Page 135 - Aussie Magazine no1, 2023

We, humans, find the novel irresistible. We are “The Australian shepherd
fascinated by what’s new or different. We crave
what’s “hot.” This is true not only of clothing is…slightly longer than tall, of
trends and electronic gizmos but also of our medium size and bone, has a
dogs. There are breeds or types of dogs
that have been “in” because something coat of moderate length…
– frequently a popular movie or Head is…dry…muzzle is equal in
television program – presents them to
the public at large in an appealing length or slightly shorter than
manner. While we who are “in the back skull…The Ears…break
dogs” generally cringe when our forward…or to the side…”
favourite breed shows up in a
major entertainment vehicle, Breed Standard, American Kennel Club
we are no less prone to
flights of doggy fashion
than the average person
sitting in a theatre or
on the couch...

Media-driven breed popularity surges are there is no known background, they were simply
largely beyond our control. Despite the best useful ranch dogs with duties including guarding
efforts of clubs, rescue groups, and concerned and varmint control as well as moving livestock.
fanciers, there are always plenty of unscrupulous
commercial breeders, large and small, who are Type was highly variable in the mid-20th century
willing to produce volumes of “product” to meet as to size, coat, colour and ear sets, but the majority
consumer demand leaving us to pick up the would conform to modern breed standards. The
pieces. But we also have our own fashion cycles Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA)
that we need to beware of. standard developed in the mid-1970s is the
ancestor of all standards in use today. The quotes
Subject and History above from the current ASCA and AKC standards
I’m using my own breed, the Australian Shepherd, conform very closely to that original document,
to illustrate my thesis not because it is the most with one exception which will be discussed later.
blatant example (it’s not) but because it is the The development of that ancestral standard and
breed I know best. Look at your own breed – its the booming popularity of a show bloodline that
standard, what’s winning today, and what won in closely met that standard led to a more uniform
times past – and you can probably find your own appearance across the breed. Even breeders of
examples. working and trial dogs, whose main concern was
performance traits, were less prone to breed those
Text written by: C.A. Sharp, www.ashgi.org
The Australian Shepherd is a recently developed dogs that varied most widely from the standard.
breed. The first studbook registration was in
1957. The dogs derived largely from indigenous Setting an Example
ranch dogs of the American West in the early Fashions in appearance tend not to plague working
to the mid-20th century. These dogs frequently and performance dog breeders. Their focus is
exhibited blue merle colouration and bobbed elsewhere. The conformation ring, however, puts
tails. The smooth-faced variety of the Pyrenean primary focus on how the dog looks. Movement
Shepherd and herding dogs of unspecified breed is important, but the dog must first look right; a
but of generic collie type from Australia have dog that moved like an Aussie but looked like an
been documented as contributing to the breed. oversized Sheltie would not (and should not) win
The breed has about 300 founders – far more in any show with competition. The nature of any
than many breeds – and for most of these dogs competition is to identify the individuals that are

A Worldwide Magazine for the Aussie • Issue 1/2023 | 135