Breed History

The exact origins of the Australian Shepherd are uncertain; it’s a  subject that abounds with speculation and theories. For example, some  think that the breed came to the United States with Basque shepherds  from the Pyrenees region between France and Spain. Some think that the  breed has its origins in the dogs that arrived with shipments of sheep  from Australia during the Gold Rush in the 1840s; these dogs would  likely have been collie/shepherd-type dogs of British origin.

What we do know, however, is that the Australian Shepherd was  developed in the western United States in the nineteenth and twentieth  centuries as a working dog on farms and ranches. Whether the dogs  originated in Spain, Britain, and/or Australia, an important requirement  for the breed was herding ability. Breeding for this ability, as well  as for type, versatility, intelligence, and work ethic, over many  decades led to the development of the breed we affectionately call the  “Aussie” today.

Photos dating from the early 1800s capture glimpses of farm and ranch  dogs that we now call the Australian Shepherd. We see these dogs doing  what they did best then and still do today: herding stock, watching over  their people and property, making themselves an integral part of house  and home.

• 1957 – The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) is established as the parent club for the breed.
• 1977 – The present ASCA Breed Standard is adopted.
• 1992 – The Australian Shepherd is accepted to The Canadian Kennel Club (CKC).
• 1993 – The Australian Shepherd is accepted to The American Kennel Club (AKC).