Glucosamine For Dogs

The Australian Shepherd, affectionately known as the “Aussie” is a sheep herding dog that originated in the Pyrenees Mountains, between France and Spain. Yes, you read that correctly, the Australian Shepherd is not an Australian breed at all. These dogs were in fact brought to Australia by Basque immigrants, and when some of their descendants later moved on to America, their dogs went with them.

It was in America that the breed started to be called the Australian Shepherd. Previously, it had been known by a number of different names including, Spanish Shepherd, Bobtail, Pastor Dog, and Blue Heeler.

These are extremely intelligent dogs who just love being around people, and make great pets for the right owner. Ideally that person will be someone who enjoys outdoor activities and is prepared to meet the dog’s considerable exercise needs. As a working dog, the Aussie needs to be kept busy, and will almost certainly develop behavioral problems if he does not get enough physical and mental stimulation.

You should also be aware that the herding instinct is still very strong in the Aussie Shepherd, so don’t be surprised if the dog tries to herd you and your family.

Australian Shepherds are protective of their home and family and therefore tend to be cautious around strangers. This is sometimes interpreted as timidity, but the breed is actually quite confident and self-assured.

This is a dog with a real love of life. They want to be at the center of all activities and can be quite demanding of attention. The worst thing you can do to an Australian Shepherd is to ignore him, and if you are not prepared to give your dog lots of attention it may be wise to consider another breed.

On the other hand, if you want a responsive, enthusiastic and loving companion, look no further. The Aussie is one of the easiest dogs to train because they simply love to learn. They excel at canine sports like disc dog, flyball and particularly agility. These activities are all wonderful opportunities to build up a strong bond with your dog, by the way.

Always use a positive form of training, like clicker training, with your dog. The pay-off will be a happy, balanced and fulfilled dog who can do some truly amazing stuff. Just think how impressed your friends and family will be.

The Australian Shepherd is a robust, healthy breed of dog. Nonetheless, there are some common health concerns with the breed including back, hip and eye problems. Epilepsy is also a concern. The average lifespan for the breed is twelve and a half years.

Finding puppy names, for your Australian Shepherd is an easy task, when you know where to look. My recommendation is puppy names hq.com, a site with an extensive database of dog names including 1000s of girl dog names to choose from.

Tags: dog names puppy names, dog-breeds, dogs

This entry was posted on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 7:31 am and is filed under Dog Stuff. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.