Frequently Asked Questions
Q. If they have a tail at birth does it have to be docked?
A. No. It is depending on the breeder if they dock them or not. If you wish for your puppy to have a tail (assuming it doesn't naturally have a bobtail) talk to your breeder before the puppies are born and tell them you wish for your puppy to have a tail.
Q. What is the occurrence of Aussies with MDR1 gene?
A. 30% have one copy of MDR1 gene, 2% have two copies of the gene
• 49% of miniatures have at least one copy of MDR1 gene
• Incomplete dominant gene so dogs with just one copy are sensitive
• Dogs with both genes are super-sensitive and can be fatal
Q. How do I know if my Aussie has the MDR1 gene?
A. Check with the breeder to see if your puppy has been tested. If not a simple DNA test can be done by your veterinarian.
Q. How many puppies does an Australian Shepherd have?
A. Usually between 6-9 pups in a litter. The average is 7.
Q. Why is the Australian Shepherd named "Australian" if they are not from Australia?
A. There are many different theories:
1. Cross-breeding with an English Shepherd.
2. Most of the imported sheep in the USA came from Australia. They were so good at their job herders began calling them Australian.
3. Accompanied Basque shepherds from Australia.
4. Australian imports were largely merle-colored animals. People were refer to merle-colored shepherd as Australian Shepherd.
To this day it still remains a mystery.
Q. What does heterochromia mean?
A. Two different colored eyes. This is very common with Australian Shepherds.
A. No. It is depending on the breeder if they dock them or not. If you wish for your puppy to have a tail (assuming it doesn't naturally have a bobtail) talk to your breeder before the puppies are born and tell them you wish for your puppy to have a tail.
Q. What is the occurrence of Aussies with MDR1 gene?
A. 30% have one copy of MDR1 gene, 2% have two copies of the gene
• 49% of miniatures have at least one copy of MDR1 gene
• Incomplete dominant gene so dogs with just one copy are sensitive
• Dogs with both genes are super-sensitive and can be fatal
Q. How do I know if my Aussie has the MDR1 gene?
A. Check with the breeder to see if your puppy has been tested. If not a simple DNA test can be done by your veterinarian.
Q. How many puppies does an Australian Shepherd have?
A. Usually between 6-9 pups in a litter. The average is 7.
Q. Why is the Australian Shepherd named "Australian" if they are not from Australia?
A. There are many different theories:
1. Cross-breeding with an English Shepherd.
2. Most of the imported sheep in the USA came from Australia. They were so good at their job herders began calling them Australian.
3. Accompanied Basque shepherds from Australia.
4. Australian imports were largely merle-colored animals. People were refer to merle-colored shepherd as Australian Shepherd.
To this day it still remains a mystery.
Q. What does heterochromia mean?
A. Two different colored eyes. This is very common with Australian Shepherds.