Australian Shepherd
The Australian Shepherd is a working dog with strong animal husbandry and guarding abilities. He is a loyal companion and has the perseverance to work around the clock. Very harmonious, body length slightly larger than height, medium size, medium bone mass, changeable color and personality. The Australian Shepherd is focused and lively, flexible and agile, muscular but not bulky. The coat is medium in length and coarse. Mastering the daily hair care and understanding common canine diseases and breeding behaviors is also important for dog owners to grow better and healthier.
Chinese scientific name australian shepherd
Eye meat
The Latin scientific name canis lupus familiaris
Family Canines
The animal kingdom
FCI International Standard
Historical synopsis
The origin of the Australian Shepherd is mixed, but the breed as we know it today was developed from the United States. It is called the Australian Shepherd because of its association with Basque shepherds who came to the United States from Australia in the 19th century.
After World War II, with the popularity of horseback riding in the West, the Australian Shepherd also emerged, and the breed became known to the public through rodeo shows, horse shows, movies and TV shows. The Australian Shepherd's innate versatility and ease of training make it a valuable asset on farms and ranches. American pastoralists continued to develop the breed, maintaining its versatility, intelligent disposition, strong shepherd instincts, and striking appearance that initially won him praise.
Although each Ao Mu is unique in both color and markings, all Australian Mu show their unparalleled loyalty and dedication to their families. They have many characteristics that have made this breed very popular.
Overall shape
The Australian Shepherd is well-proportioned, slightly longer in length than in height, medium in size and bone, and rich in coat colour and personality.
The breed is attentive and lively, soft and agile, strong but not clumsy. The coat is moderately long and coarse. Broken tail or natural tail.
Important proportions
The length from the sternum to the back of the thigh is slightly longer than the length from the tip of the shoulder to the ground. The length of the Body is slightly longer than the height. The body is strong and the bone mass is moderate. The body structure of the male dog reflects the characteristics of the male dog, but it is not rugged. Female dogs have the characteristics of a female dog, but there is no reduction in bone mass.
Behavior/Disposition: The Australian Shepherd is a smart working dog breed with strong shepherd skills and caretaker abilities. He is a loyal partner, energetic and can work all day. Gentle, gentle, and hardly fighting. The breed may have a cold attitude when they first met.
head
The contours are clear, powerful and dry. The overall size is proportional to the body.
Cranial:
Skull: The top of the head is flattened and slightly spherical. The occipital bone is slightly raised. Equal in length and width.
Forehead segment: moderate, obvious.
face:
Nose: Blue meteorite color and black dog, nose is black (as are the lips). The red meteorite and red dog nose is dark russet (brown) (as are the lips). For meteorite-colored dogs, pink dots are allowed on the nose, but in dogs over one year old, the pink dot area cannot exceed 25% of the nose area, otherwise it is considered a serious defect.
Muzzle: equal length to or slightly shorter than the posterior skull. Viewed from the side, the contour line above the posterior skull and the muzzle are parallel and separated by a moderate and pronounced frontal segment. The muzzle is slightly thinned from the base to the nose, and the tip is rounded.
Jaw/Tooth: Complete and firm white teeth with scissor bite or pincer bite.
Eyes: Brown, blue, amber, or any of the above colors are discolored or mixed, including spots and marbling colors. Almond-shaped, not protruding or sunken. The eye sockets of blue meteorites and black dogs are black. The orbits of red meteorite and red dogs are dark russet brown (brown). Expression: Focused and intelligent, alert and eager. Eager and friendly when looking.
Ears: Triangular, medium in size, moderately sagging, located higher on the head. In a alert state, the ears fold forward and reciprocate, or tend to the side of the head, such as rose ears.
neck
Powerful, medium length, slightly arched at the top, naturally combined with the shoulders.
torso
Dorsal line: from shoulder to hip joint, straight and strong, horizontal and stable.
Hips: Tilt appropriately.
Chest: Not wide, but deep, with the lowest point reaching the elbow.
Ribs: long and well-curved, neither barrel chest nor flattened sides.
Ventral line and abdomen: moderately upward folded.
Tail: straight, day growing or short. If the tail is broken (for countries that do not prohibit tail breakage) or if the tail is born short, it should not exceed 10 cm.
limbs
Precursor:
Shoulders: The shoulder blades are long, flat, closely connected to the shoulder ridges, and well placed posteriorly. The upper limbs are basically the same length as the shoulder blades, connected at almost right angles to the shoulder line, and the forelimbs are naturally drooping and perpendicular to the ground.
Limbs: straight and strong. The bones are strong, oval instead of round.
Metacarpal bone (front leg tie): medium length, slightly inclined. The front wolf claws can be removed.
Feet: oval, compact, tight toes and naturally arched. The foot pads are thick and elastic.
Rear drive:
Overall shape: The width of the hind limbs is equal to the width of the forelimb shoulders.
The angle of the pelvis and thighs matches the angle of the shoulder blades and upper limbs, and is generally at right angles.
Posterior knee joint: pronounced.
Tarsal joint: moderate curvature.
Metatarsal: short, at right angles to the ground, and from behind, the two are parallel to each other. The hind limbs have no wolf claws.
