🐕 Australian Shepherd
Temperament
Smart, eager, devoted, sometimes reserved with strangers. Aussies bond closely with their family and often have a "one-person" preference. Without enough work they herd children, cats, and bicycles.
Exercise
90–120 minutes of daily structured exercise plus mental work. Excels at agility, herding trials, dock diving, scent work. Long off-lead hikes are ideal.
Grooming
Medium-long double coat. Brush 2–3× weekly, daily during moult. Bathe every 6–8 weeks. Light trimming around feet and ears.
Health
MDR1 drug sensitivity (DNA test essential — many common drugs are dangerous to MDR1+ Aussies). Hip and elbow dysplasia. Eye conditions (CEA, cataracts). Epilepsy in some lines. Avoid breeding two merles (double-merle puppies are often deaf and blind).
Full Australian Shepherd profile →
