How to Train an Australian Shepherd
He's not from Australia. Call him Aussie. Call him Australian Shepherd. Call him a farm dog from the American West. But don't call him Australian. Because he's not.
The Australian Shepherd was born in California. He was born among Basque shepherds who came from the Pyrenees, through Australia, to the valleys of America. They brought Merino sheep from Australia, and the Americans named the dog after the cargo. That's how we got an American dog with an Australian name.
But the name doesn't matter. What matters is what this dog was born to do.
What He Did When He Grew Up
Picture a California ranch in the 19th century. A thousand sheep. Cattle. Endless land. You need a dog that can do everything. Not a narrow-eyed herding specialist, but a jack-of-all-trades. One who will herd sheep in the morning, guard the flock at noon, and lie by the campfire at night.
That's what the Aussie was meant to be.
He's a generalist. Unlike the Border Collie — born with laser focus in its eyes — the Aussie looks at the whole picture. He guards. He herds. He companions. He decides on his own.
And that's his biggest challenge.
Because when you bring a generalist dog into a home in the suburbs — no flock, no farm, no work — he doesn't disappear. He stays with you, with that same farm-brain, that same drive to work, that same vigilance. And he looks for something to do. The question is whether you give him something he loves — or he invents something you won't.
I see it every day in the field. Someone bought an Aussie because they heard it's a smart dog. Now it lives in a Tel Aviv apartment with a dog that destroys the house. And who's to blame? The Aussie? No. The Aussie is doing what he was born to do. He's trying to work. The problem is he has no farm.
The Aussie's Mind
He has a brain that works 24/7. He never stops calculating. He looks at you, reads you, analyzes you, decides what to do with the information. He doesn't run to work with his eyes closed like a Border Collie. He's a partner. A partner who decides.
Here's the biggest difference between these two breeds:
A Border Collie sees a sheep and he's already in work mode. His eyes lock. His body drops. He whispers to the sheep "move" before it moves. He's a symbol — working facing the sheep. His eyes do the work.
The Aussie sees a sheep. He looks at it. Then he looks at you. Then he looks at the sheep again. He doesn't run immediately. He asks: what do you want me to do? But if you don't answer in time — he'll decide on his own. And his decision won't always be what you expected.
This makes him a less exhausting dog moment to moment, but more demanding in the big picture. A Border Collie needs you to direct him. An Aussie needs you to trust him.
That's high biddability — 8 out of 10 — but with an independent mind. Not blind obedience. Partnership.
With a Border Collie, you give a command, he executes. You give a wrong command, he executes it anyway. I once took a Border Collie owner to a herding trial and told him to direct the dog left — he directed right, the Border Collie moved left. Because of the eye. The Border works facing the sheep, not following your command.
With an Aussie, you show a direction, and he offers his own way. Sometimes right, sometimes not. Your job is to make "sometimes right" happen much more often.
The Drives That Move Him
The Aussie has four main engines. Know them. Understand them. Learn to work with them instead of against them.
The first — Herding. This is his strongest instinct. He will herd children. He will herd cars. He will herd other dogs in the park. He doesn't do it out of malice — he does it because that's how he was made. Herding is his first language.
I remember an owner who came to me with a one-year-old Aussie. "He won't stop circling my son in the yard," he said. "The kid can't play." I looked at the dog. He wasn't trying to hurt the child. He was simply working. The child ran, the dog ran around him. The child stopped, the dog stopped and looked at him. That's pure herding.
You don't need to stop it completely. You need to channel it. Show the dog where it's allowed and where it's not. Teach him that herding starts and stops on command.
The second — Guarding and Vigilance. This is where he differs from the Border Collie. The Aussie guards. He has a high guarding instinct. He'll notice a car parked strangely in front of the house. He'll pay attention that the neighbor left earlier than usual. He doesn't bark for nothing — he barks because there's a reason.
