Page 101 - Aussie Magazine - 2023 Issue 2

During the first hundred years of the Australian should be furnished with a good brush and free
Shepherd breed development from around the from curls or hooks. Bob-tails are accepted on
1840s to the 1960s, the focus was on breeding blue working dogs.”
merle dogs with natural bob tails/no tails. This is not
conjecture or theory. There is ample written record It is extremely important to keep this outlier breed
discussing breeding of only blue merle Australian standard in context. The entire 1961/1962 ASCA
Shepherds with no tails as a primary goal in original breed standard is a poor and anemic first attempt at
breeding programs. capturing the essence of the breed in words. While
the club had their initial meeting in 1957, historical
During and prior to the 1950s “blue” was the only documents cite the period of time between 1957
recognized color and the first standards called and 1969 as a time of club issues and almost
for natural bob tails with one exception. The complete inactivity. It would be most interesting
1961/1962 version of the first Australian Shepherd to discover who (or what club) actually crafted this
Club of America (ASCA) breed standard states, first standard and who approved it in 1962 when
“Tail: During rest should hang straight, should the club was basically inactive. There were several
not be shorter than hocks. During movement or regional clubs being formed during this period, but
excitement should be raised, but never carried ASCA as an entity was literally non-existent when
higher than the vertical line of the back. Tails this standard was “approved.”

The natural bob tail provides
Photo Courtesy of Minna Saros tails of varied lengths from Elisabeth Eknes Photography
very short to almost full

There is no mention of tails prior to or after this
breed standard. Every subsequent breed standard
in any organization identifies the breed as a natural
bob tail (NBT) or docked breed. The tail description
in this initial breed standard is an anomaly in breed
history and I can offer no reasonable explanation.
To use this one standard as a justification for having
tails on an NBT breed is misleading at best when
taken out of historical context.

The first breed standard of any consequence and
professionalism was written by breed founder Elsie
Cotton and first published in Stodghill’s Animal
Research Foundation Magazine (newsletter) around
Elisabeth Eknes Photography
1966. Tom D. Stodghill cites Ms. Cotton’s dedication

A Worldwide Magazine for the Aussie • Issue 2/2023 | 101