A dog with a beautiful coat of color attracts everyone. The Australian Shepherd has this advantage. The eye-catching coat colors combination of blue, black, and red will entice every dog lover with its charm.
Well, your search may end on an Australian shepherd. It is a perfect pet in terms of friendliness, loyalty, and dedication towards its master. And don’t forget the eye-catching coat colors of an Australian Shepherd like the Blue merle.
I agree, they require proper grooming and care, but if you have enough time to spend with it, you will get a perfect partner and a great guard for your family. They are smart, intelligent, vigorous, attractive, muscular, and whatnot.
If you are excited about this dog breed just by reading this, then let me inform you that this is not it. There is a lot more about Australian Shepherds. You might be interested in hearing. So, we have come up with all the points about an Australian Shepherd that one might need to know.
In this detailed guide, we will discuss everything about Black Australian Shepherds. How to get one, what to feed them, how to train them properly and how to groom them. What is the average lifespan of this breed and do they make good family dogs? Are they good with kids and do they shed and bark a lot? We will tackle all sorts of questions about Black Australian Shepherds in this article.
Written By Sergey Uhanov – Certified Veterinarian.
Sergey Uhanov is a certified veterinarian for dogs over 10 years, breeding 3 dogs. He loves dogs and has his own pet clinic in Israel. He likes to help other people with their dogs by sharing his experience and knowledge.
Is an Australian Shepherd a good family dog?
When looking for a pet, choosing a perfect family dog is the most crucial requirement. Those who are not considered a good family dog may suffer from temperament problems, which is further harmful to your family.
No need to worry, in the case of an Australian Shepherd. You will not be able to find a dog more social and civilized than Aussie. Whether you have kids in your family or oldies live within your family, this dog breed will adjust with everyone.
Not just this, they are also known for their friendliness and calmness. It shows full dedication towards its master and can do anything for the ones he loves. He is also a very loyal and lovable pet that can attract anyone towards them with their charm and cheerfulness.
Being very active and agile, it adjusts everywhere without worry. It can also babysit your kids if you have toddlers at home. And when they grow up, they can find their best friend in the form of that little Aussie. Even, it can help you with a bit of household work as well.
What is the rarest Australian Shepherd color?
If you are looking for a cute Australian Shepherd to bring into your family, then there are plenty of color options you can go for. It has some of the rarest coat colors giving it a very different and fantastic appearance.
The coat of this dog breed’s standard color includes pure black, pure white, Red Merle, and Blue Merle.
Apart from the above four colors, some of the rarest colors in which an Australian Shepherd’s coat are available include black tri-color (tan, black and white color), black and white markings, black and tan.
Blue Merle shades include tricolor with blue merle (blue Merle, white, tan), e blue Merle with White Markings, Tan and Blue Merle, Aussie with blue eyes.
While Red Merle shades have Red Merle tri-color (Red Merle, black and tan), White markings with Red Merle Coat, Aussie with red-eye, solid red.
How big does an Australian Shepherd get?
An Australian Shepherd, or more commonly known as the Aus Shepherd, is a short to medium-sized dog with its height ranging from 18 inches to 23 inches. A male dog is more massive and bulkier and can have a size near 23 inches compared to the females, whose height stays around 18 to 20 inches only. It is quite a pretty-looking dog breed, available in a variety of colors.
An Australian shepherd’s average life expectancy is around 15 years, which shows they have pretty good health. It is also known for its fertility. It can give birth to up to 9 puppies at a time. So be ready for a lot of puppies before bringing an Australian Shepherd home.
Do Australian Shepherds bark a lot?
Although Australian Shepherd is one of the most intelligent and smart dog breeds one can own, they habitually bark a lot more than the usual dogs. It can be a good trait for a dog as a great guard, but it can sometimes become quite irritating. Even sometimes, your neighbor can get irritated with their bark.
Australian Shepherd is a very talkative dog breed. They love chatting with their owner. They want a company all the time to spare their time. A lonely Australian Shepherd can fall under depression, so it becomes pretty important to spend some time with them regularly.
The reason behind their barking is their hereditary qualities. The bark usually symbolizes their lousy temperament, but they also emit a lot of noise while playing or cuddling. Like a great guard, they can quickly alert their owners to find any suspicious activity going around with their loud bark.
With proper training, one can teach them when to bark and when not to bark. But it might take some time for them to change their hereditary traits. They are a little bossy in nature, and the pups can thus bark a lot.
Do Australian Shepherd shed?
One of the most important questions one has in their mind before bringing a dog home is, do they shed? And if they do, how much?
Well, in the case of this shepherd dog, they shed a lot. So, if any of your family members are allergic to the dog hairs, it is not the right breed for you. But available in quite pretty colors like a blue merle Australian Shepherd, black Shepherd, or the one with colored eye worth more than you will probably notice their shed hairs.
A survey conducted by the kennel club in the United States found out that 15% of the Australian Shepherds experience pretty high shedding, while 65% of them are moderate shedder. It sums up to around 80%, which means most of them shed a lot.
