Bella Maizey

Australian Shepherd. A sweet Aussie. The next dog I'm getting. I already have her name picked out. Belly Maizey. She's lovely, I know it already, a blue merle with blue eyes. I've been looking, mostly on the adoption sites for one I can adopt, but I really want a puppy. I'll find one, I know it, she's waiting for me out there somewhere.

I'm going to post as much stuff on this blog as I currently know and everything that I learn in the future about Australian Shepherds.


A little about the Aussie's background:

The Australian Shepherd is a breed of working dog developed on ranches in the Western United States. The breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not originate in Australia but acquired their name because of its association with sheepherders who came to the United States from Australia. They are versatile, highly trainable and aim to please. They have a lot of drive and energy, so they always need a job to do.

Color variants:

Aussie colors are black tricolor, red merle, blue merle, liver tricolor.
The ears should be covered by and completely surrounded by pigment other than white to decrease the risk for white related deafness. Eyes should also be surrounded by color, including the eye rim leather. Excessive white on the face and ears can place an individual dog at greater risk for sunburn and subsequent skin cancer. Many merles have two different colored eyes.
The merle, which is a mingled or patchwork combination of dark and light areas, is the most common coat pattern associated with the breed. Knowledge of the breeds and the proper way to breed them is crucial, because sometimes when two merles are bred, there is a risk that 25% of the offspring usually have a mostly white coat and blue irises, and can often be deaf and/or blind. In this case, the deafness and blindness are linked to having two copies of the merle gene, which disrupts pigmentation and produces these health defects.

















Size:

Height
Dogs 20-23 inches
Bitches 18-21 inches
Weight
Dogs 50-65 pounds
Bitches 40-55 pounds


Temperament:

They love to play dog sports such as frisbee and other sports. They are also very good at search and rescue, disaster dogs, detection dogs, guide, service and therapy dogs. Above all, they are beloved family companions because they are very protective and may not be kind to strangers, but do not have a tendency to be aggressive. Aussies will also try to herd anything that moves, including people and all other types of animals.