Is An Aussie Right For You??

There are numerous stories about the origins of Australian Shepherds. The one that seems most "true" to us is that the Basque Shepherds developed them over years in the mountainous regions of France and Spain to help with the sheep herds. One source of information told me that her Grandfather had Aussies in the Philippines where she grew up….he had a red merle and a blue merle, descendants of the dogs he had brought from Spain as a boy moving to the Philippines. Yes he was the son of a Basque shepherd! Aussies come in a variety of colours, they are not just "the little blue dog". The four "accepted" colours are Red with or without copper and/or white, Red Merle, Blue Merle and Black, again with or without copper and/or white. For excellent pictures and explanations of the accepted and unaccepted colours please use this link to A Field Guide To Coloration of Australian Shepherds which is now included on the ASHGI (Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Institute) website at http://www.ashgi.org. On the ASHGI site you'll find a wealth of health and genetics information about Aussies. Please don't forget to use your brower's BACK button to return here! The Australian Shepherd dog, by heritage, is a herder and guardian. Sometimes their instinct to herd can be mistaken as "meanness" when they are trying to herd other animals and/or children. Nipping at the ankles is not an uncommon trait in young Aussies with herding instinct, but is easily discouraged with a gentle shake and an "ah-ah" sound. All of our Aussies have learned not to nip ankles within a few days but, taught in this manner, it has not destroyed their natural herding instincts. Aussies, properly trained and socialized make wonderful companions, they are highly intelligent, loyal, affectionate and protective of their property and their human family. Their high-spirits and eagerness to please make them an easy to train dog who will generally show great enthusiasm for learning new things and being challenged on a daily basis. Aussies excel in the show ring, trial arena, obedience ring, and they can be wonderfully athletic agility and flyball dogs. Their high energy makes them a serious candidate for lots of daily exercise and play. Aussies are generally good with children and other pets, although they usually try to keep the "herd" together! With strangers, Aussies can be aloof and show reserve but this should not be taken as shyness, they are generally just keeping an eye on things and making sure that the new person is acceptable before making them a friend. As a rule if you, as their owner, tell them the person is acceptable they will accept your word for it. Once an Aussie makes a friend, they are a friend for life. The ASCA breed standard for Aussies is 20-23 inches for males and 18-21 inches for females measured at the wither; and the weight guidelines are 25 to 65 pounds. The Aussie lifespan is usually 12 to 14 years but there are Aussies who have lived to be 20+! Aussies have a double coat (downy undercoat with coarser guard hairs) that requires moderate grooming, a thorough weekly brushing is usually sufficient. It is said that it's common for Aussies to shed twice yearly, spring and fall and during these times brushing more often is recommended. Our dogs live in the house and shed year-round, so if you're after a dog that doesn't shed much an Aussie isn't for you! Aussies, in general, do not have many health problems. Reputable breeders OFA or PennHip (for hip problems) and CERF (for eye problems) they're breeding dogs before allowing them to be bred. Dogs without good OFA or PennHip and CERF results should never be bred. Generally a good diet and regular exercise along with regular vet checkups and annual vaccinations, once past the puppy shots, are all that is necessary to keep your Aussie in good health. For more information on diseases that have been found in Aussies, please go to our genetics page. One extremely important thing to remember... some Aussies have shown a very bad reaction to heartworm medication containing Ivomectin and also Piperazine is in a LOT of wormers and Aussie show a sensitivity to this drug in some studies that were reported in the AVMA. For this reason no heartworm medication except INTERCEPTOR should ever be given to an Aussie and if you use worming medication containing Ivomectin on any other animals (cattle, horses etc.) your Aussies should not be allowed anywhere near the area until all traces of the medication are eradicated. The ideal owner of an Aussie is someone who not only wants a companion who desires to be with you all the time if possible, but should be a person who has the patience and time to ensure their companion gets proper training. As well, lots of regular exercise and play are necessary to keep your dog in good physical and mental condition. Aussies who do not get enough exercise and/or play time can tend to make their own fun by getting into mischief! A rural or suburban lifestyle is best for an Aussie and their immediate home should include a large fenced yard. Aussies should not be allowed to run free, their herding instincts make them ideal candidates for chasing cars and livestock if they are not kept in their own area. We strongly recommend that puppy owners take their Aussie pup to "kindergarten" for training with a reputable trainer. Your vet or pet supply store can be good sources to recommend trainers but always be sure to get references from people who have trained their dogs with them….most trainers will even let you go sit in on a session before deciding to train with them. If you are thinking about adding an Aussie pup to your home please also read Is An Aussie Right For You? Recommended Reading, Books & DVDs: There are many excellent books written on Aussies. Some of them are listed below. To start with is a wonderful list of books and DVDs by various members of the Hartnagle family, owners of Las Rocosa Australian Shepherds, the Australian Shepherd Club of America #1 Hall of Fame kennel. The Hartnagle family have been raising Aussies for over 50 years and most of the family are herding and/or breeder judges with a wealth of knowledge to share. You can purchase any of the Hartnagles books and/or DVDs directly from their website at http://www.lasrocosa.com/education.html Books: All About Aussies - This beautiful autographed hardcover book is just that - all you'd want to know about Aussies and more! By award-winning author, breeder, trainer, and judge, Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor. Known as the "bible" on the breed, this book is a must for every Aussie enthusiast. I have all three editions of the book and all are slightly dog-eared from being read over and over again…each time I read them I remember or learn something new. Jeanne's book has more information about Aussies than any other book I've seen and is packed with wonderful photos. All About Aussies retails for around $60.00 (including shipping) and is worth it's