They shed because of their long double coat. It has an inner coat basically for their insulation and a heavy hairy outer coat, which is why it shed a lot. You are going to find their hair on the carpet, under the bed, and everywhere in your house.
Although they shed round the year, the shedding increases in the spring season as soon as the winter bypasses. And thus, proper grooming is very crucial for an Australian shepherd at that time.
Are Australian Shepherds good with kids?
No doubt, the Australian Shepherd is great with kids. If you have a toddler, it can babysit them all the time. And if you have a schooler, then it can serve them as their perfect companion.
With proper training, Australian Shepherd can be one of the calmest dog breeds one can own. They have quite a calm temperament overall, and thus they quickly get along with everyone. It is one of the coolest and quietest dog breeds in the United States as per the American kennel club.
Being very energetic and friendly, they love playing with other kids and will become their perfect companion. Also, being very smart and loyal will guard your little one while playing. Thus, you won’t need to worry about preschooler all the time while it is playing.
Is an Australian Shepherd smart?
Australian Shepherd or Aussie is one of the smartest dogs one can find in the United States as per a survey of the American Kennel Club. They are one of the most versatile dogs. With proper training, they can serve as a perfect family dog as well.
They are highly intelligent dogs that know when to react and how to react if adequately trained. They pretty look wise with their black or blue coat, and they are one of the perfect pets.
This dog breed is moreover the 66th smartest dog breed all over the world and has an extraordinary sense of knowledge. Being very loyal and dedicated towards their owner, you will never complain against them regarding the lack of intelligence in them.
How to groom Australian Shepherds?
Australian Shepherd can easily tolerate very intense cold, and all this is because of their double coat. They have an insulating undercoat, which is thinner but keeps them warm. They also have a fluffy, hairy overcoat to provide double warmth to them.
Because of such hairy overcoat of an Australian Shepherd, they require proper grooming all day long. As they are shedders, they need brushing daily to avoid their hairs shedding all over your apartment. Also, they need a bath regularly to bypass the matting of their fluffy overcoat.
Some dog lovers also prefer to shave an Australian Shepherd’s excessive hair off to make them heat-hardy. After shaving off their coats, they will feel relatively light and tolerate hot summers better. But proper shaving is very crucial; otherwise, maybe their hair will not grow back initially.
What does an Australian Shepherd look like?
Australian Shepherd is a short to medium-sized dog with a thick fluffy coat, small ears, long tail, and charming appearance. Some of the Australian Shepherds might not have a tail, which is expected because of their genetic mutations.
They have a healthy body with a well muscular proportion, making them suitable as a protector as well.
But the most crucial feature about their look is the different coat colors they can have. Ranging from the primary black colors, they can have white markings around their body. They can also have either red Merle or blue Merle coat or a combination of white or tan.
Another noticeable feature of an Australian Shepherd is the color of its eye. They can have a marble-colored eye, red-colored eye, blue eyes, or even have an eye with combined colors.
How much is an Australian Shepherd puppy?
Australian Shepherd puppies can cost from around $600 to $1800. The high price of an Aussie depends on various factors, which includes:
• The breeder from which you are getting an Aussie:
There are a few options available for you to buy a dog from. It is always suitable to buy one from a reputable breeder, but that might cost you plenty of bucks. Another option is to search for a puppy online. You will get a better price point online. Another option is to adopt one from some dog clubs, like the American Kennel Club.
• Another factor on which the price of an Australian Shepherd depends is on their coat color. Some rare Aussies like the blue Merle Australian Shepherd or the Red Merle Australian shepherd or the one with solid red or blue eyes cost much higher than the basic white, black, or black tri-colored Aussie.
• Other factors like feeding and the health of a puppy also affect the price.
• Their price also varies based on the location you live in; for example, in the United States, you can find one costing around $1000.
Is Australian Shepherd born with tails?
There are exceptions everywhere in the world, and the same applies to the Australian Shepherd as well. Some Australian Shepherds are born with a tail, while some don’t have a tail right from their birth.
Aussies can have various long-tail, including the long curvy tail, long bobbed tail, tall dock tail, or long straight tail. The bobbed tail among the puppies is quite rare. It is actually because of a genetic mutation in the Aussies.
A gene called C189G is responsible for the type of tail in an Australian Shepherd. If this recessive gene mutates in some puppies, they got a long-bobbed tail though, most of them have either curvy or straight tails.
Conclusion
To decide whether an Australian shepherd is a perfect dog breed for you as a pet or not needs a little bit of brainstorming. Each one has its pros and cons and so, are Australian Shepherds.
On the one hand, where you can find a unique looking dog breed with classic blue, black, or red while, on the other, you will be getting a dog with a fluffy coat, shedding hairs here and there all day long.
If you are allergic to hairs, go for some hypoallergenic dog breed instead of an Australian Shepherd.
Also, this dog breed needs their me time with its owner, so if you and your family have enough time to talk and spend time with an Aussies, then only consider bringing one home else, it can go into depression, which can ultimately affect its health.
All the above points will help in one way or another to decide whether an Australian Shepherd is a perfect dog breed for you or not.
