- Blue merle, black, red merle, red – all with or without white markings and/or tan markings, with no order of preference.
- The hairline of a white collar does not exceed the point of the withers at the skin.
- White is acceptable on the neck (either in part or as a full collar), chest, legs, muzzle underparts, blaze on head and white extension from underpart up to four inches (10 cm), measuring from a horizontal line at the elbow.
- White on the head should not predominate, and the eyes must be fully surrounded by colour and pigment.
- Merles characteristically become darker with increasing age
About the Australian Shepherd
Origin: United States Of America
- Typical life span
- 12-15 years
- Size
- Medium — from its typical weight
- Weight
- Male
- 23-29 kg
- Female
- 18-25 kg
- Height
- Male
- 51-58 cm
- Female
- 46-53 cm
- FCI status
- Recognised by FCI
- FCI group
- Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs)
- Origin
- United States Of America
- Also called
- Perro Pastor Australiano
- Known hereditary risks
- Not researched yet
About
What is a Australian Shepherd?
Medium-sized, agile herding dog with striking multicolored coat, expressive eyes, and keen herding instincts. Known for their intense work drive and weather-resistant double coat.
Australian Shepherd history and origins
Despite its name, the Australian Shepherd was developed in the American West in the 19th century from Basque shepherd dogs brought by immigrants from the Pyrenees region. The breed's intelligence and versatility made it popular on the rodeo circuit and for ranching work.
Australian Shepherd appearance and size
Males typically weigh 23-29 kg and stand 51-58 cm at the shoulder; females 18-25 kg and 46-53 cm.
What the breed standard says
- Bred for
- Farm and ranch shepherd dog
- Behaviour and temperament
“The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent working dog of strong herding and guarding instincts. He is a loyal companion and has the stamina to work all day. With an even disposition, he is good natured, seldom quarrelsome. He may be somewhat reserved in initial meetings”
Quoted from FCI standard n°342. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Characteristics
- Size
- Medium
- Exercise needsRead from what the breed was bred to do, in the registry’s own words: “Farm and ranch shepherd dog” That is a working purpose, not a measured exercise requirement — an individual dog’s needs depend on its age, health and household.
- 4 of 5
- Easy to train
- —
- Amount of shedding
- 3 of 5
- Grooming needs
- 4 of 5
- Good with children
- —
- Cost to keep
- —
- Tolerates being alone
- —
- Intelligence
- —
- Health of breed
- Not researched yet
Pros & cons
Pros & cons for the Australian Shepherd
What you get with the Australian Shepherd
- Purpose stated in the standard: “Farm and ranch shepherd dog”
- The standard describes the breed as: “The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent working dog of strong herding and guarding instincts”
- Longer-lived than a crossbred dog — median 13.7 years across 245 animals, against 12
What you are taking on
- High grooming needs — the standard’s own description is “There is a moderate mane and frill, more pronounced in dogs than in bitches”
Drawn from sources rather than written as an opinion — cited health research, the registry’s own standard, and peer-reviewed longevity. FCI breed standard; McMillan et al. 2024, median age at death. One breeder’s animals can differ from any of it, and an empty column means we hold nothing for that side rather than that there is nothing to say.
Characteristics
FCI standard · Australian Shepherd
Coat and colour
As the FCI standard sets it out. Every line below is the standard’s own wording.
Coat
Of medium texture, straight to wavy, weather resistant and of medium length.
The undercoat varies in quantity with variations in climate.
Hair is short and smooth on the head, ears, front of forelegs and below the hocks.
Backs of forelegs and breeches are moderately feathered.
There is a moderate mane and frill, more pronounced in dogs than in bitches
Colour
- Preferred
- Permissible
- Undesirable
- Disqualifying
Preferred, permissible, undesirable and disqualifying are FCI’s own words about the breed. They describe what the standard asks for — not an assessment of any individual dog, and not ours.
Shortened from FCI standard n°342 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
What the breed standard says
- Size
- “Height at the withers: The preferred height for males is 20-23 inches (51-58 cm), females 18-21 inches (46-53 cm). Quality is not to be sacrificed in favour of size”
- FCI distinguishes an ideal from what is permitted.
Quoted from FCI standard n°342. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
What the standard penalises
What a judge marks the Australian Shepherd down for, and what puts one out of the ring, in the registry’s own words. This describes the breed standard — it is not a checklist for the animal in front of you, and a pet with a disqualifying fault is an unshowable dog rather than an unhealthy one.
Severe faults
Marked heavily against a specimen in the ring.
- Prick ears and hanging ears.
- Non-typical coats
Disqualifying faults
Puts an animal out of the ring altogether.
- Undershot. Overshot by more than 1/8 inch. Loss of contact caused by short center incisors in an otherwise correct bite shall not be judged undershot. Teeth broken or missing by accident shall not be penalized.
- White body splashes in all colours, which means white on body between withers and tail, on sides between elbows and back of hindquarters
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Australian Shepherd in general; any individual animal can differ.
Health guide
What to ask for in a Australian Shepherd
No breed-specific health panel has been written up for the Australian Shepherd on this platform yet. That is a gap in our records, not a clean bill of health — ask the breeder which hereditary conditions their lines are tested for, and ask to see the results for both parents, dated and from a named laboratory.
Gallery
No photographs yet
This is where Australian Shepherd owners’ own photographs will go, from the pet profiles they keep here. Nobody has added one to a public page yet.
A photograph in a pet profile stays private to its owner. We will not put one here unless they ask us to.
Puppies
No puppies listed right now
No Australian Shepherd breeder has a record on this platform yet, so there is nothing to list. That is a gap in our coverage, not a fact about the breed.