The Australian Shepherd is an intelligent working dog with strong herding and guardian instincts. Even though they are easily trained, they require an above average level of exercise to make them suitable house dogs. Strong guardian instincts contribute to making many Aussies territorial. Many Aussies are reserved with strangers, but they will never forget a friend. They are versatile dogs and make an excellent companion for an active and energetic owner.

Bonus heards the Purina flock at the 2006 Nationals

Despite its name, the Australian Shepherd was developed in the American West. The breed has roots in the Spanish Basque, British and Australian herding stock. The Aussie was developed as a versatile farm dog and loyal family companion.

The Australian Shepherd is designed to be a well balanced dog of medium size and bone structure. He is attentive and animated, showing strength and stamina, combined with unusual agility. As a loyal companion, he should be able to function for extended periods as a working stock dog.

The breed's size standards cary between males (left, center) and females (right)

The breed standard stresses that quality is not to be sacrificed in favor of size, but the preferred height at the highest point of the shoulders for males is twenty to twenty-three inches; females is eighteen to twenty-one inches.

An Aussie’s eyes are very expressive and show attentiveness and intelligence. The eyes may be any combination of blue, brown, and/or amber, depending on the coat color. Some dogs have two eyes of different colors and some eyes are more than one color. This contributes to the individuality of the breed.

Paws Zone Aussies Rowdy and Paddi show examples of merling and variations in eye color.

According to the breed standard, the colors of an Aussie should be strong, clear, and rich. There are four recognized body colors for the Australian Shepherd: blue merle, black, red (liver) merle, and red (liver), all with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points. Merling is a dilution of the base body color of black or red, giving these dogs patches of light and dark shades of the same color. Aussies can be a solid base color of red or black or merled over the entire body. If they have only white or tan trim they are bi-colored (bi’s) and if they have both white trim and tan or copper points they are tri-colored (tri’s).

Paws Zone Aussie Reese is an excellent exmaple of a "tri-color" shepherd

An identifying characteristic of the Australian Shepherd is the natural or docked bobtail. Their tails may be short but they are still expressive. Many Aussies also have a distinctive way of wagging the entire hind quarters to show pleasure, commonly referred to as the Aussie “butt-wiggle”.