The Breed Standard

Breed: Australian Shepherd - Interim
Group: Pastoral

Reproduced by kind permission of The Kennel Club
The development of the Kennel Club Interim Breed Standard,
which appears in lighter text has been prepared by the
National Australian Shepherd Association

General Appearance: Well balanced, length slightly greater than height. Medium size, solid and muscular. Various colours. Expression alert, keen and friendly.

General appearance is describing the physical attributes necessary for the individuals within the breed to perform the breed’s function and purpose - the function of the Australian Shepherd is a general purpose stock dog.

The words “medium”, “moderate” and “balanced” are the key elements in a correctly proportioned individual - moderate in bone, moderate in coat, moderate and proportioned in angulation and moderation and balance in movement. Any exaggeration should be faulted

Length slightly longer than height creates a lower centre of gravity - essential for balance.

The first impression should be naturalness, physical ability and coordination - a total picture of symmetry. An ideal specimen will stand out in harmonious balance at rest or in motion Light on his feet, he should convey the impression at a glance, that he is capable of sustaining long periods of activity. Of medium size. Neither coarse not cumbersome. Masculinity or femininity should be well defined. A keen expression is essential.

Characteristics: Intelligent, strong herding and guarding instincts, great stamina, loyal, attentive, animated, lithe, agile, able to change speed and direction instantly.

Versatile and when trained, performs with great style and enthusiasm in any sphere. A loyal companion, courageous yet bidable, can be physically and mentally slow to mature. Some display a tendency to ‘grin’.

Temperament: Even disposition. May show initial reserve, never shy or aggressive.

Highly intelligent and good natured. Can be reserved with strangers.

Head and Skull: In proportion to body. Clean cut. Dry. Muzzle equal to or a little shorter than the length of skull. Skull of equal length and width with slight dome. Occiput may be apparent. From side, top of muzzle and skull on parallel planes. Moder

A good head is a mark of quality. Clean cut to be defined as the head being clearly outlined, well formed, trim and neat; free from extra or loose skin, pads of fat, pendulous flews and/or visible haws. The lips must be snug. The head should denote strength without being coarse, refined without being slight. The muzzle length should be equal to the length and width of the skull in that a short muzzle would make the head untypical, as it would not be balanced. From the side, the muzzle and skull should not be on parallel lines but should be set slightly obliquely. From above, the muzzle should flow into the skull thereby giving protection to the eyes. The expression is alert and keen showing attentiveness and intelligence. The butterfly nose is a fault over one year of age.

Eyes: Brown, blue, amber or combination including flecks and marbling. Oval shaped, of moderate size, neither protruding nor sunken. Eye rims: blue-merles and blacks - black; red-merles and reds - liver/brown.

The almond (not oval) shaped eye should have a tight fitting rim and be set slightly obliquely in a moderately curved zygomatic arch. This will give both a good field of vision and adequate protection in a working environment. Forward facing eyes and round eyes are non-typical. Any combination of eye colours including marbling and flecks in all coat colours is acceptable. Pupils should be centered.

Ears: Triangular; of moderate size and thickness, set high, breaking forward or to the side when attracted.

Ears of this shape allow protection from the elements without harbouring moisture or impairing hearing. Hound ears should be faulted. Prick ears on the other hand are not ideal but are less faulty as they do not detract from soundness. The tip of the ear should, when gently held, extend to the innermost corner of the eye.

Mouth: Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Level bite tolerated.

The scissor bite is anatomically correct and indicative of a sound jaw assembly. Teeth broken or missing through accident should not be faulted. NB Some bloodlines regularly produce extra teeth.

Neck: Moderate length, strong, slightly arched; fitting smoothly into shoulders.

Although described as separate entities in the Breed Standard, the head and neck work together as required for endurance, agility and balance. A guide for length of neck is that it should be approximately the same as the length of head from occiput to nose.

Foreguarters: Shoulder blades long and flat, well laid back, set close at withers. Upper arms of comparable length. Legs straight from all sides, with strong oval bone. Medium length, slightly sloping pasterns.

“Set close at withers” is incorrect as this does not allow for the flexibility required for herding livestock. The elbow joint should be equidistant between withers and the ground. The forelegs are straight and set ideally beneath the centre point of the shoulders thereby giving the greatest support to the front assembly. The pasterns should be short, thick and strong but still flexible showing a slight angle when viewed from the side. Moderation in angulation is paramount.