weight in gold and I believe is a "must have" for any Aussie owner. Stockdog Savvy - everything you ever wanted to know about owning, training, trialing, working or caring for your stockdog including starting a puppy, training all the basic herding maneuvers, working stock from a horse, getting ready for and competing in stockdog and herding trials, selecting and caring for various types of stock and so much more. The Spider Web (Australian Shepherd Genealogy Chart) is one of the most important documents ever written for the Australian Shepherd breed. A complete research tracing 40 years of the foundation dogs of the breed of record. Researched & written by Ernest Hartnagle, this document is a “must have” for any Aussie enthusiast! The Total Australian Shepherd: Beyond the Beginning - this fascinating book is a comprehensive history of the Australian Shepherd. Ernest Hartnagle & his daughter Carol Ann Hartnagle-Madsen have collaborated and their work begins where all the other Aussie books leave off. It illustrates key dogs in the Spider Web and is a most exciting and interesting work on the breed. The History Chapter puts the faces with names as they document the past to the present with some never before published photographs and information from early owners of the breed. Instead of telling the reader about the character of an Aussie, they bring the personality to life with anecdotes from actual owners of the foundation bloodlines over the past 50 years…all this and much more! Herding Dogs: Selecting and Training the Working Farm Dog - written by Chris Hartnagle-Renna, this book is full great information and beautiful full colour photographs! The Working Australian Shepherd - outlines Jim's knowledge of the breed (backed by a lifetime of experience) and shares the successful training methods he uses & teaches at his clinics. Coming Spring of 2010! Greasepaint Matadors: The Unsung Heros of Rodeo - a Special Collector's Edition, written by Jeanne-Joy Hartnagle-Taylor, this wonderful book is numbered and autographed. This classic work filled with no less than 200 excellent, action packed photographs, compliment the lively narratives with some of rodeo's greatest clowns and bullfighters (the founding fathers of the sport) who have decades of experience in the business. Greasepaint Matadors is a must-have coffee table book for anybody with even the slightest interest in rodeo. DVD’s: Herding I - (Overview) This video provides an overview of stockdog training basics. Herding II - (Young dog work) Deals with introducing the young dogs to the skills needed for working livestock. Herding III - (Advanced penning & shedding) Details advanced skills. Herding Series - All three DVDs from the herding series. In The Ribbons - The Dog Show - preparing & competing with your Aussies. An Evening With Ernie Hartnagle - Ernie brings to life the Australian Shepherd’s development from obscurity to mainstream popularity during the past 50 years. The Bandit Project ~ The Making of "Down from the Mountain: The story of Bandit and the Wolf" - this is a great book by Jim MacKrell. Not only is it a wonderful story but the "hero" is based on one of the all-time great Aussies "HOF VCH WTCH CH Shopes Goodnight Bandit CDX RTDsc HAs HXd" who was owned by Steve & Anne Shope of New Mexico. Jim's blog is at http://www.thebanditproject.com and there is a link available to order his wonderful book. A portion of the proceeds from the book is going to be donated to the National Canine Cancer Foundation and the Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Institute to help in their search for a cure for cancer in pets. There is a widespread variety of books written on training dogs for a wide variety of venues, far too many to listed them all here. Clicker training, obedience training, agility training and so on are all interesting reading and I'm sure any good bookstore will carry a good collection and would be happy to recommend several to you. There are also wonderful resources available on the internet. Again a vast amount of information can be had on just about any topic to do with dogs and we recommend you read everything you can, and choose what you wish to do once you've you finish your reading. A couple of good sites to start with are Karen Pryor's Don't Shoot The Dog at http://www.dontshootthedog.com and Suzanne Clothier's Flying Dog Press at http://www.flyingdogpress.com. Although there are numerous articles written about dogs, we have chosen to name two that we believe should be very important to all dog owners. Both articles are written by Sheila Boneham, Ph.D. Please don't forget to use your brower's "back" button to return to this page: Who Will Care for Your Pets? A very well written article by Shelia Boneham, Ph.D. about planning for the future of your dog if you become incapacitated or die. So you want to breed? A series of stories from breeders all about the trials and tribulations of breeding dogs. Sheila has also written a great Breed Rescue Book and many books on dog ownership and training...her website offers a wealth of information. Visit Sheila's site at http://www.sheilaboneham.com/index.html. My most favorite purchase of canine first aid "books" came from a Vet in British Columbia. The 'set' has information about diseases, health issues, first aid, dog food, so much that I can't list it all here. Since I purchased it three months ago I've saved the cost in vet bills alone! Take charge of your pet's health and check out http://www.theonlinevet.com/ Several good books on canine health and/or first aid are: The Nature of Animal Healing (The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide To Caring For Your Dog & Cat), by Martin Goldstein, DVM, ISBN #0-345-43919-8 Pet First Aid by Bobbie Mammato, DVM, published by Mosby -- recommended by the American Red Cross Dog First Aid-Emergency Care for the Hunting, Working and Outdoor Dog by Randy Acker, DVM available at: http://wolfpacks.com/books.htm#dog1st First Aid for Dogs by Bruce Fogel, DVM Another wonderful video, especially for beginning trainers or people having a few problems training their dogs is "An Introduction To All Breed Herding" by Lynn Leach of Downriver Farm, and now Lynn has a second video available as well! You can order the videos directly from Lynn's website at http://downriver.org Another of our favorite herding books is Herding Dogs Progressive Training by Vergil S. Holland (ISBN #0-87605-644-3)...it's a great book! There are also a number of e-mail discussion lists available for Aussie owners. Aussie-L is a list with almost 1,000 Aussie owners, breeders, judges from all over the world and people discuss their joys, sorrows, ask for help with questions on all sorts of things and generally just enjoy talking to other Aussie lovers. Herders-L is a list for people with interests in herding dogs. Hoflin has an Aussie list but it is primarily a more serious discussion list concerning health, behavior, training, etc. ©Written by Jeni Gallichan 01-06-99