This makes him an excellent guard dog. But it also means he can become a dog who thinks every sound is a threat. Without sufficient work, the guarding becomes self-consuming. He barks at everything. He never relaxes. The home feels like a battlefield.
The solution: don't let him be a guard all day. There are hours for work and hours for rest. Teach him to distinguish between a real threat and background noise. This comes with experience, with controlled exposure, and with your own calm. Don't reinforce him when he barks at the wind.
The third — Prey and Retrieve. He loves to chase. He loves to catch. He loves to bring back. The ball, the frisbee, the stick — they're all tools to release his energy. The chase is a release of tension building in his body.
But be careful. Some Aussies turn into ball machines. You throw, he brings, you throw, he brings, and after half an hour he's still looking at you with eyes that say "more". He doesn't relax. He goes into a loop. And then when you stop, he doesn't know what to do with the pent-up energy.
Throwing a ball is not training. It's entertainment. Give him real work: treibball, obstacle courses, object search, scent work. These things tire him differently. They tire the brain.
The fourth — Human Connection. The Aussie is a Velcro dog. He wants to be on you, next to you, inside you. He's not just attached to you — he's dependent on you. That's why separation anxiety is one of the most common problems with this breed. More than Border Collies, more than Dobermans — the Aussie simply doesn't know how to be alone.
I once walked into the home of a three-year-old Aussie. The living room was destroyed. Not a chewed-up stick — destroyed. Sofas torn, wall punctured, an interior door shattered. The owner worked until four in the afternoon, and the dog was alone for six hours. She told me: "I don't understand why he does this, he has toys."
And I said: "The toys aren't the problem. He's not destroying because he's bored. He's destroying because you're not there. For him, when you leave, the world ends. Toys don't replace mom."
What This Means for Training
If you have an Aussie, you have a dog that needs work. Not an hour walk a day. Not throwing a ball in the yard. Work.
At least an hour and a half, every day. Not just physical activity — mental stimulation. Puzzles. Treibball. Scent work. Frisbee. Freestyle. Agility. Anything that makes him think.
And beware of boredom. A bored Aussie is destructive. He doesn't sit in the corner and chew a sock. He dismantles the living room. He finds where you forgot to hide the treats. He learns to open doors. He invents his own work — and you won't like the work he invents.
Training itself needs variety. Don't do the same exercise twice in a row. He'll get bored. Change. Surprise. Alternate between "sit", "down", "fetch", "spin". Do dance. Do tricks. Do whatever keeps him engaged.
"Sit" twice is boring. An Aussie doesn't want to sit — he wants to solve problems.
I recommend the "changing task" method. Give him a command, he performs, immediately give him another command. "Sit", "down", "paw", "rollover", "stand". Without a break. This keeps his brain in problem-solving mode, not in routine mode. An Aussie in a routine becomes dull. An Aussie in variety stays sharp.
Another technique that works great: "search work". Hide treats in a room and let him find them. Start simple — a visible treat — and progress to more challenging hiding. Scent work uses the same part of the brain the Aussie uses to work. It tires him more than an hour of running.
And another technique: start-stop training. Teach him that play starts and stops on command. "Work" — he runs. "Enough" — he stops. This gives him control over his impulses. An Aussie without start-stop is like a car without brakes. He runs forward and doesn't stop until he hits something.
I train Aussies who compete in agility. The difference between a good Aussie and a great one isn't how fast he runs — it's how fast he understands the course. A good Aussie runs according to your commands. A great one reads the course before you say a word.
Let him solve. Let him understand. Show him what you want, and give him the respect to find the way.
The biggest training challenge with the Aussie is MDR1. Most trainers don't know about it. Most owners don't know about it. And it's critical. In Israel, 31% of Aussies carry the mutation. 9% are homozygous — two defective copies. Such a dog cannot receive certain medications. Ivermectin in heartworm prevention can kill him.
So why is this relevant to training? Because many trainers use calming medications for anxious dogs. Trazodone. Clomipramine. Fluoxetine. A veterinarian needs to know about MDR1 before prescribing. Get the test done. It's cheap. It saves lives. Ask your veterinarian for an MDR1 test before any drug treatment.
