Australian Shepherds also known as an Aussie, is a purebred herding dog. They are originally from the United States, not Australia. Aussies are a mix of a variety of herding breeds including Pyrenean Shepherds, Border Collies, and Collies. The Australian Shepherd has become one of the most popular companion dog breeds in North America.
They are natural herding dogs. Aussies can have dominant personalities and need an experienced dog owner who can handle this type of temperament.
They are great watchdogs, can be protective, but also make great family pets. Aussies are playful, energetic, high energy, athletic, and very smart. They would do best in a home with a fenced in yard so they can run safely and freely.
As we said, Aussies are very intelligent and need lots of mental and physical stimulation. They love to work. After a full day, Aussies are happy to relax, and hang out with their families.
Aussie’s shed a lot and are not recommended for people with allergies. It is important to start positive training Australian Shepherds at an early age.
Due to their intelligence and high energy personalities, Aussies do not like to be left alone for long periods of time. Aussie’s are known to have several common health issues with their eyes, elbow dysplasia and sometimes hip issues. Some Aussies experience deafness.
While Australian Shepherds make great family pets, it’s their popularity and high prices that make them an attractive business model for unscrupulous dog breeders. They are sold online by USDA commercial dog breeders, online puppy broker websites, and backyard breeders otherwise known as puppy mills.
It is for this reason that our Puppy Mill Watchdog monitors and reports on Australian Shepherd breeders and other online puppy sellers as well as puppy broker websites.
Read the story of four rescued breeding dogs.
Please do your research before you buy an Australian Shepherd puppy — If you can’t meet the mother dog and see where she and all of the breeders dogs live, find a new breeder. Video chats, videos and photos do not take the place of seeing in person.
About the Breed: Australian Shepherd
Australian Shepherd can weigh between 40 and 65 pounds. They are considered a medium sized dog and are between 18 and 23 inches tall.
Age Expectancy: 12-13 years.
Temperament: High energy, territorial, intelligent, herders.
Coat: Two-layer, water resistant coats can be, straight or wavy.
Color: Multiple colors. Blue Merle, Black, Red, Red Merle.
Grooming: Australian Shepherds require regular grooming and regular brushing.
Training: It is important to start positive training your Australian Shepherd at a young age.
Vet Care: Regular vet care is essential for the health and well-being of your Australian Shepherd.
Types of Australian Shepherds
FAQ’s About Buying Australian Shepherd Puppies Online
When buying an Australian Shepherd puppy, you want to make sure it was born in a loving clean environment. The puppy should have an overall healthy look to him. Make sure his eyes are bright, he is clean and happy. Look at his body language make sure his tail is up and wagging. Is his posture good? Does he hold his head up, is he curious? Does he run up to you or is he afraid to approach you?
Buying a puppy from a picture is risky, always meet your new puppy in person before you buy him. These are all clues to his overall health and mental state. You want a happy well adjusted puppy and unless you meet them in person, you have no way of knowing.
There are many risks to buying an Australian Shepherd puppy online. Just because two dogs are crossed does not mean they best traits of both parents are seen in the offspring. Since your Australian Shepherd will live for 12-13 years it is important to see firsthand where it was born. Make sure your breeder is not a puppy mill. Never have the puppy shipped to you. Always pick your puppy up in person, meet the mother dog, see her mental and physical condition. She should be clean, happy and well adjusted.
If the breeder won’t let you meet the mother and see where she lives we recommend finding another breeder. No excuses. Reputable breeders have nothing to hide. Video chats, videos and photos do not take the place of seeing in person.
It is not safe to buy any dog online. It is not safe to have an Australian Shepherd puppy shipped to you by plane, delivered by nanny and never meet the breeder halfway or in a parking lot. If you are not able to pick up the puppy in person, meet the mother dog and where she and all of the breeder’s dogs live, you might be supporting a puppy mill.
Over 1 million puppy mill puppies are sold online each year and it is in your best interest to make sure your new puppy is not coming from one of these bad breeders. It is in your best interest to get a healthy, happy well bred puppy and to not support cruelty of any kind.
It takes time to find a new puppy and that is ok. The pup will be a part of your family for 12 plus years so it’s important to find a healthy well-bred puppy. It’s ok to do your research online but never take a breeder’s word for it. Since Australian Shepherds are purebreds, go to the Australian Shepherd Club of America and find a breeder that is a member of their clubs. These breeders breed by a code of ethics. They breed to improve the breed.to find a breeder.
Always meet the mother dog, see her mental and physical condition and where she lives before you buy a puppy. See where and how she and all the breeding dogs live. Sending you photos and videos, doing video chats is not the same as seeing in person. If they have excuses why you can’t come…walk away!
A puppy mill is any dog breeder who puts profit over the health and well-being of the breeding dogs and puppies produced. These bad breeders come is all sizes, Some could have ten to twenty dogs, while larger breeders could have hundreds of breeding dogs. Puppy mills are legal too!
The cruelty is tremendous. Puppy mills keep the mother and father dogs pregnant and sell the puppies. The breeding dogs never leave, they are forced to breed twice a year or at every heat cycle and they are usually kept in wire cages, many times stacked in dark pole barns. Yes, this is legal and how most USDA dog breeders keep their breeding dogs.
The breeding dogs are not groomed, they are not given opportunity to exercise nor do they know the touch of a loving hand. They are not given veterinary care and most are living and breeding with painful health and mental conditions. Imagine living with urinary tract infections, ear infections, rotten teeth, infected eyes, tumors, infected mammary glands and sore feet from standing on wire cage floors — that never get addressed.
It is important to know that any breeder can be a puppy mill. It’s hard to imagine the breeder you are talking or texting with could be a puppy mill. If the breeder has excuses why they won’t let you come to see where and how the breeding dogs live, if you are not able to meet the mother dog in person, we suggest you find another breeder. Video chats, videos and photos do not take the place of seeing in person.