Australian Shepherd: how to recognise an Aussie
Merle coat, copper trim and eyes that may not match: an Aussie is easy to spot once you know the details. Upload a photo and Petus compares your dog with 357 breeds.
Also known as: Aussie, Australian Shepherd Dog
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About the Australian Shepherd
Despite the name, the Australian Shepherd was shaped on ranches in the western United States; the name likely comes from herding dogs that arrived with sheep shipped from Australia. It is a medium-sized, athletic herding dog, recognised by the FCI in the sheepdog group and by the AKC and KC. Aussies are clever, quick to learn and strongly attached to their people, with a natural urge to gather anything that moves, children and cyclists included. They are reserved with strangers rather than hostile. Without daily running and a job to think about, that energy tends to turn into barking, chewing or herding the household.
At a glance
- Type
- Pedigree breed
- Size
- Medium
- Adult weight
- 18–29 kg
- Life expectancy
- 12–15 years
- Exercise
- Very high
How to recognise an Australian Shepherd
- Medium-length double coat, straight to wavy, with feathering on the legs and a fuller mane and frill on males.
- Four accepted colours: blue merle, red merle, black and red, each with or without white markings and copper (tan) points.
- Eyes can be brown, blue, amber or any mix, including two different colours or marbled flecks within one eye.
- Triangular ears set high, folding forward or to the side at rest; never fully pricked like a German Shepherd’s.
- Tail is a natural bobtail, docked, or full length and feathered; all three are common depending on the country.
- Slightly longer than tall, solidly boned and muscular, with a moderate head and a clear but not exaggerated stop.
Photo tip. Photograph your dog side-on and standing, in daylight. Tail length, the copper points on the cheeks and legs, and the merle pattern along the body are the clearest Aussie signals.
Australian Shepherd or look-alike?
Border Collie
Lighter and finer-boned, with a longer, narrower head and always a full tail carried low. Black and white dominates; an Aussie is stockier, with a fuller ruff, and more often merle or copper-trimmed.
Miniature American Shepherd
Built and coloured exactly like an Aussie, only clearly smaller, and often sold as a “mini Aussie”. On a close-up of the head you cannot tell; next to a person or a door frame, the size gives it away.
Catahoula Leopard Dog
Also merle and often odd-eyed, but short-coated, longer-legged and houndier, with a long tail and no feathering. A smooth-coated merle dog is more likely a Catahoula or a mix than an Aussie.
Australian Shepherd mixes
Aussies are crossed with Poodles (Aussiedoodle), Border Collies and Labradors, and turn up in many farm mixes. Merle colouring and blue or odd eyes are the traits most likely to survive, along with the medium build and feathered legs. A merle mix can get its colour from any merle parent, though, so the coat alone does not prove Aussie ancestry. For a mixed dog, the identifier shows the closest breeds it sees; a DNA test gives actual percentages.
Health and care
- MDR1 drug sensitivity is known in the breed. A cheek-swab DNA test tells you your dog’s status; share the result with every vet who treats your Aussie.
- Ask the breeder for hip and elbow scores, a recent eye exam and DNA results for HSF4 hereditary cataract and collie eye anomaly on both parents.
- Avoid merle-to-merle litters: double merle puppies can be born deaf, blind or both. Check the colour of both parents before you reserve a puppy.
- Very high exercise needs: daily running plus training, herding or a dog sport such as agility. A bored Aussie soon invents its own job.
- Brush weekly, and more often during the heavy seasonal moult. Feed to body condition; dogs in sport need more than family companions.