Australian Shepherd
| Australian Shepherd | ||
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| FCI Standard No. 342 | ||
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| Origin : | ||
| Withers height: |
preferred: male 51–58 cm |
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| Weight: |
not fixed |
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| Breeding standards: | ||
| List of domestic dogs | ||
The Australian Shepherd is a dog breed from the USA recognized by the FCI since 1996 ( FCI Group 1, Section 1, Standard No. 342 ). The leading breeding association for the Australian Shepherd is the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA), which opened the first stud book for the breed in 1957 .
Origin and history
Despite its name, the breeding origin of the Australian Shepherd lies in North America , due to its association with Basque shepherds who immigrated from Australia to America in the 19th century. These brought Merino sheep with them, which had previously been exported to Australia and were therefore given the name "Australian Sheep" in North America.
The first registry was opened by the Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA), founded in Arizona in 1957 . In 1966 the International Australian Shepherd Association (IASA) was also founded. ASCA and IASA merged to form a club in 1980 and have since become the largest breed club in North America.
The current breed standard of the ASCA came into force in 1977. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has kept a stud book for Australian Shepherds since the early 1990s and has also developed its own breed standard, which came into force in January 1993. The Australian Shepherd has only been recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 1996. The current breed standard dates from June 5, 2009. Australian Shepherds have only been found in Europe since the 1970s, but have become more and more common since then. In Germany, the Club for Australian Shepherd eV (CASD) has been the first association to keep herd book since 2001.
description
The Australian Shepherd has a balanced build of medium size and bone strength. According to the FCI standard, the males should be between 50.8 and 58.5 cm, the bitches between 45.7 and 53.4 cm, but quality should never be sacrificed to size. The coat is half-length, weather-resistant and has a dense undercoat , with the top coat being straight to slightly wavy. The hair is short and straight on the head, the outside of the ears, the front of the forelegs, and below the hocks.
A distinction is made between the following basic colors:
- black (black)
- red (red)
- blue-merle (marbled black with a gray base color)
- red-merle (marbled red / brown with a light red / beige base color)
Each of these basic colors can stand alone or be combined with white and / or copper-colored badges. This results in 16 possible color variants - 4 basic colors times 4 possible badge combinations (without / white / copper / copper and white).
- solid black
- solid red
- blue-merle
- red-merle
- black-bi (white)
- black-bi (copper)
- red-bi (white)
- red-bi (copper)
- blue-merle (white)
- blue-merle (copper)
- red-merle (white)
- red-merle (copper)
- black-tri
- red-tri
- blue-merle white / copper
- red-merle white / copper
With all colors, the areas around the eyes and ears are predominantly dominated by colors other than white. White spots on the body or completely unpigmented noses (Dudley Nose) are disqualifying faults.
Australian Shepherd, Red bi,
Black-Tri
Red-Tri
Blue-merle white / copper
Blue Merle White / Copper
Red Merle White / Copper
The innate stump tail (NBT = natural bobtail) is characteristic of some dogs of this breed . The FCI standard allows both the natural stubby rod and the docked rod of a maximum of 10 cm. Docked rods are only permitted in countries where this practice is not prohibited. The dog's eyes are almond-shaped and of medium size. Colors are blue, brown, amber, or any other variation or combination of these colors, including stains and marbling. The tilt ears are triangular and slightly rounded at the tip. Ears and ears are serious mistakes. The head is in good proportion to the body, the stop is medium, but clearly recognizable. The forehand is at right angles to the ground. The hindquarters are well angled, but the back must be straight and only drop moderately from the croup. Wolf claws are removed. The walk is light, free, soft, expansive and balanced.
Essence
Since the Australian Shepherd was bred for herding work, dogs of this breed only belong in the hands of active, sporty owners who can keep the dogs busy and busy. Purely physical activity such as walking or cycling is not enough to challenge an Australian Shepherd. Demanding activities in dog sports are ideal for physical and mental utilization.
Authorities and emergency services use the breed to track and track down drugs. When used appropriately, Australian Shepherds are also suitable as family dogs. The Australian Shepherd is usually an intelligent and docile dog who wants to please their owner.
Breed specific diseases
As with collies , the Australian Shepherd has the MDR1 defect , which causes hypersensitivity to several drugs . 6.9% of the examined dogs are pure breeding for the defect; this results in a carrier frequency of 38.7%.
Also present are epilepsy, cataracts, hip and elbow dysplasia (HD / ED), autoimmune diseases, dentition defects, allergies, thyroid and heart problems. These diseases have increased in recent years, which was certainly also due to the boom in breeding and the sometimes wild reproduction of this breed.
One of many forms of hereditary cataracts is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait in the Australian Shepherd. The cause is a defect in the HSF4 gene . There is a genetic test to prove it.
When Merle x Merle matings can result in severe defects such as blindness or deafness. Such pairings are therefore prohibited by law in Switzerland and Germany. In Germany they are referred to as torture breeding .
Individual evidence
- ↑ United States Australian Shepherd Association (USASA) Breed History . USASA. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
- ^ Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) -History of the Breed . ASCA. Retrieved May 18, 2011.
- ↑ FCI Standard N ° 342, as of June 5, 2009.
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^ CA Sharp: The Dirty Dozen Plus a Few: Frequency of Hereditary Diseases in Australian Shepherds. ( Memento from January 15, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) In: Australian Shepherd Annual. 2000. Published on the ASHGI (Australian Shepherd Health & Genetics Institute) website
- See also CA Sharp: The New Dirty Dozen Plus. on ashgi.org (first published in Double Helix Network News. Spring and Summer 2013.)
- ↑ Christina Julia Rabe: Cataloging of phenotypes, genotypes and genetic tests of genetic defects characterized by molecular genetics in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Dissertation Munich, 2009, pp. 125–129. ( Online )
- ↑ Cathryn S. Mellersh, Bryan McLaughlin, Saija Ahonen, Louise Pettitt, Hannes Lohi, Keith C. Barnett: Mutation in HSF4 is associated with hereditary cataract in the Australian Shepherd. In: Veterinary Ophthalmology. 12, 2009, pp. 372-378, doi: 10.1111 / j.1463-5224.2009.00735.x .
- ↑ Elaine A. Ostrander : Genetics of the Dog. CABI, 2012, p. 219
literature
- Silke Meermann: Investigation of behavioral problems in dogs of the Border Collie and Australian Shepherd breeds in Germany . Physiological Institute of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. Diss. Hannover 2009, DNB 99604132X ( online [PDF; 1,3 MB ]).
