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Breed guide · Dogs
He learnt to open the bathroom cabinet in a week. I've had his MDR1 test done.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
Nosing open the bathroom cabinet, with the medicine box on the bottom shelf.
What's going onMany Aussies carry MDR1 drug sensitivity (a gene change that makes some common medicines dangerous). Their plan includes the test. Until you know the result, never give them anything from your own cupboard.
At home
Rounding the children up to the door, the guests into the kitchen, and you towards the lead.
What's going onAussies were bred to move sheep and cattle, and in a flat the family is the flock. Give them a herding ball to push, and swap the chasing games for that.
At home
Opening the cupboard, working the gate latch and knowing your morning routine before you do.
What's going onThey learn the things you did not mean to teach as fast as the things you did. Keep the house rules the same for everyone, or they will work out who gives in.
At home
Glued to their own people, then hanging back and watching when a visitor walks in.
What's going onRanchers wanted a dog that also watched the house. Many Aussies love their own people and take a while with everyone else. Introduce visitors and building staff calmly from puppyhood, and let them take their time.
At home
Stretched out on the coolest tiles, then up and asking for the ball again at noon.
What's going onTheir double coat was made for cold mornings on the range, and they will keep playing long after they should stop. From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark, and end the game before they do.
At home
Back from a long walk ready for more, then starting on the cushions.
What's going onA long walk only makes a fitter Aussie. Twenty minutes of training, or sniffing out their dinner, is what tires them. Left with nothing to do, they find their own job.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their day
Built for: A day on a ranch, moving sheep and cattle.
In Dubai: Often waiting in a flat for their people.
Their work
Built for: Always something to do, beside a rancher.
In Dubai: Only the children and the vacuum to herd.
Their coat
Built for: Made for a cold morning.
In Dubai: 45°C heat, for months at a time.
The nipping, the barking at the door and the chewed cushions mostly come from that gap.
You cannot give them a ranch. You can give them a job, and the ten things below show you how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the risks on an Australian Shepherd's record at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
Training tires an Aussie faster than running does.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
Training tires an Aussie faster than running does.
What to do
Twenty minutes a day, in two or three sessions: a new trick, part of their dinner scattered to sniff out, a puzzle feeder. Aussies love learning, so keep adding something new.
They will keep going all evening if nobody shows them how to stop.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They will keep going all evening if nobody shows them how to stop.
What to do
Reward them for lying calmly on a mat while you eat or watch television. Build it up a minute at a time, and protect their sleep, especially in the teenage months.
They will herd something either way. Better a ball than the children.
Every age, with slower games on soft ground from 7 years
Why
They will herd something either way. Better a ball than the children.
What to do
A big herding ball to push round the park, or a flirt pole. When the vacuum comes out, put them in another room at first, then teach them to wait on their mat while it runs.
Aussies can nip at children's heels, and a nip is still a bite.
Every age, most of all in the first two years
Why
Aussies can nip at children's heels, and a nip is still a bite.
What to do
Skip chasing games with running children, and keep an adult watching whenever they play. Teach the children to stand still if the dog circles. Give the dog a tug toy to grip instead, and contact your vet if the nips get harder.
Scooters and bikes move like cattle breaking away, and an Aussie will try to head them off.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
Scooters and bikes move like cattle breaking away, and an Aussie will try to head them off.
What to do
Keep them on the lead near traffic, and reward a sit as bikes go past. In the lift, keep them close and let the doors open fully before you step out.
Their double coat holds heat, and they will keep working long after they should stop.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
Their double coat holds heat, and they will keep working long after they should stop.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds: if you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Keep play short and in the shade, and carry water. Brush the loose undercoat out several times a week, and contact your vet before anyone clips it short.
Aussies are sensitive to their handler and often cautious with strangers. Harsh handling makes both worse.
Every age
Why
Aussies are sensitive to their handler and often cautious with strangers. Harsh handling makes both worse.
