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Good advice for people who want to show their dog is to watch the good handlers in your breed. It is also wise of you to know your breed well. Here is one very good reason why this is important: A novice watches a good handler show a dog. He sees the handler place his hand on the dog’s rump, between the hipbones and the tail set. The handler makes sure the judge has seen him do this. The judge looks at the same spot on the other dogs in the class and gives the first prize to the handler of whom we’re speaking. The novice, if he doesn’t know why the handler acted as he did, mimics the handler when he shows his dog but with disastrous results. Why? The novice did not know he was pointing out a fault in his dog whereas the handler was pointing out a good spot on his dog. The Standard of perfection for the breed in question states that this breed should have a medium-high tail set. The smart handler noticed when he came into the ring that his dog had a very good tail set but the other dogs in the ring were faulty at this spot.

Where the competition is keen, these things count quite a lot. The handler placed his hand on his dog’s good spot, the judge saw it, recognized that the dog excelled here, looked at the other dogs, realized that they were faulty here, and gave the award to the handler. The novice, if he doesn’t know his breed, does the same thing, but instead of pointing out his dog’s good spot, he points out what may be his dog’s main fault, a poor tail set. The same situation might exist regarding throat on a dog, or clean-cut shoulders, or good feet, or any number of spots where a dog excels, when pointed out, it may help the decision come your way.

It is best if you do not try to point out good or bad parts of your dog until you know very well what they are and how best to point them out, and until you are able to recognize as soon as you enter the ring whether or not it is to your advantage to point them out. When you feel you do know, please don’t be obnoxious about it. If you cannot do it in a nice way, don’t do it at all.

At times during a dog show there has been two excited handlers who decided to show the judge how good their dogs were. They got so intent on what they were doing, each trying to outdo the other, that the judge became annoyed. He said they were insulting his intelligence – that he could and would find the dog of his liking without any further help from the handlers. This could prove disastrous results for you if not taken into account during a dog show.

Studying The Results Of Experienced Handlers courtesy Dog Articles.

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The origins of the Australian Shepherd aren’t actually grounded on the continent of Australia. The predecessors to the breed did make a small trip to Australia, but they quickly moved on to the western United States. Since the previous owners came from Australia, the name stuck. With their movements came sheep and that’s what they were trained to work with. In the 1800’s the breed was fine tuned giving it several unique characteristics. It is a nice compact, medium sized dog averaging 45 to 50 pounds in weight and 20” high at the shoulders. Their coats have a soft, thick undercoat with a slightly wiry top coat. This allows them to be physically able to live outside, but they need human contact and thus are not emotionally suited to a life in the yard.

Understanding a dog’s history goes a long way to understanding a breed as a whole. As a herding dog, Australian Shepherds like to herd children, cats, other dogs and anything they may perceive as livestock. This is an instinct that has been selectively bred into the Aussie. You may not see this behavior early on in your puppy’s life, but as they mature, you will begin to notice the signs of herding (like nipping at heels, body slamming, posturing, stare downs and the like). You want to prepare your Australian Shepherd with training to help curb that behavior into an appropriate release – no nipping on human heels. As the Australian Shepherd is a quick learner, you may find your training progresses easily, but don’t let that fool you. Keep instilling the trained behaviors in then, not to prevent their inherent instincts from coming out, but to control them when they do.

One of the most important things to teach an Australian Shepherd puppy is the “come” command. As herders and subtle guardians, they need a good recall instilled in them. Aussies are not only intelligent, quick learners, they are problem solvers. This ability allows them to make decisions, some good and some bad. Other commands like sit, stay, no, run and fetch are great to teach them early on. You also want to get them used to a routine. Set up play time, run time and relax time and stick to it. This will help you to keep your Australian Shepherd out of trouble as they will know what to expect and can look forward to it.

When they grow up, your Australian Shepherd will need to be exercised on a daily basis. This is where extensive training comes. You can begin to train your puppy to stay for longer periods of time before they chase after that tennis ball. They can be trained to perform helpful tasks like pulling the kids up a small slope on a sled. Agility training is also a great and fun outlet for their energy and mental stimulation.

An Australian Shepherd makes a great companion for families, individuals, farms, etc. and with the proper training and exercise can be lifelong partners (their average lifespan is 13 years). So, be sure to start training early, set up a schedule that is enjoyable for all and most importantly have fun with your Aussie.

Beginner’s Guide to an Australian Shepherd Pup courtesy Dog Articles.

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