The Comparison That Clarifies Everything
Border Collie versus Australian Shepherd — two dogs that look similar, but work completely differently. I use this comparison almost every day in training.
Border Collie was born for one task: herding. He sees the world through his eyes. A small movement — and he reacts. He doesn't guard — he herds. He doesn't doubt — he executes. The best Border Collie I've ever seen worked in silence. Not one bark. He simply moved, and the sheep moved with him.
Aussie was born for many tasks. He herds, guards, companions. He sees the world through your eyes — and then through his own. He asks questions. He offers his own solutions. The best Aussie I've seen was a partner. He understood that the human shepherd and the dog work together.
A Border Collie is a precise robot. An Aussie is a person with fur.
Both are smart. Both require work. But the Aussie demands that you be present. Not just giving commands — being a partner.
And here's another difference: a Border Collie I met, when he made a mistake, he would look at me as if I were to blame. An Aussie, when he makes a mistake, looks at me and says "okay, let's try differently." The approach is completely different.
There's also an important historical difference. The Border Collie was developed on the Scottish-English border, in small, tight pastures. He needs to be precise, hypnotic, quiet. The Aussie was developed on the open American ranch. He needs to be versatile, resilient, independent. What the Border does with his eye, the Aussie does with variety.
Aussie at Home
Many owners come to me and say: "He barks at everything. He never calms down. He chases bikes."
I tell them: show me an Aussie who works two hours a day, and then tell me about his problems.
Most of the Aussie's problems disappear when he's tired. Not physically tired — mentally tired. When he's solved problems, thought, worked, used his brain — he relaxes. He lies down. He doesn't look for what's happening next.
But if he hasn't received that — he'll find something to do. And you won't like his choice.
Another common problem: separation anxiety. The Aussie is so attached to his owner that when the owner leaves — the world collapses. It's not just "he misses you". It's real panic. He doesn't know you're coming back. For him, you left. Forever.
The solution: teach him to be alone. Gradually. A minute, two, five, ten. Don't make the separation a dramatic event. Don't do "bye bye sweetie I'll miss you" — leave without noise, return without noise.
Once an owner came to me who worked from home. She never went out without him. When she went to the bathroom, he went with her. After two years, she had to return to the office. The Aussie didn't last an hour. He broke a metal crate. She told me "I don't understand, he was never like this." Exactly. He was never alone. He had no practice. He didn't know it was possible to survive without her.
I taught her: a minute. Then three. Then five. Then ten. Don't make a big deal of it. Simply leave and return. After a month, the Aussie could stay three hours. His brain learned: mom comes back. She didn't leave me.
Who This Dog Is For
The Australian Shepherd is not a dog for beginners. He's not a dog for someone who leaves for work at 8 and returns at 7. He's not a dog for someone who walks half an hour a day.
He's a dog for someone who truly wants a partner. For someone willing to invest. For someone who isn't afraid of a dog that decides on its own sometimes.
If you run, if you do sports, if you want to do dog sports, if you want a dog that will be with you everywhere — the Aussie can be the best dog you've ever had.
If you want a dog that lies on the couch and watches TV — buy a cat.
It's important to understand: the Aussie isn't for everyone. And that's okay. The problem is when someone buys an Aussie because he's pretty. Because he has blue eyes. Because he looks like a wolf. He's not a wolf. He's a working dog. And he needs work.
Hear this story: three years ago a young couple came to me with a two-year-old Aussie. They bought him from a breeder. The breeder told them "he's a great family dog." Two years later, the dog wouldn't let them live. He barked at every noise, chased bikes, chased the neighbor's daughter. "He's aggressive," they said. "He's not."
He's not aggressive. He's bored. He's working. He's looking for a job. I gave them a plan: an hour of work in the morning, half an hour of training at noon, and an intense walk in the evening. After a month, they called me: "the dog is different. Calm. Happy." We didn't change the dog. We changed his environment. We gave him what he needs.
