The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent, agile, and highly energetic working dog. Bred in their native California as a herding dog, the instinct to work and to perform difficult tasks is strongly present in their genetic makeup. Australian Shepherds suit active, energetic owners who will take a firm hand with them; they're not recommended for novice owners, as without experience and a strong working knowledge of dog psychology and communication they can be an impossible handful.
Some Facts About the Australian Shepherd
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Australian Shepherd Training
Put an end to your Australian Shepherd's Aggression, Barking, Biting and other problems.
Here are some things that I'd want to be aware of if I were considering adopting an Australian Shepherd:
- These working dogs are happiest when they have a job to do. A Shepherd with no demands on his time will use his excess energy to get into mischief - destructive behavior, obsessive barking, anxiety and neurotic behavior, and aggression towards other dogs, including fear-biting and lunging, are all characteristic behaviors of a Shepherd who doesn't have enough to do.
- It bears repeating that these dogs are ACTIVE. They can - and will - happily sprint for miles on end. Aussies need lots of vigorous exercise on a daily basis, as well as lots of playful energetic romps.
- Intelligent minds need to be kept active. All Aussies need ongoing, challenging training - take your Aussie to agility training, obedience work, herding classes, or flyball.
- Typically of a working breed, Aussies are snappy, aggressive, and/or excessively shy and timid around strange people and dogs if not socialized THOROUGHLY and from a YOUNG AGE. Their natural caution and wariness, which serves so well in a shepherd dog, is not appropriate for a family pet, and you'll need to really work to counteract this tendency.
- Shepherds are intensely affectionate with the members of their human families, and form strong bonds with their owners. They can be prone to separation anxiety, which is a horrible condition for any dog to suffer; it's pretty hard on the owners, too. To prevent this from occurring, you must not leave your Shepherd alone for anything more than a few hours. You cannot keep him outside, away from his family; he can't be left in the yard by himself when you go to work. This is NOT an 'outside dog'.