Australian Shepherd Breed Profile
The Australian Shepherd is a well-travelled breed, probably originating with Basque shepherds, brought to Australia with these shepherds when they immigrated there from Europe, then brought to the United States in the 1800s when Basque shepherds immigrated to America from Australia. Because of its beauty and great herding ability, the dog's popularity increased as interest in Western-style riding caught on after World War II. This is a functionally and well-built dog, able to work all day if need be. The breed, as it exists today, was developed by American breeders for the purposes of herding and guarding livestock, but it is such a sound-minded dog that it fulfills many other purposes as well, such as guide dogs for the blind and search-and-rescue dogs. The Aussie, as it is called, was admitted to the AKC Stud Book in 1991, and entered the Herding Group in 1993. Provisionally accepted by the FCI in 1996, the Aussie cannot win the CACIB until it is fully recognized.