 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.78 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.10 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.66 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.72 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.75 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.70 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.
  • Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.88 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Australian Shepherd.

Exercise and activities

Like other herding breeds, these dogs excel at many dog sports, especially herding also known as stockdog, dog agility, dock diving/dock jumping, obedience, rally, tracking, disc, and flyball. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive instinct tests. Australian Shepherds that exhibit basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in ASCA stock dog trials or AKC herding events. The dog has a stride in which its front and back legs cross over, making for an appearance of "on the edge" speed. The dogs instinctively use a "pounce" position to deal with cattle trying to kick them. They also have strong hips and legs, allowing for fast acceleration and high jumping, sometimes as high as 4 ft (1.3 m).

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat layers: double
  • Coat length: short
  • Coat length: long
  • Coat texture: wavy

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a median life expectancy of 13.7 years based on a sample of 62 deaths, which was above the median of 12.7 years for purebreeds and 12 years for crossbreeds.

  • Lifespan reference: 13 years or moreBreed reference lifespan years.
  • Lifespan reference: Up to 15 yearsBreed reference lifespan years.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

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Breed history

The Australian Shepherd descends in part from pastoral dogs brought to herd Spanish flocks in North America as early as the 1500s. There is some speculation that these dogs included the Carea Leonés, a mountain sheepdog that can display the eye color and merle coat found in many contemporary Australian Shepherds. It is sometimes claimed that the Basque Shepherd Dog and the Pyrenean Sheepdog were also among the ancestors of the breed. The breed as it is known today developed in California in the 19th century, as a sheep herding dog for Californian shepherds. The Australian Shepherd is also believed to be descended from a variety of herding dogs imported to California with imported sheep, including collies from Australia and New Zealand. It was from these ancestors that the breed took its name.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Australian Shepherd - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Australian Shepherd, revision 1369756634. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Shepherd&action=history
  2. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  3. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  4. File:Australian Shepherd red bi.JPGWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Australian Shepherd red bi.JPG - Trickdog-Fina. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Australian_Shepherd_red_bi.JPG. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0.
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.