Body: Strong, with firm level top line. Croup moderately sloping. Chest deep, of moderate width, with brisket reaching to elbow. Ribs well sprung and long. Underline shows moderate tuck-up.

A tight strong firm muscular body is important for overall firmness and agility - a prerequisite for a working dog. The loin is strong and broad when viewed from the top. A moderately sloping croup allows the individual to cover endless miles with the greatest efficiency.

Hindquarters: Same width as forequarters. Corresponding angulation of pelvis and upper thighs to scapulae and upper arms. Well defined stifles, moderate angle of hock joints.

Hocks well let down, perpendicular to the ground and parallel when viewed from the rear.

The hindquarters are used to create power; also the force for drive, split second turns and the stops required by a stock dog. The stifles in the Aussie are clearly defined rather than acutely bent; the well bent stifle being for speed rather than the required endurance. Moderation in angulation is paramount.

Feet: Oval. Closely set, well arched toes; thick pads.

Flat or splayed feet are easily broken down by rough terrain, briars, thorns etc. The feet support the entire body weight in a small cross-sectional area and therefore need to be compact and strong with thick pads to withstand the work of a stock dog.

Gait/Movement: Agile, smooth, free and easy, with good forward reach. Fore and hind legs move straight and parallel but may converge at speed.

The Aussie must be agile and able to change both speed and direction instantly. He is a dog that also requires to have a well balanced, ground covering stride for endurance trotting. As speed increases the feet, front and rear, should converge towards the centre line of gravity forming a distinctive “V” essential for the dog to maintain balance when making quick turns. The top line should remain firm and level. Overreaching and/or excessive back kicks should be faulted as should any other form of exaggerated gait. This is a working dog and movement should be assessed from all angles.

Tail: Customarily docked or may be natural bobbed. Docked: straight, docked to no more than 10cms (4ins) length. Undocked: Set low following the line of the croup. Of moderate length. Never curled or carried over the back. Well feathered. In overall ba

Some bloodlines regularly produce natural bob tails.

Coat: Medium length and texture, straight to wavy, weather resistant with undercoat. Short hair on head, ears, front of forelegs and below hock joints. Back of legs moderately feathered. Moderate mane, more pronounced in dogs than bitches.

The ideal coat is one of low maintenance due partly to it’s moderate length and medium texture, which provides protection from the elements and environmental conditions that a working dog will experience. The coat has two parts, the undercoat and the outer coat or guard hairs. The guard hairs should be slightly harsh so that it is weather resistant. The undercoat should be thick and soft.

Colour: Blue merle, black, red merle, red, all with or without tan points. May have white as follows: white collar no further back than point of withers at skin. White on neck as full or part collar, chest, muzzle, under parts, moderate blaze.

Coloured coat surrounding pigmented eye rims.

The Aussie comes in a variety of colour combinations and patterns that are individual and unique. No one variety of colour should be accepted or preferred over another. The black
should be black, blue-merle shades can vary from a dark to light silver with black areas. Red is a reddish brown - it can range from a deep liver, burgundy, sorrel, mahogany, shades of rust or chestnut in hue. The red-merles can vary from a pale peach to a dark pink with the areas shaded from orange to a dark chocolate (liver). White trim may vary from non at all to small amounts on the tips of the toes to full white blazes, collars and stockings. White on the head should not predominate and white creeping up the outside of the stifles and/or up into the body from underneath, should be faulted. The pigment in blacks and blue-merles should be black. The pigment in red and red-merles should be liver. Merles generally become darker with age. The colours not recognised by the Standard are yellow with a dark brown nose, a sable merle with a black nose, a pattern (piebald) white which is either solid or has met/ed patches and a merle white which is defective and could easily be blind, deaf or have other disabilities. Also unacceptable are white body splashes between withers and tail or on side between elbows and back of hindquarters in all colours. Colours should be rich and clear i.e. “running copper” the extension of the copper trim running into the body colour of blue-merles and blacks, should be faulted. NB. Brown is not a genetically recognised coat colour or pigmentation within the breed.

Size: Dogs: 51-58 cm’s (20-23 inches). Bitches: 46-53 cm’s (18-21 inches).

There is a three inch variation in each sex so that it is therefore both possible and correct that a mature dog could be smaller than a mature bitch.

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to it’s degree.

Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.