Australian Shepherd puppies

About the Australian Shepherd

Despite the name, the Australian Shepherd was developed on ranches in the western United States, from European herding dogs that arrived by way of Australia. This is a medium sized dog, 46 to 58 centimetres tall, with a weatherproof double coat, often merle, and eyes that can be blue, brown or one of each. Aussies are athletic, tireless and closely tuned to their handler, and they rate five out of five for trainability, which cuts both ways when nobody is directing them.

This dog needs an hour or two of real activity daily and, better still, a job: herding, agility, obedience or long hikes. Weekly brushing suffices most of the year, with an undercoat rake every two or three days during the shed. They rate five out of five with children, though supervision and socialisation come first, since the herding instinct can slide into chasing them. The coat and the cleverness are easy to fall for, so be sure you can also provide the exercise and the structure.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Australian Shepherd puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire them out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Collie eye anomaly / choroidal hypoplasia (CEA/CH), detectable by DNA test on both parents and on an eye examination
• Multi-drug resistance mutation (MDR1), detectable by DNA test, and worth knowing before any anaesthetic or worming drug
• Hereditary cataract (HC-HSF4), detectable by DNA test on both parents
• Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed for under the hip and elbow scoring schemes

Your Australian Shepherd puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Australian Shepherd.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 18.1 to 29.5 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 29.5 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Australian Shepherd

Previous: Australian Kelpie · Next: Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Australian Shepherd breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/australian-shepherd/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Trickdog-Fina, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.