At a glance
- Type
- Purebred, FCI No. 342, Group 1 (sheepdogs and cattle dogs)
- Height
- Males 51–58 cm · females 46–53 cm
- Weight
- Typically about 16–32 kg, males heavier; the FCI standard sets no weight
- Life expectancy
- About 10–14 years
- Coat
- Medium-length double coat: blue merle, black, red merle or red, with or without white and tan; sheds heavily
- Grooming
- Brushing two or three times a week; daily during the spring and autumn moult
- Exercise
- More than 2 hours a day, plus training or a job to do
- With children
- Good with older children; may herd running toddlers and nip at their heels
- In an apartment
- Not suited; needs a house with a securely fenced garden
- Cyprus summer
- Moderate: hard exercise only at dawn and dusk in summer; shade and water at midday
- Our price
- from €1,800
About the Australian Shepherd
Despite the name, the Australian Shepherd was developed in the United States. The Australian connection is the Basque shepherds who arrived in America by way of it in the 1800s; the dog itself was shaped on American farms and ranches, then made famous by rodeo and film. He remains a working stock dog with strong herding and guarding instincts.
An Aussie is intelligent, quick and tireless, with the stamina the standard describes as enough to work a full day. He is even-tempered and not one to pick fights, though the standard also notes he can hold back on a first meeting — expect a dog who takes a moment to decide about strangers rather than one who greets everybody.
This is not a beginner’s dog and it is not an apartment dog. The Royal Kennel Club rates him at more than two hours of exercise a day and recommends a large garden and country living. He needs a job as much as a walk; herding instinct with nothing to herd turns into chasing bikes, cars and children.
The medium coat sheds and needs brushing several times a week. In Cyprus, work him early and late through summer and let him rest in shade during the day. If you have space, time and something for him to do, the Australian Shepherd is a superb partner for ten to fourteen years.
Origin, purpose and temperament follow the official FCI breed standard; exercise, grooming and family suitability follow The Royal Kennel Club (UK). Every puppy is an individual — ask us about the one you are considering.
Living with an Australian Shepherd in Cyprus
Work at the edges of the day. An Aussie is built to run for hours, and from June to September the shade reads 35–40 °C by mid-morning. Move hard exercise to first light and after sunset: a run, fetch or a sea swim. At midday, tire his brain instead with food scattered in the grass, a snuffle mat or a new trick.
Tell every vet about MDR1. Many Aussies carry a fault in the MDR1 gene that lets certain drugs build up in the brain. Ivermectin, used in some parasite treatments, and several other medicines can then cause trembling or collapse. A Cyprus dog is treated against ticks, worms, heartworm and sandflies, which pass on leishmaniasis from about May to October, so name the breed before any product is chosen. A cheap DNA test at the vet gives a definite answer. Our puppy care sheet lists the parasites to plan for.
Cats, scooters and ankles. Stray cats roam every Cypriot street, and an Aussie’s herding instinct sees them as stock to round up. Scooters, cyclists and children racing round the garden wake the same urge: circling, blocking, a nip at the heels. Teach a firm “leave it” early, and give him a big herding ball to push instead.
A garden and a broom. He needs a house with a fenced garden, not a flat in a block. The double coat sheds all year and comes out in handfuls each spring, gathering in drifts on tiled floors. Brush him outside and leave the coat long: clippers make him hotter, not cooler.
