Dog Breed Has the Instinct for Winning Fans : The Border Collie May Be a Superior Herder, but There’s Something to Be Said for the Australian Shepherd--It Knows When to Quit

There would seem to be little call in modern suburbia for a dog whose major claim to fame is its ability to move around flocks of ducks and sheep. But the Australian shepherd, a formerly obscure breed that is not yet recognized by the American Kennel Club, is becoming prized by hobbyists for just that reason.

In the San Fernando Valley these canines are so popular that fanciers drive out to an Agoura field twice a week just so their dogs can practice herding ducks.

The dog’s herding instinct could be why it has become so popular. Then again, there is a certain exclusive cachet to a breed that is unusual enough not to be recognized by the AKC. Nancy Reagan’s Rex, a cavalier King Charles spaniel, is another non-AKC breed, and the First Lady had to join a waiting list to get him.

Often the main interest of the owners of these breeds is simply having a dog different from everyone else’s--a status symbol that’s an extension of their own egos.

The Australian shepherd’s appeal could also lie in America’s current fascination with all things Australian. But that’s one thing the dog is not, curiously enough.

“An Australian will say he’s never heard of the breed,” says Sandy Milberg of Tarzana, who raises Australian shepherds.

Different experts offer different opinions, but most say the breed is actually Basque in origin. The Basques brought the dogs with them to Australia to herd Merino sheep--but they also took them to the sheep ranches of the western United States.

One recent day at the Lakeview Terrace recreation center, Liza stretched out on the ground relaxing, enjoying the sunshine with her eyes half closed. Her companion Mindy, on the other hand, sat up straight, never taking her blue eyes off the competition for a second. She watched the action with all the intensity of a cat looking at a canary.

Mindy was watching ducks--flocks of long-suffering mallards that competing dogs ushered out of pens, around various obstacles and back into a pen again.

But while Mindy is a border collie, an eager herding breed familiar to anyone who’s seen “Down and Out In Beverly Hills,” Liza is an Australian shepherd, a dog that also likes to herd but isn’t a fanatic about it.

Both dogs had been competing at the thrice yearly Australian shepherd dog show. The obedience trials are open to all breeds, and there the border collies are stars. In fact, many people who own Australian

shepherds keep border collies as well, just for the experience of working with the creme de la creme of herding breeds.

Unlike the border collie, the Australian shepherd’s instinct is tempered enough to make it a good all-around pet. An extreme desire to herd is not necessarily an advantage, even on the farm.

“We have a rancher friend who had to get rid of his border collie,” says Oby Blanchard, who judged the herding trials at Lakeview Terrace. “A border collie always wants to work. He’ll bring the cows home whether you want ‘em or not. He had these old cows up all hours of the night.”

“The border collie will work all day long,” agrees Milberg, who owns both Liza the Australian shepherd and Mindy the border collie. “And as a pet, he always tries to get into things. A friend of mine came home to find 13 cows in her garage and the border collie standing proudly in front of them.”

A bored border collie will try to herd a litter of kittens or a pile of shoes just to amuse himself.

Know When to Quit

But although handlers concede the border collie’s herding superiority to the Australian shepherd, there’s something to be said for a dog that knows when to quit.

“To me there’s nothing like an Aussie,” says Blanchard, who raises the pale-eyed, shaggy, tailless, mottled blue-gray dogs on his goat and apple farm near Palm Springs. “They’re a good all-around ranch dog and the best baby sitter there is.”

Blanchard respects the fact that an Australian shepherd, unlike a border collie, sometimes balks at herding ducks in the ring. “A lot of times,” he notes, “the dog says, ‘You got these ducks in the pen already! What do you want them out for?’ ”

“An Aussie,” Blanchard adds, “is a lot like people. People come by to see my dogs and ask, “Where are they?” I say, “Near the closest shade tree. They got sense!”

Still, fanciers cherish their dog’s herding instinct so much they recently voted 2-1 not to try for American Kennel Club recognition. Once a breed begins being bred for appearance--and AKC show champions are judged on how they look, not on how they perform--its original purpose often becomes obscured.

Lost Favor With Hunters

For instance, the Lassie-type collie has a lovely coat and a long elegant nose, but sheep ranchers don’t use it anymore--the herding instinct has been neglected. The Irish setter and the cocker spaniel, both once used for sport, lost favor with hunters as they gained favor with the public.

“You saw what happened to the Irish setter,” notes Sylmar resident Pamela McCollum, president of the Australian shepherd club of Southern California. “It’s just a pretty dog now. We really don’t want to lose what our dogs have.”

“A lot of people think they should be called an American shepherd or a California shepherd,” says McCollum.

Still, it’s a mystery as to just how many Australian shepherds there are in this country, or this state. Experts estimate the number at least in the thousands--they even show up in the pounds sometimes--but hesitate to say anything more definite. The dogs are, however, showing up with all the frequency of a trend.

“California probably has the most,” says McCollum, “but I’ve no idea how many. They’re becoming more and more popular, though.”

Not Sold Retail

You can get a good quality Australian shepherd for $200 or $300, much less than for other purebred dogs. Part of that is because fanciers have managed to keep the dogs out of the retail pet trade.

“I’ve never seen one in a pet shop,” says McCollum, “and if I did and I recognized the puppy, I’d probably report it to the Australian Shepherd Club of America.” (It should be noted that the code of ethics of other purebred-dog clubs also prohibit breeders from selling puppies to pet shops.)

Although the AKC doesn’t recognize Australian shepherds, it keeps an eye on up and coming dogs in general. “There’s a tremendous amount of interest in the breed,” says AKC librarian Roberta Vesley. “They’re looking better than they were a few years ago.”

Part of this is because some Australian shepherd breeders are raising dogs with fluffy coats and pretty colors--dogs, in other words, that look better in a show ring than they do in the field. Their herding instinct will probably remain intact, though, because the dogs appeal so much to hobbyists who like a dog that can still do what it was meant to do.

“I had a German shepherd that was very very smart,” explains McCollum of her interest in Australian shepherds. “But that’s all she was. My Brenda has intelligence but she also has a real herding instinct. To me, they’re just very beautiful.”