What a title means....

Not just a brag, not just a stepping stone to a higher title, not just an adjunct to competitive scores.
A title is a tribute to the dog that bears it, a way to honour the dog, an ultimate memorial.
It will remain in the record and in the memory for about as long as anything in this world can remain.
Few humans will do as well or better in that regard.
And though the dog himself doesn't know or care that his achievements have been noted,
a title says many things in the world of humans, where such things count.
A title says your dog was intelligent, and adaptable, and good-natured.
It says that your dog loved you enough to do the things that please you, however crazy they may have sometimes seemed.
And a title says that you loved your dog, that you loved to spend time with him because he was a good dog,
and that you believed in him enough to give him yet another chance when he failed, and that in the end your faith was justified.
A title proves that your dog inspired you to have the special relationship enjoyed by so few; that in a world of disposable
creatures, this dog with a title was greatly loved, and loved greatly in return.
And when that dear short life is over, the title remains as a memorial of the finest kind,
the best you can give to a deserving friend, volumes of praise in one small set of initials before or after the name.
A title is nothing less than love and respect, given and received permanently.

We've tried to make this list as complete and correct as possible but if you notice errors or omissions please let us know!

ASCA (Australian Shepherd Club of America): (website)

Conformation:

AOM - Award of Merit
BOB - Best of Breed
BIS - Best In Show
BISS - Best In Specialty Show
BOW - Best of Winners
CH - Champion
RWB - Reserve Winners Bitch
RWD - Reserve Winners Dog
WB - Winners Bitch
WD - Winners Dog

Obedience:

CD - Companion Dog
CDX - Companion Dog Excellent
OTCH - Obedience Trial Champion
TD - Tracking Dog
TDX - Tracking Dog Excellent
UD - Utility dog
UDX - Utility Dog Excellent and is earned by obtaining 10 legs. For a UDX, a leg is comprised of qualifying scores in both Open B and Utility B at the same trial. A dog which has its UD *and* tracking titles has them combined as UDT or UDTX (depending upon which tracking title it has).