What to do
Train with food and play, never shouting or jerking the lead. Introduce visitors slowly, and let the dog approach them, not the other way round. Before firework nights, set up a quiet room.
Hip Dysplasia (HD, a poorly fitting hip joint) is on their record from puppy to senior, and arthritis follows.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years and from 7 years
Why
Hip Dysplasia (HD, a poorly fitting hip joint) is on their record from puppy to senior, and arthritis follows.
What to do
Keep them lean: you should feel their ribs easily. Put rugs down where they turn on marble, no repeated jumping while they grow, and book their hip evaluation before they turn two.
Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA, an inherited eye defect in collie breeds) and cataracts (a cloudy lens) are on their record.
Every age, starting at six weeks
Why
Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA, an inherited eye defect in collie breeds) and cataracts (a cloudy lens) are on their record.
What to do
Book the eye evaluations their plan sets, from six weeks and every year in their prime. Tell your vet if an eye looks cloudy, or if they hesitate in dim light.
With MDR1 drug sensitivity (a gene change that makes some common medicines dangerous), one ordinary dose of the wrong medicine can be fatal.
Every age, most of all in the first two years
Why
With MDR1 drug sensitivity (a gene change that makes some common medicines dangerous), one ordinary dose of the wrong medicine can be fatal.
What to do
Get the MDR1 gene test their plan sets, and tell every vet, groomer and pet sitter the result. Once a week, run your hands over them and look at their skin. Brush their teeth every day, and weigh them monthly. If they ever have a seizure, time it, film it if you can, and contact your vet. A first seizure, one that lasts more than two minutes, or more than one in a day is an emergency: contact your vet now.
Three of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Show and working lines
Since the breed club started in 1957, Aussies have split into two kinds. Show lines are bred for the striking merle coat and a consistent look. Working lines are bred for herding ability on ranches and farms. Both need far more to do than many people expect.
Colours
The marbled blue merle is the coat most people picture, but Aussies also come in red merle, solid black and solid red, each with or without white markings and copper points. Many have eyes of two different colours.
The first six months
Vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first. Their first ophthalmic evaluation (eye exam) can be from six weeks old. Until you have their MDR1 result, give them nothing from your own medicine cupboard. Keep training to two-minute sessions, many times a day, and move every nip on to a toy.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
A mat or bed for learning to rest, a puzzle feeder, a big herding ball, a harness and lead, and rugs where they turn on marble. Move every medicine to a high shelf or a cupboard they cannot open.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Hip Dysplasia (a poorly fitting hip joint) and Collie Eye Anomaly (an inherited eye defect in collie breeds) are on their record from puppyhood. If you are choosing a puppy, ask the breeder about both parents' hip and eye results, and whether the puppy's MDR1 status is known.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
They'll work out the next cabinet too. Keep the medicines out of reach, and if they get into them, contact your vet now.
Before they were yours.
The 1800s
Despite the name, the Australian Shepherd was developed in the western United States, from British herding dogs that moved sheep and cattle across huge distances and watched the ranch at night.
What they still carryPart gatherer, part heeler, part guard.
After the war
After the Second World War, Aussies became famous at rodeos, where performers showed how much they could learn. Jay Sisler's trick dogs toured the circuit, and two appeared in Disney films.
What they still carryA dog that wants a job with you, not just near you.
1957 to 1993
The Australian Shepherd Club of America was founded in 1957 and started a stud book. The American Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1993.
What they still carryShow lines and working lines, and both are busy.
Today
In the UAE an Aussie is a family dog in a flat or a villa, with no cattle in sight.
What they still carryA thick double coat, in 45°C heat.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Australian Shepherd suits you, so might these.
Rough CollieThe same kind of herding dog, calmer at home, in a longer, fuller coat with more to brush.
Border CollieAnother tireless herder, a little smaller, and just as keen to work all day.
German Shepherd DogThe same high energy, the same need for real work and training, in a bigger dog with a guarding streak.
Belgian MalinoisA similar size and build, in a short-coated working dog from Belgium.
