Independent dog care guides · Sourced from veterinary references · Written for owners everywhereHow we workPet insurance
Straight answers for dog people, everywhere.
Hound Handbook
Insurance guide
Breed profile

Australian Shepherd

Despite the name, an American herding breed: brilliant, intense and always on.

Blue merle Australian Shepherd with pale blue eyes looking at the camera in a snowy garden
Blue merle coat and ice-blue eyes.Photo: PxHere / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Weight
16–32 kg35–71 lb
Height
46–58 cm18–23 in
Lifespan
12–15 yrs
Group
Pastoral / Herding
Origin
United States
Popularity
#14 US#56 UK · 2025

Known for: Working dogsRunning partnersEasy to train

Energy
Shedding
Trainability
Barking
Good with kids
Flat-friendly

Temperament

Intelligent, Energetic, Loyal, Work-driven.

Health problems to know about

  • MDR1 gene mutation (sensitivity to some drugs, e.g. ivermectin at high doses)
  • Hip dysplasia
  • Eye diseases (CEA, cataracts)
  • Epilepsy

Ask breeders for the parents' health test results, and check what your national breed club recommends screening for.

Daily care

Hours of activity plus a job: agility, herding, trick training. Brush weekly. Ask your vet about MDR1 testing.

A good fit for

Very active owners, dog sports people, farms.

Probably not ideal for

Apartments, sedentary homes, first-time owners wanting easy.

Sources

  1. Royal Kennel Club: Australian Shepherd breed information
  2. VCA Animal Hospitals: Australian Shepherd
  3. Wikipedia: Australian Shepherd

Popularity: AKC 2025 registration rankings (US); Royal Kennel Club 2025 registrations (UK, ranked by us). Breed traits are tendencies, not guarantees. Individual dogs vary, and mixed breeds and rescues can be wonderful fits too.

Similar breeds

All breeds
Black and white Border Collie panting with its tongue out, close-up portrait outdoors

Border Collie

Probably the most trainable dog on earth, and the most likely to invent its own jobs.

Mudi

A quick, wavy-coated Hungarian farm dog that herds, guards and learns fast. Keen, vocal and happiest with a job to do.

A lean chocolate-brown Australian Kelpie with pricked ears stands side-on in snow in front of bare trees

Australian Kelpie

The Australian sheepdog: lean, tireless and quick-witted. Bred to work all day in heat, so it needs a real job.

A blue-mottled Australian Cattle Dog with tan legs stands in profile on a gravel path by a field

Australian Cattle Dog

Tough, tireless Australian drover with a sharp brain. Devoted to its own people and happiest with a job; an idle one will invent its own.

Related guides

Fluffy white Bichon Frise on a rock beside a lake, with the Manhattan skyline behind
Breeds

Best Dog Breeds for Apartments: 12 Honest Picks (and What Matters)

The best apartment dogs are calm and quiet, not just small. Twelve breeds with honest pros and cons, why mixed breeds are worth a look, and building pet rules.

9 min read · 8 sources