Herding Breeds connected to Australia

Border Collie

This section covers two breeds. Firstly we have an American developed breed called Australian Shepherd which was developed into a recognized pure breed in the USA. Secondly we will have the Border Collie which originated in the Border Region of Britain yet was first developed into a recognized breed in Australia. These names came about purely because they had a close association to the types of dogs that assisted the developing sheep and cattle industries of Australia. Before the various British breeds had emerged as the breeds we know today, they both developed from British Herding breeds that existed at that time.

Australian Shepherd

The Australian Shepherd was not developed as a pure breed in Australia. Instead his confusing name was because around 1850, his ancestors shepherded flocks of Australian sheep that sailed in boatloads to California, USA where these sheep were destined to provide mutton to feed the thousands of people attracted by the Gold Rush. The type of dog which shepherded the ... »» Read more...

Border Collie

Although 'Border' in the name 'Border Collie' refers to his ancestors in Scotland and the region that borders England, this pure breed developed in New Zealand and Australia. Certainly various types of Collies would have accompanied people who worked as shepherds before they emigrated to Australasia. Once here, by the early 1900's when the sheep industry was developing, the success ... »» Read more...