An Aussie doesn't need a good home. He needs a home with work.
And one more thing: an Aussie isn't for everyone, but he's perfect for those who are right for him. Serious owners who do dog sports discover the Aussie is one of the most rewarding dogs there is. He learns fast. He's loyal. He works with you, not for you. The connection with him is like a connection with a person — complex, deep, with mutual respect.
Look at the eyes of an Aussie who works: there's peace in them. He knows what he's doing, he knows why, he knows he's good at it. Look at the eyes of an Aussie who doesn't work: there's restlessness. He searches, he searches, he doesn't find.
That's the most important distinction in this breed. Not appearance. Not size. Not color. But whether he has work or not.
FAQ
Does the Australian Shepherd bark a lot?
Yes, relatively. He's a guard by nature. He'll bark when something is wrong. But most of his barking has a reason — not boredom barking. If he barks without reason, he's probably not getting enough stimulation.
How much exercise does he need?
An hour and a half minimum per day. Part of that should be mental stimulation — not just walking on leash. Puzzle games, training, treibball, frisbee.
Is the Aussie good with children?
It depends on the child and the dog. The Aussie may try to herd running children — circling them, trying to direct them. It's not dangerous by nature, but you need to teach the child how to behave. The child needs to understand the dog is working, and shouldn't encourage that work. Additionally, it's important the Aussie learns the child's boundaries. A screaming, running child can trigger the herding or even guarding instinct.
Is the Aussie good with other dogs?
Generally yes, but he may try to herd them. Dogs that don't like being circled may react aggressively. Controlled introductions with supervision at first — that's the key. An adult dog, especially an Aussie without good socialization, may be dominant with same-sex dogs.
What's the biggest difference between an Aussie and a Border Collie?
The difference is in the big picture. A Border Collie sees only the task in front of him. An Aussie sees the whole farm. The Aussie guards, the Border Collie only herds. The Aussie decides on his own, the Border Collie waits for instructions. The Border Collie runs by eye, the Aussie runs by his decision. Both are amazing — but in completely different ways.
Is the Aussie suitable for apartment living?
Not naturally. He can live in an apartment if he gets enough work outside of it. But apartment + bored Aussie = recipe for disaster. If you live in an apartment, double the amount of stimulation. No yard to release energy. No place to go. He depends entirely on you. You need to be present for him at least an hour and a half a day, every day, without exception.
How do you deal with herding children?
First, understand it's instinct, not aggression. Second, teach the dog herding starts and stops on command (start/stop). Third, teach the child not to run in front of the dog. Fourth, give the dog alternative work — ball, treibball, anything that lets him release the herding instinct in an allowed place. Herding children doesn't disappear completely. It becomes something the dog learns to control.
What's the most important thing to know before getting an Aussie?
Two things: first — this is not a dog for someone who isn't home much. Second — without an MDR1 test, you might give him medication that kills him. Get tested. Understand what you're getting into. Don't buy an Aussie because he's pretty. Buy an Aussie because you're ready to work with him every day.
Sources
- Behavior in Australian Shepherd Dogs Assessed Using the C-BARQ Questionnaire — MDPI Animals 2025, 13(3), 299. C-BARQ study of 215 Australian Shepherds: high trainability, low human aggression, sex differences in excitability. PMID: 40092232.
- Frequency of canine nt230(del4) MDR1 mutation in prone pure breeds, their crosses and mongrels in Israel — BMC Veterinary Research 2017. Israeli data: 31.4% mutant allele frequency, 9% homozygous. DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1251-9.
- Prevalence of the MDR1 gene mutation in herding dog breeds and Thai Ridgebacks in Thailand — PMC 8743763. Global comparison data.
- FCI Standard No. 342 — Australian Shepherd. Country of origin: USA. Group 1, Section 1. Recognition: 1996.
- Coppinger & Coppinger (2001) — Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution. Breed-as-job framework.