Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd was the 5th breed to be introduced to Alacrity.

The Australian Shepherd is a medium sized herding breed, strong of bone, but light enough to run across the backs of a penned herd of sheep. Despite it's name, the Australian Shepherd was not developed in Australia and is a European breed. High energy, intelligent, and driven, Aussie's excel at many dogsports and herding. They are agile, but muscular, sturdy dogs capable of covering long distances. The coat is of moderate length, and come in a variety of colors including bicolors, tricolors, and merles. The tail is naturally bobbed or docked. 

Ideally, a male Australian Shepherd would be between 20 and 23 inches at the withers, while a female would be slightly smaller, between 18 and 21 at the withers. They are slightly longer than tall, with moderate bone. They do not exhibit the crouch commonly seen from Border Collies, but are still quite agile, able to easily move a herd of sheep, cows, ducks, or other farm animals. 

In a modern home, Australian Shepherds are generally gentle with children and other pets, though their herding instinct can cause chasing behaviors. With proper stimulation and exercise, as they are high energy, and Australian Shepherd can be an excellent addition to the family. Easily trainable, an Australian Shepherd's owner can enjoy a myriad of dogsports with their pet, including nose work, rally, obedience, and agility.