Australian shepherd

▪ breed of dog

 breed of herding dog that, despite its name, was developed in the United States in the late 1800s from dogs brought there by Basque shepherds who had spent time in Australia. One ancestor of the Australian shepherd is the berger de Pyrenees, an outstanding working dog from the mountains between France and Spain. A hardy dog with strong herding and guarding instincts, the Australian shepherd stands 18 to 23 inches (45 to 58 cm) and weighs 35 to 70 pounds (16 to 32 kg). Notable is its highly variable coat, which, according to American Kennel Club standards, can be black, blue merle (marbled gray on black), red merle (red marbled with beige), or red, with or without white markings or tan (copper) points. There is often a white collar and white on the neck, chest, legs, muzzle, and underparts or a white blaze on the head. The coat is medium length, slightly wavy, with moderate feathering on the legs and a longer mane and frill on the throat and upper chest. The eyes are brown, blue, or amber, and in some dogs each eye is a different colour. The tail is often naturally bobbed.

      In addition to herding and farm work, Australian shepherds have been used for search and rescue, police work, aid to the blind, deaf, or physically handicapped, and as therapy dogs. They are valued family pets but require a high level of activity.

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