| The Australian Shepherd is an American breed that | | | | aggressiveness. The non-aggressive lines of this breed |
| was designed to work on cattle ranches. They are a | | | | make excellent pets. The more aggressive lines are |
| mid-sized active breed that grows to be between 18 | | | | better suited for working with cattle and other herding |
| and 23 inches tall and they usually weigh between 35 | | | | animals. |
| and 70 pounds. They have a medium length double | | | | Routine health care and grooming for the Australian |
| coat that can be straight or wavy. This breed has a | | | | Shepherd |
| variegated coat that can be red, blue merle, black, or | | | | To care for this breed you will need to groom and |
| red merle. Their coats can also have markings. This | | | | bathe them only as it becomes necessary. However, if |
| breed has a few health issues that you will want to | | | | you notice a burr or other plant material tangled in their |
| look out for, deafness, sight problems, and hip | | | | coats you will want to remove it as quickly as possible |
| dysplasia. | | | | to avoid matting and skin irritation. This is a smart |
| Characteristics and behavior of the Australian | | | | breed that responds well to obedience training. Both |
| Shepherd | | | | the aggressive lines and the non-aggressive lines of |
| When picking out an Australian Shepherd to add to | | | | this breed should undergo some type of obedience |
| your family you will want to make sure that the puppy | | | | training to keep them safe and to prevent problems in |
| comes from a family line that has not been bred for | | | | your household. |