The australian shepherds reputation in the united states is growing rapidly. most often the dog is called an aussie. aussies's are fast, strong, and highly intelligent dogs. at thirty-five to forty-five pounds, the dogs bodies are compact and muscular. some people do'nt recognize the breed name, but aussie's are all over television. whenever you see a commercial with a dog catching a frisbee, herding cattle, or running an obstacle course, you can be pretty sure your watching an aussie or one of the closely related breed's , such as a border collie or blue heeler. because aussie's require a lot of attention and exercise, some pet owner's aren't suited to this particular breed. an aussie with nothing else to do will find something to destroy that you'd previously thought could'nt be destroyed. when trained and exercised daily, however, aussies can't be beat for friendship and fun.