Herding: (c, d, or s designation after a title = Cattle, Ducks or Sheep)

ATD - Advanced Dog
OFTD - Open Farm Trial Dog
OTD - Open Trial Dog
PATD - Post Advanced Trial Dog
RD - Ranch Dog. Ranch dog who demonstrate an ability to be of great assistance to their owner
RDX - Ranch Dog excellent
STD - Started Trial Dog
WTCH - Working Trial Champion. Dog has earned an ATD in all classes of stock, ducks, sheep and cattle

(note - all levels require two qualifying scores under two different judges on each type of stock, i.e. STDc requires two qualifying scores under two different judges on cattle, STDd requires two qualifying scores under two different judges on ducks, etc)

Agility: (NADAC is similar, but N, O, E go in front of AC and tack on a V for Veteran or JH for Juniors)

E - Elite
GI - Gamblers/Intenational
GJ - Gamblers/Junior
GS - Gamblers/Standard
GV - Gamblers/Veteran
JI - Jumpers/International
JJ - Jumpers/Junior
JS - Jumpers/standard
JV - Jumpers/Veteran
N - Novice
NATCH - NADAC's Agility Trial Champion
O - Open
RI - Regular/International
RJ - Regular/Junior Handler
RS - Regular/Standard
RV - Regular/Veteran

Special Recognition:

PCH - Performance Champion
SPCH - Supreme Performance Champion
SVCH - Supreme Versatility Champion
VCH - Versatility Champion

AKC (American Kennel Club):

AHBA (American Herding Breed Association):

HCT - Herding capable tested

HTD - Herding Trial Dog
(levels I, II & III) The "Herding Trial Dog" section, using a standard course, leads to the title "HTD" followed by numerals indicating the dog's level:
HTD I (started level), HTD II (intermediate level), and HTD III (advanced level).

HRD - Herding Ranch Dog
(levels I, II & III) The "Herding Ranch Dog" section, using a variety of courses held in a ranch or farm setting, leads to the title "HRD" similarly followed by numerals indicating the dog's level: HRD I, HRD II, and HRD III.

HTAD - Herding Trial Arena Dog
(levels I, II & III) The "Herding Trial Arena Dog" section, using one of several specified courses in an arena, leads to the title "HTAD" followed by numerals indicating the dog's level: HTAD I (started level), HTAD II (intermediate level) and HTAD III (advanced level).

HTCH - Herding Trial Championship The "Herding Trial Championship" (HTCH) is earned after dogs have earned an advanced title in either the HTD, HRD or HTAD section.

(note - HTD and HRT titles may be earned on sheep, goats, ducks, geese, or cattle (except that HRD classes may not utilize ducks), with a small initial after the title indicating the type of stock on which the title was earned)

CKC (Canadian Kennel Club):

HT - Herding Tested
HS - Herding Started
HI - Herding Intermediate
HA - Herding Advanced

(note - all levels require three qualifying scores under two different judges, with the exception of the Herding Tested level, which only requires two passing scores)

Schutzhund:

SchHA - SchutzhundA, SchH level 1 obed & protection only no tracking
WH - Schutzhund Watchdog (obedience & guarding)
BH - Schutzhund Traffic-Sure Companion Dog (obed & temp/traffic test)

UKC:

U-AGI - Agility 1
U-AGII - Agility 2
U-ATCH - Agility Trial Champion
U-CDX - United companion dog excellent

USDAA:

AD - Agility Dog
AAD - Advanced Agility Dog
MAD - Masters Agility dog
JM - Jumpers Master
GM - Gamblers Master
SM - Snookers Master
RM - Relay Master
VAD - Veteran Agility
ADCH - Agility Dog Champion

OTHERS:

ATTS (American Temperment Test Society) - TT - Temperment tested

TDI - Therapy Dogs International

and some other titles

BH Title:
BH is the Companion Dog title. All dogs must obtain BH title before obtaining other Schutzhund titles.
The dog is tested on obedience and temperament under varying distractions (a jogger, passing vehicle, and or other dogs.) Dog either passes or fails. No points.

Schutzhund Titles:
Obedience, Tracking, and Protection are tested on all levels, with increasing difficulty at each level.
Passing score is 70 on each of the three portions, maximum score of 100.

Schutzhund I: Novice Level. Prerequisite: BH
Schutzhund II: Intermediate Level. Prerequisite: Sch I
Schutzhund III: Master Level. Prerequisite: Sch II

Advanced Tracking-Specific Titles:
FH I: Advanced Tracking Level. Prerequisite: Sch I
FH II: Master Tracking Level. Prerequisite: FH I

Endurance Test:
AD: 12.5-mile endurance run for breed survey eligibility. No prerequisites. Dog must perform basic heeling exercises at the end of the run to verify mental stability.

