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Working Australian Shepherd vs Show – Which is a Better Choice?

As a newcomer to the Aussie scene, you are sure to be repeatedly confronted with the two terms “working Australian Shepherd” and “show Australian Shepherd”.

What is behind these terms and how do these dogs differ from each other?

Can a newbie train a working Australian Shepherd, or should a family choose a dog from a show line?

Show Australian Shepherd

These dogs are primarily bred for the purpose of achieving the highest possible rating at (beauty) shows. There are such exhibitions in many places and by many associations.

Puppies that do not reach the quality of a future show champion are often offered as easy-to-use family dogs.

At the exhibitions, the dogs are judged in rings, separated according to males and females and different age groups, solely with regard to their beauty and the correctness of their physique.

Character, motivation, performance, health, robustness, and sporting opportunities play a subordinate or no role in the assessment. It’s all about having the most beautiful dog possible in the ring.

Often the show judges prefer dogs with a lot of colors and distinctive markings, a very strong, heavy build, a lot of fur, and with large sizes within the standard.

Since these exhibitions often take place with many people and dogs in a confined space, there are often few opportunities to run around. The dogs often spend a long time in so-called exhibition cages at the exhibition until it is their turn. Dogs with a “chilled” mind is much easier, and it turns out that show line breeders usually breed a type that can be characterized as follows:

They are often more difficult to motivate and sensitive in warm temperatures due to the pronounced coat and strong undercoat. Sometimes they have to get a lot of grooming so that the undercoat does not become matted and starts to smell.

Character defects such as fearfulness, insecurity, or aggressiveness can easily be covered up by an experienced exhibitor. Therefore the championship does not guarantee a first-class character.

Working Australian Shepherd

The original Australian Shepherd was and is still a pure working dog who tirelessly helps the ranchers with their work.

He was selected to have a lot of interest in cattle, to be easily trainable, to have a high level of stimulus and drive control, and the desire to work with and please his humans.

This package creates the fascination of the dog. It seems as if he only has eyes for his owner, obeys the slightest word, can do the most incredible tricks, and is successful in every area of ​​dog sport.

But for breeding, the following applies: “If you don’t use it, you lose it”.

This means that characteristics and physical traits that are not constantly requested and checked by the breed as part of a meaningful selection are lost or changed to a form that no longer corresponds to the original characteristics.

Working line dogs were selected solely on the basis of their work performance and robust health, which means that these dogs have comparatively few problems with diseases of the musculoskeletal system such as hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and Osteochondritis dissecans. Epilepsy is also comparatively rare in working Australian Shepherds.

However, since they are not bred with a particular beauty standard in mind, they are often much lighter and smaller in size, have lighter, narrower heads and often significantly less and very easy-to-care-for fur, and are therefore often not as colorful and impressive as their colleagues from the show ring. Upright ears instead of the button ears desired for the show ring also appear from time to time.

https://petsroof.com/working-australian-shepherd-vs-show/

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