Australian Shepherd, originated in the United States in the 19th century.
In fact, the main breeding base of this dog is in the United States. The lineage is inherited from Collie dogs, and its earliest origins can be traced back to the Basque region of France and Spain.
Clever, lively, and stable in temperament, rarely showing aggressive behavior, it is a working dog with strong herding and guarding abilities. It performs exceptionally well in search and rescue work and is highly praised for its high level of obedience.
Australian Shepherd was developed in the United States and is called Australian Shepherd. It is mainly related to the Basque Shepherd dog from Australia entering the United States in the 18th century.
After World War II, due to the popularity of riding Western horses, Australian Shepherds also rose to fame. This breed gradually became known to more people through driving cattle and sheep, horse shows, and frequent appearances in movies and TV shows.
Australian Shepherds are widely used and are popular in farms and ranches due to their ability to point. Ranchers continually improve and breed this breed, but it has not changed its adaptability, sharp intelligence, strong herding ability, and beautiful appearance, ultimately winning people's love.
Australian Shepherd has strong adaptability and can quickly adapt to different environments. It can serve humans in various aspects, such as working dogs on ranches, guide dogs for the blind, hearing assistance dogs, drug detection and search dogs, or guard dogs. It is a true versatile dog.
1. Dog Infectious Diseases
Dogs are prone to infectious diseases, including canine distemper and canine coronavirus. Common clinical manifestations include fever, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy, difficulty breathing, bloody stools, purulent eye discharge, dry nose, cracked paws, and other symptoms.
Generally, these types of infectious and fatal diseases occur during the weaning period of dogs, or around 1 year old. Puppies are more susceptible and have a lower recovery rate, and are prone to leaving sequelae.
How to prevent:
When bringing a dog home, it is recommended for the owner to choose a dog through regular channels, and vaccinate the dog on time. The house should also be regularly disinfected. Do not take the dog out for a walk until it has completed the vaccination. Do not let the dog come into contact with unfamiliar dogs, and do not allow others to touch the dog's mouth and nose at will.
2. Dog Skin Diseases
Because dogs often go outside for walks, they may accidentally become infected with various skin diseases. If a dog is infected with mites, bacteria, or fungi while outside, there is a risk of long-term difficulty in cure. Therefore, owners must pay attention to this. Clinical manifestations of dog skin diseases include oily skin, peeling, redness, itching, papules, ulcers, pus discharge, hair loss, scabs, and so on.
How to prevent:
In daily care, it is necessary to keep the dog's living environment clean and tidy, avoid darkness and dampness, and regularly disinfect the dog's living environment. Do internal and external deworming for the dog, use dog-specific bath products, regularly groom the dog, and supplement with vitamins and fish oil.
3. Dog Parasites
Common parasites in dogs include roundworms, heartworms, ticks, fleas, etc., which often cause skin diseases and intestinal diseases in dogs. They may cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, affecting their quality of life and physical development. Dogs with parasites are generally weak and listless.
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How to prevent:
When feeding the dog, the owner needs to be careful not to give the dog unsterilized raw meat or unknown meat sources. Internal deworming of the dog should be done once every 3 months, and external deworming should be done once a month. When going out, prevent the dog from eating and licking randomly or going into grass. After returning home, be sure to check carefully.
Australian Shepherds themselves have the advantages of being robust, easy to keep, and not delicate. The daily expenses are not high, just regular vaccination, dog food, and some toy expenses.
Take some time every day to carefully groom its fur, because grooming is equivalent to massage for dogs, which can help the dog's metabolism.
When you have enough time, you can take it outdoors to exercise and provide it with a larger space to move around. For Australian Shepherds, this is a very happy and joyful thing.
Its eyes are large, and dust and foreign objects can easily enter and cause eye diseases, so it should be frequently cleaned with 2% boric acid water to prevent bacterial infections.
Adjust its diet periodically according to time and circumstances.
Carefully train it to develop the habit of defecating in a fixed place. Don't indulge it just because it is still young and allow it to urinate and defecate anywhere, otherwise, it will be more difficult to correct when it grows up, causing unnecessary trouble.
The living environment should be dry, hygienic, and well-ventilated. Disinfection should be thorough once a week, using ultraviolet light, chemical drugs (soda ash, lysol, disinfectant, cleanser), etc. Its utensils should be washed and soaked with medicine once a week for disinfection.
1. Do not bathe frequently.
When bathing a dog, it is not recommended to do it too frequently. The frequency of bath should be based on the hygiene condition of the dog. In hot weather, it can be bathed one or two more times, while in winter, it can be reduced by one or two times. But generally, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it may damage its coat and skin!
2. Brush regularly.
Dogs shed hair almost every day, especially in spring and autumn. Regular brushing is an important step for good hair growth. Pet owners can use special brushes for pets to help the dog remove naturally shed hair and avoid tangling. Brushing once in the morning and once in the evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Get some sunshine.
Sunbathing is beneficial for the dog's hair growth. In addition to making the hair more shiny, letting the dog sunbathe can help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can also let the dog exercise, which can improve their physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier hair.
4. Deworming.
Poor hair quality is often related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from the dog's body, which leads to nutrient competition. So deworming is necessary. It is recommended to do internal and external deworming together. Also, deworming medication can have a significant impact on the dog's gastrointestinal system. Therefore, it is recommended to feed probiotics regularly to alleviate gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet.
In order for the dog to have a beautiful coat, it is necessary to lay a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to daily diet. On one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a suitable and nutritious dog food that meets the dog's needs. On the other hand, you can also give the dog a moderate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolks, and vegetable oil.