Watchdog Title:
WH: Basic watchdog obedience and alerting. No prerequisites.

Australian Shepherds are wonderful dogs and make awesome companions in the right home. However, with owning an Australian Shepherd comes a lot of responsibility; Aussies, especially Aussie Puppies, are a high energy animal, extremely alert, active, agile and protective, and one who need lots of attention and companionship and, most importantly, good training in their early puppy-hood, they need to be shown who is boss from the very beginning.

This is not a breed for a couch potato or a busy professional with little time to spend with their dog. Aussies needs to have a job to do, sitting in a house or pen all day long will not work for this breed. They need lots of space to run in and lots of activities to keep them busy and to keep their brain active and doing something other than making their own fun (aka mischief with a capital "M"!) When they are not busy they can become nervous, anxious, bored, and will develop their own job, sometimes one that is not good (chewing, digging, etc.)! Also, when bored, they can drive you crazy by pacing back and forth in the house or by constantly picking up toys or other things to get your attention. The owner of an Aussie always needs to be thinking at least two steps ahead of this dog because Aussies are amazingly smart. Often you will see them working problems out in their heads which can lead to many headaches for the rookie owner. With the right training and plenty of dog and people socialization at a young age an Aussie can be a perfect family pet and guardian.

Aussies can make a wonderful family pet due in great part to its easy trainability. The right dog can be as much at home, at the cottage or anywhere you choose to take them, as they are guarding a flock of sheep. In fact, they will adopt the family as their pack and the children as their flock.

Aussie coats require regular care since they are a double-coated breed, they do shed but the shedding and the semi-annual blowing of the coat is easily managed by routine brushing. They are generally healthy, although one would be wise to check with the breeder for a history of hip dysplasia, eye problems and/or a few other diseases which occasionally occur in the breed. Although a medium-sized dog, an Aussie can be ominous to an intruder or to non-dog people visiting your home because they do tend to become protective of “their” family and property because of the fact that they become "family members", not just a dog.

Aussies commonly live to a “ripe old age” and you must be sure you are ready for a 15+ year commitment to an animal. It would not be fair to either of you to change your mind after one or both of you had formed an attachment. A reputable breeder will question you about your plans for a pup in great detail since they feel responsible for all of their puppies for as long as they live. A good breeder will hopefully become your friend, and will provide you with help, information and resources for the life of your dog.

You definitely must have a fenced yard or kennel for your Aussie, with enough room for him to run and play and exercise. Remember some Aussies can jump as high as 6 feet with no problem at all, some are climbers, others are diggers, so you really need to think about what kind of enclosure you are going to need. You can, however, train your Aussie to not climb, though digging takes much more training!

We don’t recommend having an Aussie around small children unless you are with them all the time and are very dog savvy. Aussies sometimes will try and herd children (especially smaller ones) and sometimes the children will fall because of this. This can cause the dog/pup to be labeled as “mean with kids” but it’s really only following it’s natural instincts to herd and guard it’s “flock”.

We call our Aussies velcro dogs - they stick to your side as much as possible, so if you don't like a warm, wiggly buddy beside you everywhere you go you won't like most Aussies. We always make folks laugh when they hear how we always have an escort to the bathroom…sometimes you have to shoo them out just to get some peace and quiet…an Aussie never passes up the opportunity for an ear scratch or belly rub!

So, if you've read this far, and think you can live with all of the above, and are willing to work hard with your Aussie every day, you might make a good Aussie owner. We still highly recommend that you become familiar with more about Aussies through books and by talking to other Aussie owners and breeders. Do a lot of research about our breed before you buy and make sure the breeder is someone you feel totally comfortable dealing with…your relationship with them should last for many many years! But most important consider very carefully if your lifestyle can stand the constant exuberance of an Aussie.

Another Aussie owner really summed things up by saying “Aussies are perfect for people wishing to own a highly-trainable, versatile, super-smart dog that can work/play "'till the cows come home." If you have the time and commitment for an Aussie, you won't be disappointed. These special dogs deserve special owners. Their loyalty, drive, character, and whimsical sense of humor place them in a class by themselves!”.

For more information, and recommended books and videos about Aussies, please click on the link below to visit our Aussie Profile page or for our questionnaire for prospective puppy buyers.

Herd Stock Kennels • Menomonie WI • 715-889-1522 • Greg@HerdStockKennels.com