In addition to having a genetic predisposition for heterochromia, Aussies have a one-in-five chance of being born with a naturally bobbed tail. Ranchers purposely bred Aussies that had these naturally short tails because they are safer when it comes to herding.
What Creates the natural bobbed tail? The natural bobbed tail is a recessive gene within the Australian Shepherd dog breed genetic code. This genetic mutation curbs the tail, naturally creating a shortened tail that is only about one or two vertebrae in length.
The Australian Shepherd is one dog breed of many that gets its tail docked. This involves using surgery or tightly constricting the tail to get it to about four inches total. In doing so, your animal could compete in dog shows, as it meets breed standards. Their shorter the animal tail may also be more hygienic.
The universal sign of a happy dog is a happily wagging tail. When your Australian Shepherd is happy, he shakes his whole rear end side to side. This incredibly endearing trait is nearly universal across all Australian Shepherds, regardless of their tail type.
The ASCA standard describes the tail as “straight, not to exceed four (4) inches natural bobtail or docked.” The AKC standard, from which most national breed clubs elsewhere in the world drew their own standards, was derived from the older ASCA standard and is largely similar and is essentially the same as regards ...
Look for folded ears.
Overall, they should reach down to, or slightly past, the pivot area of the lower jaw. There is some debate about whether an Aussie should have folded or upright ears. While show dogs are required to have folded ears, there are many purebred dogs that have upright, or pricked, ears.
Splooting is a great stretch for the animals' hips. Splooting also allows the animal to cool themselves by pressing their belly into the ground or against tile floors. Owners may notice that their pets sploot more often when they are younger.
Show Affection/Love
Australian Shepherds can often lick you to get your attention. They are very friendly dogs and love to be around people, and appreciate your attention as well as companionship. One of the most common reasons why Australian Shepherds lick is because they want to show their affection for you.
However, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and British Veterinary Association (BVA) maintain that tail docking is painful and may negatively affect the development of a puppy's vulnerable nervous system. Additionally, poorly performed docking can lead to chronic pain.
Natural bobtail is a naturally occurring mutation in the T-box transcription factor T gene resulting in a shortened tail. Phenotype: Dogs with natural bobtail have naturally bobbed (shortened) tails.
Aussies are very sociable dogs. They can feel lonely when they're left alone often and are prone to suffering from separation anxiety. This is when dogs feel an overwhelming sense of anxiety over being apart from their owners.
Cost of Caudectomy in Dogs
Generally, it runs from $10 to $20 per animal. This procedure is paired with the dog's first check-up, which can cost up to $100. If the dog is older, the cost is greatly increased. This is because general anesthesia must be used to perform the caudectomy.
Australian Shepherd
Despite their high energy, Aussies are usually quiet. They may bark to alert their owners of a stranger or an unfamiliar situation but other than that, you won't hear much from them.
Aussies are remarkably intelligent, quite capable of hoodwinking an unsuspecting novice owner. In short, this isn't the pet for everyone.
Attention Seekers
Aussies can be very clingy. They crave human companionship and love being included in pretty much everything you do, including being involved in all family activity. Since they require an active lifestyle, they will want to join in everything and anything that is going on around them.
Show Of Respect
Puppies show respect for older dogs by licking their mouths. It is also an appeasement signal that's often seen when young dogs try to make older dogs play with them. Dogs licking their owners' ears can be interpreted in a similar way – your dog is trying to tell you “I respect and value you”.
While intelligent and hardworking, the Australian Shepherd can still be a goofy and loving family pet. If you are considering adding this handsome breed to your family, it is always important to know what illnesses are prevalent among the breed.
Australian Shepherds tend to whine for all sorts of reasons, such as to get your attention or if they're sick or injured. If you can rule out a medical condition, then the next step to quiet your Aussie is to train them not to whine. Failing to indulge in their bad behavior will clue them in to stop. Good luck!
Aussie Shepherds are typically quite vocal dogs. They can bark for numerous reasons, even if it's just for attention or because they're excited. As they're high energy, they get excited quite quickly.
Australian Shepherds are known for their fierce loyalty with one person, that doesn't mean every Shepherd will act like that. Some Shepherds might not build a particularly strong bond with any one family member. Others might like one of you more than another, but they don't sit on you to show it.
Solid black and red coats are the least common coats among Aussie dogs, with solid red being the absolute rarest. The red-colored gene is recessive in dogs, meaning red fur must be present in both parents to make a red-colored pup.
Aussies are cotton ball fluffy when they're tiny and then they loose all that fluff and have this thin, soft, wispy chicken feather coat for a while during their adolescent phase. As they get closer to being 1 year old they finally get a long, slightly more dense and coarse adult coat (see pics below).
North American breeders developed Miniature American Shepherds from a group of small Australian Shepherds. Their intention was to create a more compact version of the dog without sacrificing its dependable character and keen instincts.