History of the Breed

Contrary to their name, the Australian Shepherd, as a breed, was developed in America, but their early ancestors can be traced back to the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, where it is believed that the Basque shepherds arrived from Australia with large bands of sheep and with them, their ‘little blue dogs with bob tails’.

The Australian Shepherd Club of America was established in 1957, but the breed was not officially recognised by the American Kennel Club until 1991. Australian Shepherds were reintroduced into Australia in 1990, when the Ford family emigrated from England. On the 1st January 1994 the Australian Shepherd was officially recognised by the Australian National Kennel Council and it is now one of the largest breeds in the working dog group.