Australian Shepherd

Genetic Predispositions and Health

Australian Shepherds may be prone to conditions such as lumbosacral syndrome, degenerative myelopathy, persistent pupillary membrane, distichiasis, von Willebrand Disease, epilepsy and patent ductus arteriosus, nasal solar dermatitis, hypothyroidism, Pelger-Huet Syndrome, and hip dysplasia. They may also suffer from eye disorders including iris coloboma, Collie Eye Anomaly, cataracts, multifocal retinopathy (type 1), progressive rod-cone degeneration, and progressive retinal atrophy. Genetic testing for these and other conditions such as hyperuricosuria, intestinal cobalamin malabsorption, multidrug resistance 1 drug sensitivity, coagulation factor VII deficiency, craniomandibular osteopathy, exercise-induced collapse, neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis, and von Willebrand’s disease can assist veterinarians with diagnosis and proactive care, as well as help breeders identify affected and carrier dogs.

Personality and Behavior

Australian Shepherds are known for their bright and energetic personalities. They are extremely intelligent, adaptable, and eager to please, which makes them highly trainable. They are also loyal and tend to be good-natured towards humans and other animals, but may be reserved with strangers. Being a working breed, they require regular physical exercise and mental stimulation. Without enough activity, they can become bored and develop destructive habits. While they make excellent pets for active individuals or families, they may not be the best choice for those living in apartments or unable to commit to a high level of activity.

Herding Dog Lineage

A canine genetic lineage is a group of individuals or entire breeds that descended from common ancestors predating modern breed formation. Often these lineages are associated with a ‘type’ of dog with a unique historical working role and associated behaviors (e.g., herding, scent hunting, etc.).

Herding dogs are known for their high intelligence, trainability, and strong work ethic. These breeds originated in areas where managing livestock was an important part of daily life and had large pastoral lands. These breeds were specifically developed to help farmers and shepherds move, manage, and protect herds of livestock. Breeds within the herding dog lineage are agile and are known to have a natural herding instinct, where they like to keep their animals together. They are loyal and attentive to their handlers and are eager to please and are also highly aware of their environment. Many breeds within this linage have gone on to work as rescue and police dogs.

Example breeds with ancestry from this lineage include Border Collie, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and German Shepherd.

Fun Facts

The progenitor of the modern Aussie we know today is another herding dog breed, the Pyrenean Shepherd.

When Basque herding dogs were brought from the Pyrenees Mountains to America, California ranchers came to admire the breed and wrongly assumed that the dogs were from Australia. That is why the modern breed we know today came to be named the Australian Shepherd.

References

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/australian-shepherd/

https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/c_dg_australian_shepherd

https://www.pawprintgenetics.com/products/breeds/33/