Did you know that it’s common for Australian Shepherds to have two different colored eyes AKA a condition called heterochromia? Yep, we’re one of only a few breeds to claim this pawesome feature as our own. Possible eye color combos vary, and may include blue, brown, amber, hazel, and green!

Contrary to popular belief, my ancestors did not come from Australia. They actually came from the Pyrenees Mountains on the border of France and Spain AKA Basque country. Known as Pyrenean Shepherds, they were the prized herding dogs of the Basque sheepherders that lived there. In the 1800’s, these sheepherders got word that in the faraway land of Australia, there were pawsome pasturelands for cattle grazing to be claimed. Seizing the opportunity, they sailed across the ocean with their precious canine cargo. In Australia, these Pyrenean Shepherds were crossbred with fine British herding stock, like Border Collies and Collies. After the Basque sheepherders grew their flocks, they got wind of even greener pastures across the Pacific in California! Once again, they set sail for a new world with their canine companions. California ranchers took a liking to the Basques’ herding dogs, and called them “Australian Shepherds,” falsely assuming they had originated in the land from which they ca