Australian Shepherds California

As the western parts of this country were settled and the population of sheep and settlers in California grew, so did the need for sheepdogs. The dogs that came over from Australia with the importation of sheep were nothing like today's Australian Shepherd . While others say it coincides with the mass immigration of settlers to America associated with the California Gold Rush in 1849. Another theory is that it started with expedition's way back from Columbus in 1493 and later Cortez in 1519, who took sheep and shepherds from Australia to South America. The Basque Shepherds in South America then took heed of the Gold Rush in 1849 in California in search of wealth, brought their dogs with.



Settlers soon found out that the western parts of America were very much unlike the eastern parts. Settlers soon found out that the western parts of America were very much unlike the eastern parts. The western portions of the country were a lot harsher in terms of the heat, especially in the arid southern regions. It was much hotter than what the immigrants or their working dogs had known before. And in the northwestern areas, it was much colder than what they were accustomed to.



There grew a great need for a dog that could thrive in these unique conditions -- blinding storms, almost unbearable heat, and frigid cold. The Australian Shepherd was originally bred as a companion dog. Many breeding occurred during this time in order to produce the ideal ranch or farm dog. Breeders during this time brought the "Aussie" to the fore. These dogs have adapted to almost all environments, from the Arctic to the plains of Texas. These dogs are "natural" animals around livestock and once trained, can master almost any herding requirements. But the uniqueness of the Australian Shepherd is not really his style of work. It is the amazing relationship he chooses to have with his master throughout his life.



Presently many Australian Shepherds play the same role in California as they did many years ago. The Australian dog became the first Australian Shepherds Club of America

( ASCA ) breed champion as a companion dog. They can still be found as working ranch dogs. But now there are two types of Australian Shepherds. The majority however are bred for conformation shows, canine performance events or simply for pets. However, there are still Aussies that are specifically bred for working livestock. This type of Aussie possesses an inherent grit and stock savvy to do its job. They are loyal, responsible, highly intelligent, and active and do best in an agricultural environment, doing what they were bred for: herding livestock. This type of Aussie possesses an integral ability to do its job and is not recommended for most suburban pet homes as they require daily hard exercise and mental challenges.



The subsequent development of the Australian Shepherd has rested solely on its place in society. As family owned livestock operations have decreased in numbers, the popularity of the breed has not decreased. The tremendously popular breed has enjoyed speedy growth as they are extremely adaptive to such modern disciplines as obedience, agility, tracking, search-and-rescue, therapy dogs and companion animals. The original purpose and the origin of the Australian Shepherd remains rooted and tied to the development of the West.



The fact of the matter is that dogs coming with flocks of livestock from the Midwest and East were predominately of the collie type, often called shepherds, which came to America with settlers from Great Britain. The Rough Collie and the Border Collie, as they were developing in the 19th century, were continually being imported to America because of the influence of conformation shows and sheepdog trials. A lot of confusion was created over the collie name because the American farmers and ranchers were still enthusiastically breeding their working dogs of the old collie/shepherd type.



The "English Shepherds" were the name used for the working dogs in the East and Midwest, and the similar working dogs in the West were called the "Australian Shepherd." The old collie colors of tricolor, black-and-tan and black-and-white is shared by both English Shepherd and the Australian Shepherd, but the sable of the English Shepherd is not recognized by the Australian Shepherd standards these days.



Many names were given to working type dog locally, but eventually as the breed developed the name "Australian Shepherd" is the one long standing. The Australian dogs made contributions to the stock dogs of the American West, hence the name.



The Australian Shepherd is therefore an American breed which was developed over a very long period of time in the American West, with definite connections to the British Isles, Spanish/Basque and the name from Australia.