Appearance
The Australian Shepherd's general appearance varies greatly depending on the particular line's emphasis. As with many working breeds that are also shown in the ring, there are differences of opinion among breeders over what constitutes as the ideal Australian Shepherd. In addition, the breed can be split into two distinct lines: working dogs and show dogs. Working dogs tend to have shorter coats, are thinner and sometimes smaller, whilst the show dogs are bred according to breed standard and can have long coats.
Size
The Australian Shepherd Breed Standards for all major registries state that males should stand 21-23 inches at the shoulder; females 18-21 inches. A weight standard is not specified, though males normally weigh 45-60 pounds; females 35-45 pounds.
Color
The eight colors of Aussies are: blue merle (black and gray with white patchwork), red merle (red and beige with white patchwork), black (which may or may not have white legs, a white chest, or a white collar), and red (which may or may not have white legs, a white chest, or a white collar). Each of these colors may also have copper points on the eyebrows, cheeks, and/or legs to create four additional color combinations. Thus, dogs with copper and white along with the primary color are called tricolor, dogs with white or copper along with the primary color are called bicolor, and dogs with no white or copper are referred to as self-colored. White should not appear on the body of the dog from topmost point of the shoulder blade to the tail except in the merle-colored dogs.
The wide variation of color combinations comes from the interaction between the a color allele, which is either black (B) dominant or red (b) recessive, and the dominant merle allele (M). Together, these provide four coat-color aspects that can appear in any combination:
- Black or Red
- Merle or not merle
- Self- or tan-pointed
- Solid color or trimmed with white
The merle allele, which produces a mingled or patchwork combination of dark and light areas, is the most common coat pattern associated with the breed. This merle (M) is dominant so that affected dogs (Mm) show the pigmentation pattern; however, when two merles are bred, there is a statistical risk that 25% of the offspring will end up with the two copies of the merle gene (homozygous). These dogs usually have a mostly white coat and blue irises, and are often 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.
Eyes
There is also great variety in the Aussie's eye color. An early nickname for the breed was the "ghost-eye dog". Aussies' eyes may be green, hazel, amber, brown, or blue; they may have two different colored eyes, or even have bicolored or "split eyes" (for example, a half-brown, half-blue eye), which appear to be linked to the merle coloration. Merled eyes occur as well, where one color is mixed in and swirled with another. Any combination of eye color is acceptable in the breed standard, so long as the eyes are healthy. In general, however, black Aussies (self, bi-color or tri-color) tend to have brown eyes, while red (self, bi-color or tri-color) Aussies tend to have amber eyes. Though these Aussies may also carry the blue-eyed gene.
Tail
A hallmark of the breed is a short bobbed or docked tail in countries where docking is permitted. Some Aussies are born with naturally short bobbed tails, others with full long tails, and others with natural partial bobs, where the tail is mid-length and appears stubby. Breeders have historically docked the tails when the puppies are born. Even without a tail, the wagging movement of the hind end still occurs.
Some Australian Shepherd breeders opt to keep the tail on the dog for the natural look, which can still be seen in the breed ring.