OUR STORY

Passion for Aussies

Our Aussie story began with a meek and mild tempered puppy named Piper. A striking black tri female who came to us from my mother’s longstanding breeding program out of New Mexico, Whitney Hill Aussies. With strong Twin Oaks and Las Rocosa lines matched with her natural structural attributes, we knew she had great potential as a breeding dog. What we did not expect is the richness she would bring to our lives through her intuitive nature and caring personality. Originally our intent for Piper was to provide a buddy for our young Morkie, Josie, as well as give myself, Kate, a hiking pal. However, it quickly became apparent she was more than just a pet, but an engaged and meaningful part of our little family. She picked up training in any focus quickly and with ease, however what impressed us most was her desire to fetch Frisbee as seen in the video above. Through her own example, she trained Josie to fetch, along with many other skills which came natural to her and fast became a role model, and in some ways a mother to Josie. Through her natural maternal nature with Josie, we were beginning to see the potential she housed for the beginning of a great breeding program.

Whitney Hill Aussies Info

THE AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD

Breed History

The Australian Shepherd, often referred to as the "Aussie", is a medium-sized breed of dog that was, despite its name, is not Australian at all. The breed is believed to be developed on ranches in the United States during the 19th century. There is disagreement regarding the exact history of the breed prior to its arrival in the United States, and thus no official consensus on the origin of its name or association with Australia. However, we believe, the true origin to be linked directly back to early ancestors which worked sheep on the west coast, many of those sheep were brought from Australia. Basque shepherds on the west coast were known to have “little blue dogs with bob tails” in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. In the western United States, the Basque shepherd and his little blue dogs came to represent shepherding as much as the Scotsman and his Collie in Britain. In Australia, there are dogs similar to Aussies called German Coolies. Here in the United States, the breed has had many names in the past including the Pastor Dog, Blue Heeler, Spanish Shepherd, Bob-Tail, New Mexican Shepherd and California Shepherd.

Aussies are similar in appearance to the popular English Shepherd and Border Collie breeds, and research has found that Australian Shepherds and Border Collies are closely related to each other; both the Border Collie and Australian Shepherd are slightly more distantly related to other kinds of Collies and to Shetland Sheepdogs.

Australian Shepherds rose in popularity with a boom in Western riding after World War II. They became known to the general public through rodeos, horse shows, and Disney movies made for television.

For many years, Aussies have been valued by stockmen for their versatility and trainability. While they continue to work as stock dogs and compete in herding trials, they have earned recognition in other roles due to their trainability and eagerness to please and are highly regarded for their skills in obedience. Like all working breeds, Aussies have considerable energy and drive and usually need a job to keep them occupied. They often excel at dog sports such as dog agility and frisbee and are also highly successful as search and rescue dogs, disaster dogs, detection dogs, guide dogs, service dogs, and therapy dogs. They are considered the 17th-most popular dog breed in the United States.

Breed Personality

The Australian Shepherd is super-smart, versatile, adaptable and energetic. It is a thinking dog, bred to use it's brain and make decisions. They want to be a part of everything that is going on and demand an active lifestyle to be happy. They are also big on consistency. They like things to happen at the same time every day; meals, walks, bedtime. Any time you want to change something, your Aussie will have to sign off on it first.

Expect to spend plenty of time training your Aussie so they can learn things to do that will keep them occupied. Teach them to bring in the paper, take dirty clothes to the laundry basket, help you in the garden by pulling a cart and more. When he’s done with his chores, he’ll be ready to play outfielder in sandlot games or accompany you hiking or biking.

Like most herding breeds, the Australian Shepherd has an inborn protective streak and can be wary of strangers. Mostly they are not a buddy-buddy dog with everyone they meet, even with plenty of socialization. Without early and frequent socialization, the Aussie can become shy or aggressive in the presence of people they don't know. Aussies are also highly sensitive to sound and may develop noise phobias, especially to thunderstorms, if they are not accustomed to loud or unexpected noises. On the plus side, they are excellent watchdogs and will always alert you to anything or anyone out of the ordinary.

It’s essential to purchase an Australian Shepherd from a breeder whose stock is temperamentally sound and who understands the importance of early exposure to many different people, noises and situations that come with life in a family home. An Australian Shepherd who is to be a family companion needs plenty of socialization.

The Australian Shepherd has many great qualities, but they don’t just magically develop. Any dog, no matter how nice, can develop obnoxious levels of barking, digging, countersurfing and other undesirable behaviors if they are bored, untrained or unsupervised. And any dog can be a trial to live with during adolescence. In the case of the Australian Shepherd, the “teen” years can start at six months and continue until the dog is about two years old.

Start training your puppy the day you bring them home. Even at eight weeks old, they are capable of soaking up everything you can teach them. Don’t wait until they are 6 months old to begin training or you will have a more headstrong dog to deal with. If possible, get your pup into puppy kindergarten class by the time they are 10 to 12 weeks old, and socialize, socialize, socialize. However, be aware that many puppy training classes require certain vaccines (like kennel cough) to be up to date, and many veterinarians recommend limited exposure to other dogs and public places until puppy vaccines (including rabies, distemper and parvovirus) have been completed. In lieu of formal training, you can begin training your puppy at home and socializing him among family and friends until puppy vaccines are completed.

The perfect Australian Shepherd doesn’t spring fully formed from the whelping box. They are a product of their background and breeding. Whatever you want from an Aussie, look for one whose parents have nice personalities and who have been well socialized from early puppyhood.