14 Interesting Facts About Australian Shepherds You Probably Didn`t Know

by Alka Polischuk

Australian Shepherds are loyal, easygoing, and dependable. These dogs are great family pets, police dogs, herding animals, and competitors in obedience trials. Their eyes will never leave you indifferent?.

#1 They are also called Aussies?

Other Names : Aussie, Little Blue Dog, Blue Heelers, "American dog boy toy"?, Pastor Dogs, Bob-Tails, Spanish Shepherds, New Mexican Shepherds, and California Shepherds?.

#2 Aussies don’t really originate in Australia?

Despite its name, the Australian Shepherd originated in the western U.S., not Australia, around the time of the Gold Rush in the 1840s.

#3 The rodeo has made them famous?

They became known to the general public through rodeos, horse shows, and Disney movies made for television.

#4 The American natives regarded Aussies as sacred?

Some Indian tribes called this dog breed the “Ghost Eye Dog” because of its phantom-like eyes.

#5 There are Australian Shepherds in different sizes?

The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) standard calls for the Australian shepherd to stand between 18 and 23 inches (46 and 58 cm) at the withers, females being 18 to 22 inches (46 to 56 cm) and males measuring 19 to 23 inches (48 to 58 cm); however, quality is not to be sacrificed in favor of size.

#6 They often have two different coloured eyes?

The Aussie is one of a few dog breeds that commonly have two different colored eyes, called heterochromia. The Australian Shepherd might have any combination of brown, blue, hazel, amber, or green eyes.