by William
Forequarters: Shoulders: Long, flat, somewhat closely spaced at the withers, and erect shoulder blades The forelegs drop straight, perpendicular to the ground, and the upper arm, which should be roughly the same length as the shoulder blade, attaches at an approximate right angle to the shoulder line. Legs straight and strong. Bone is strong, oval rather than round. Pastern is medium length and very slightly sloped. Front dewclaws may be removed. Feet are oval, compact with close knit, well arched toes. Pads are thick and resilient.
Coat: The hair is medium in length, weather resistant, straight to slightly wavy, and has a medium texture. The undercoat varies in quantity with variations in climate. On the head, ears, front of the forelegs, and beneath the hocks, the hair is short and silky. Backs of forelegs and britches are moderately feathered. Dogs have a moderate mane and frill, which are more noticeable than in bitches. Non- typical coats are severe faults.
Overall appearance: The Australian Shepherd is a smart working dog with excellent instincts for guarding and herding. He is a devoted friend and strong enough to work all day. He is medium in size and bone, well-balanced, slightly taller than average, and has unique and varied coloring. He is alert and lively, nimble and lithe, robust and muscular without being cloddish. He has a coat of moderate length and coarseness. He has a docked or natural bobbed tail.
Hindquarters: At the shoulders, the width of the forequarters and hindquarters is the same. An approximate right angle is formed by the angulation of the upper arm and shoulder blade in relation to the angulation of the pelvis and upper thigh. Stifles are clearly defined, hock joints moderately bent. When viewed from the back, the hocks are short, parallel to one another, and perpendicular to the ground. Rear dewclaws must be removed. Feet are oval, compact with close knit, well arched toes. Pads are thick and resilient.
The gait of the Australian Shepherd is easy, free, and fluid. He moves with incredible agility and a balanced, ground-covering gait. Both the front and rear legs move parallel to the body’s center of gravity. The dog’s front and rear feet converge toward its center of gravity as speed increases, but its back stays stable and level. The Australian Shepherd needs to be nimble, with the ability to quickly change direction or gait.
Breeders began taping their dogs’ ears to their heads when their prick ears developed serious flaws. Some even underwent surgical incisions, which eliminated any lift. As a result, we noticed that most of the dogs in the show ring had ears that were too heavy to lift. People may be less likely to tape prick ears if they are merely a flaw rather than a serious one, particularly if ears without lift are severely flawed.
1. Who wrote, “Physical characteristics that might not matter in a field trial are used to select show dog winners”? Dog show winners are chosen based not on what can be tested but rather on what appears to be correct. Are we choosing dogs based on the incorrect standard? ”.
Additionally, there is a clear distinction in the evolution of the show bloodlines, even though all Australian Shepherds share a basic appearance that distinguishes them from other breeds. The original foundation working dogs were constructed with a sprint and cattle-chasing gait. A new breed of Australian Shepherd emerged in 1977 after the Australian Shepherd Club of America, or ASCA, adopted the current breed standard. Australian Shepherds with larger front angulations and flatter pelvic angles—ideal for trotting smoothly over long distances—have advanced thanks to the show program. The speed and agility that are essential for herding animals to make sudden stops and turns at full speed in order to outmaneuver livestock were sacrificed in order to pay for the development of the trotting Australian. For more on Australian Shepherd history please visit:
Interestingly, American architect Louis Sullivan is credited with saying that “form always follows function” as it appeared in the article “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered.” Though I’m not sure if that is the original instance of form following function, he suggested that the purpose of any object designer should always come first.
Looking back, this was a careless overkill that the committee did without justification or proof. At that point, we unintentionally put a millstone around our amazing working Australians and ruined their reputation as one of the top five working breeds in use today. It’s ironic that while the majority of these breeds tolerate prick ears, we are the only ones who unnecessarily criticize them!