Hind feet: oval, compact, tight and arched toes. The foot pads are thick and elastic.
gait
The Australian Shepherd has a smooth, fluid and brisk gait. Very agile, balanced and capable of leaping forward when dynamic. The front and back legs are kept upright as they travel and parallel to the midline of the body. As the speed increases, the four feet (front and rear feet) are gathered on the gravitational centerline of the body, and the back remains stable and level. Australian Shepherds are agile and can quickly change direction or change gait.
Coated
Hair: Medium, straight or wavy, resistant to weather effects, medium length. The number of undercollies changes in number with climate change. The hairs on the head, ears, front legs, and lower parts of the tether are short. The mane and ornamental hair are moderate, and the male dog is more pronounced than the female dog.
Coat color: white on the neck (partially or in whole), chest, legs, lower part of the muzzle is acceptable, and there may be white spots on the head. The range of white in the lower half of the body should be within 4 inches (10 cm) above the horizontal line of the elbow.
The white of the head should not be the main color, and there must be pigmentation around the eyes. Meteorite color darkens with age.
size
Shoulder height: The ideal height for male dogs is 20-23 inches (51-58 cm) and for female dogs 18-21 inches (46-53 cm). Size has little effect on its quality.
Critical defects
Standing ears and hanging ears
Atypical infestation
disqualification
Be aggressive or overly shy
Any dog that is manifestly physically and behaviorally abnormal should be considered out of place.
The jaw is protruding. The palate protrudes greater than 1/8 inch. If the central incisor teeth are too short, resulting in the inability of the canine teeth to close incorrectly, it should not be counted as a protruding jaw, and the teeth should not be punished for damage or missing due to accidents.
The white part is splashed into various colors, referring to the white part that expands to the shoulders of the body to the tail, and the elbow to the side of the back of the hind limbs.
remark
Male dogs should be born with two distinctly normal, completely placed testicles in the scrotum.
Only dogs with healthy physical function and clinical manifestations and typical dog breed structure can be used for breeding.
Habits of life
Training a sheepdog can generally begin when the puppy is only four and a half months old: usually the owner simply puts it in the pasture and lets it run around the flock on its own, until it is confirmed that it has indeed been able to take care of all the flocks, and the training cannot officially begin. At this point, it should be required to move very softly, not to rush around fiercely, but to "control" the sheep with ease. This is the organizational and commanding skills necessary for a qualified shepherd. In addition, the most important thing is to make the sheepdog's eyes so focused and communicative that the "silent language" of the eyes alone can command and even hypnotize the sheep under its jurisdiction. To have such a look, you have to go through rigorous and lasting practice and training. Fortunately, the "wisdom" of the Australian Shepherd is equivalent to the IQ of a five-year-old child, in addition, it has a wide field of vision and sharp vision, and can easily care for hundreds of sheep with a hundred, but does not have to watch nervously at all times, but on the contrary, it can be as calm as guarding a single animal in a grass shed. In Australia, farmers who were able to train excellent shepherds are still greatly respected and loved today.
Personality traits
The Australian Shepherd, the Australian Shepherd, is intelligent, active, vigilant but calm dog; it is very good by nature and does not like to be noisy. There are reservations at the first meeting. If there is any shyness, timidity or aggression, it is a serious defect. There are white spots on the body, which means that no matter what color, the color appears white after the shoulder boom, before the tail, from the elbows on both sides to the back and buttocks.
The length of the body (the straight-line distance from the front of the sternum to the hips) is about 10/9 of the shoulder height. Backline horizontal. The back is strong, the ribs are well dilated, and there is no barrel chest. The chest is deep, muscular and moderately wide. The waist is wide, firm and muscular, and the lumbar fossa is deep. The overall combination is strong.
Although the Australian Shepherd is very good to raise and does not need the owner to worry too much, but a healthy and hygienic diet is very necessary, so what foods in daily life are not edible for Australian Shepherds? People who like to mix food by hand should grasp the balance of nutritional structure. It is particularly noteworthy not to feed your pet dog only meat or fish just because it is a carnivore. In this way, it can trigger hemorrhagic enteritis with whole meat syndrome, with serious consequences. In addition, dogs should beware of bones in food, which can also cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Also, onions can cause rare life-threatening anemia. It is best for those who prepare food by hand to follow the advice of veterinarians to avoid unexpected diseases. If you are not sure about the nutritional balance in terms of food preparation, it is recommended that you add dry food to your own food and stir and feed well. The water should also be changed frequently to ensure that the dog can drink fresh water at any time. Let's talk about the source of energy for dogs, in other words, the necessary foods for pet dogs to maintain life and promote physical development. The most ideal food for dogs is dry food for dogs. There are many brands of this kind of goods on the market now. But for dogs, maybe they like brand A and don't like brand B. Depending on the brand, the quality of the content inside is also different, so you can't just consider the cheap price when buying. If your dog likes a certain brand, try to provide it with only that brand of food in the future. Constantly changing the type of food will encourage pet dogs to be picky eaters. However, different brands of dog dry food will have different raw materials and different proportions of nutrients. Puppies are fed three or four times a day, mainly with a small number of meals, and adult Australian Shepherds can eat twice a day, it is recommended to feed once in the morning and evening. Water sources are constant.
Physiological indicators Male Aussie shoulder height 18.1-20.1 inches (46.0-51.0 cm) Female Aussie shoulder height 16.9-18.9 inches (43.0-48.0 cm) Male Azro-herd weight 35.3-70.6 lbs (16.0-32.0 kg) Female Aussie weight 35.3-70.6 lbs (16.0-32.0 kg)