The Australian Shepherd, lovingly nicknamed the Aussie, is a lean, tough medium-sized dog with an intelligent, active, work-orientated personality. Despite its name, and a contested origins story, the Australian Shepherd most likely originated in California around the time of the Gold Rush in the 1840s as a ranching and herding dog. The Australian Shepherd is similar in appearance to the English Shepherd and Border Collie, with its multi-colored, long, straight, occasionally curly, coat. A work-orientated dog, the Australian Shepherd needs a diligent, active owner and makes a good dog for dog agility trials, search and rescue, and various other service or therapeutic activities.
The average Australian Shepherd has an overall height of 25”-32” (64-81 cm), withers height of 18”-23” (46-58 cm), and body length of 28”-36” (71-91 cm). A typical Australian Shepherd weighs between 35-70 lb (16-32 kg) and has a lifespan of roughly 13-15 years.
The Australian Shepherd, lovingly nicknamed the Aussie, is a lean, tough medium-sized dog with an intelligent, active, work-orientated personality. Despite its name, and a contested origins story, the Australian Shepherd most likely originated in California around the time of the Gold Rush in the 1840s as a ranching and herding dog. The Australian Shepherd is similar in appearance to the English Shepherd and Border Collie, with its multi-colored, long, straight, occasionally curly, coat. A work-orientated dog, the Australian Shepherd needs a diligent, active owner and makes a good dog for dog agility trials, search and rescue, and various other service or therapeutic activities.
The average Australian Shepherd has an overall height of 25”-32” (64-81 cm), withers height of 18”-23” (46-58 cm), and body length of 28”-36” (71-91 cm). A typical Australian Shepherd weighs between 35-70 lb (16-32 kg) and has a lifespan of roughly 13-15 years.
