Australian Shepherd Description

Appearance

The Australian Shepherd's coat comes in several colors-blue merle (a marbling of gray and black), red merle (marbling of red and silver or buff), solid red (ranging from light cinnamon to liver), or solid black; all can occur with or without white markings, tan (copper) points, or both. A variety of white and tan markings may appear on the face, chest, front and rear legs. Dogs with tan and white along with the primary color are usually called tricolor.

The eyes of the Australian Shepherd are perhaps one of his most commented on features because of the variety of colors. They may be any color or combination of colors from glassy blue, amber, hazel, to all shades of brown.

The breed's general appearance also varies greatly depending on the particular line's emphasis. As with many working breeds that are also shown in the ring, there are differences of opinion among breeders over what makes an ideal Australian Shepherd.

Reflecting the great variation that still exists in the breed, an Aussie can stand between 18 and 23 inches (46 to 58 cm) at the withers and weigh between 35 and 70 pounds (16 to 32 kg). For show dogs, females should fall in the lower heights and males in the higher ranges.

A hallmark of the breed is a short bobbed or docked tail in countries where docking is permitted. Some Aussies are born with naturally short bobbed tails, others with full long tails, and others with natural partial bobs, where the tail is mid-length and appears stubby. Most breeders dock the tails when the puppies are born.

Grooming

The coat is easy to groom and needs little attention. Brush occasionally with a firm bristle brush and bathe only when necessary. This breed is an average shedder.