The Australian Shepherd is the quintessential herding dog. It rose to fame as a sheepherder and although it probably originated in the Pyrenees Mountain it was exported to Australia and other sheep raising areas. It is known by a few other names but the one most know it as is the Australian Shepherd or Aussie.

It is a very recognisable dog due to its unique eye colouring along with its beautiful Merle coat colouring. It is normally born with a short tail and if longer than 4 inches it is normally docked. It is sturdy with a muscular build and has extraordinary balance which partly explains how it is so good at herding along with its intelligence. If you have a very active lifestyle and want an easily trainable companion you might want to consider an Aussie for your next pet.

Pros:

An Australian Shepherd is a loving breed of dog that just loves to play and never seems to lose its puppy like qualities. For this reason, it is a great dog to own if you have children in your home. It gets along great with other dogs and pets as well as all humans.

Even though it likes to play it is easy to train and appears to know what you want it to do. Like most dogs you must establish that you are the pack leader. Once you do this the Aussie is easy to get along with and will be very happy to go along with your leadership.

The Australian Shepherd loves to please everyone and is very protective of their family. If given the chance, your pet will do well when trained to be used as a guard dog. They have great perception as well as being intuitive. Your pet will know what will be expected of it and therefore is easier to train.

A pet Aussie is not aggressive, unless it is herding animals. It is protective and a loyal friend, which makes a good family dog. This dog likes nothing better that herding livestock so if you have animals that needs rounded up then this is the dog for you. Herding seems to be instinctive as they have been known to try to herd chickens, geese and even children.

Cons:

You must keep your pet Australian Shepherd trained properly and exercised regularly to keep them happy and content. Before you can start training them make sure it knows that you are the pack leader. It can get nervous and easily bored when its not being acknowledged. It requires human interaction on a daily basis to keep if from getting bored and possibly becoming destructive.

The Aussie is a great dog but has too much energy to be a house dog. It must have a lot of activity every day. If you don't have a large backyard or can take your pet out for a large amount of exercise every day you should consider a different breed of dog.

Although Australian Shepherds are a hardy dog there is one problem that can show up in them. The gene that produces their pretty Merle colouration also is a factor that can cause blindness and deafness. Puppies should be checked for deafness as well as cataracts. Aussies with bobtails can sometimes develop serious spinal defects. Hip dysplasia is another possible problem in some of these dogs. These conditions are not found in all of them and should not be considered serious enough to dissuade you from considering one as a pet or helper.

Like most dogs Aussies need proper training to be the best pet. Luckily this pet has above average intelligence as well as faithfulness and loyalty found in few other pets. If you need a good friend who will also help out around the farm or ranch do yourself a favour and check out the Australian Shepherd. You will be happy you did.

If you are a pet owner or thinking about becoming one you should visit Natural Pets Health to get more information on natural pets health foods, products & cures. You will also find general information such as the pros & cons of owning along with the caring for & feeding of all types of pets from dogs to snakes to fish to exotics.