How Long Do Australian Shepherds Live? Average Lifespan, Data & Care
By Misty Layne
Updated on
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Australian Shepherds, who incidentally do not come from Australia, are a popular dog breed, and it’s easy to see why. These canines are high-energy, funny, and adorable! But if you’re considering adopting an Australian Shepherd, it’s a good idea to know how long they live so you can figure out how much it will cost to own one of these pups.
Australian Shepherds live for quite a while, as they can live anywhere from 12 to 15 years. However, some factors play into just how long an Australian Shepherd will live, especially health issues. So, how can you ensure your Australian Shepherd has the longest lifespan possible? Here’s how!
Australian Shepherd’s Average Lifespan
As mentioned, Australian Shepherds live 12–15 years of age. This is a bit longer than most medium-sized breeds, as the normal average for canines of this size is about 11 to 13 years of age. With proper care, though, you give your Australian Shepherd their best chance at a long and healthy life.
How to Care for Your Australian Shepherd for a Long Lifespan?
So, how can you care for your Australian Shepherd, so they have a longer lifespan? Here are the factors that can affect how long a canine lives.
Feeding & Diet
One of the biggest factors affecting a dog’s lifespan is the food they eat and how much they consume. Canines should be given high-quality dog food that contains all the nutrition they require to stay healthy. This dog food should contain a fair amount of protein from a good source, as well as all the minerals and vitamins an Australian Shepherd needs. Feeding an Australian Shepherd breed-specific or size-specific food will help meet this aim.
As far as how much to feed an Australian Shepherd, speaking with your vet is your best bet to determine this, as this breed is a highly energetic one that may require a bit more food to keep up with its energy levels.
Environment
The environment an Australian Shepherd lives in also has a significant impact on how long they’ll live. If a dog is living in a clean home with plenty of resources (food, toys, etc.) and room to grow and play, they’ll likely live longer than a pup who lives in a dirtier home with fewer resources. The environment isn’t just how clean the environment around them is or whether they’re getting enough food, though; a dog’s environment also includes such things as whether there is enough to do to keep them mentally stimulated and whether they’re stressed out by anything in the home (like another pet or a rambunctious child).
Care
Caring properly for a canine requires a variety of things, like feeding them, taking them on walks, and grooming them. Caring for a dog also involves taking them to the vet when needed and getting them all their shots when required. Taking care of an Australian Shepherd means ensuring they get enough exercise each day, too; as these dogs are working dogs, they have tons of energy, and without enough exercise, they can become bored, destructive, and depressed. Essentially, anything you can think of that would keep a dog happy and healthy falls under care.
Cleaning
Canines may not always love bath time, but sometimes it’s necessary! Australian Shepherds shouldn’t need to be bathed very often (unless they get particularly dirty after time spent outdoors). However, that doesn’t mean that keeping these pups looking nice and clean doesn’t involve some work. These dogs have thick, long coats (and undercoats) that must be brushed several times a week to remove dead hair and keep fur from becoming matted and tangled.
Other than this, an Australian Shepherd’s teeth should be brushed frequently, and their nails should be clipped as needed.
Breeding
A dog’s breeding history can absolutely play a role in how long they live. If you acquire your dog from a breeder and that breeder ran health tests on the dam and sire and gave your Australian Shepherd a clean bill of health, then they should live longer. However, not all breeders are ethical, so they don’t all do health and genetic testing. If you go through one of these breeders, you could end up with a dog who suffers from health issues, leading to a shorter lifespan.
Healthcare
Even with a terrific breeding history, health conditions do arise in Australian Shepherds, and the breed is more prone to certain conditions than other breeds.
The Life Stages of an Australian Shepherd
Puppy: 0–12 Months
The puppy years are absolutely crucial for an Australian Shepherd when it comes to training and socialization. Getting in all your training when your pup is young will eliminate inappropriate and destructive behaviors further down the road and keep your dog safer in the long run. Puppyhood is also essential in lengthening a canine’s lifespan as it’s when a dog receives all necessary vaccinations and begins parasite control medications.
Adult: 12 months–8 years
An Australian Shepherd reaches adulthood when they reach the height and weight standard for adults of their breed. It may seem like there wouldn’t be much you can do during this period to increase your dog’s lifespan, but by feeding them high-quality dog food and keeping them well-exercised, you can keep them as healthy as possible and do just that. Also, don’t forget to take your pup in for regular check-ups during this period!
Senior: 8+ years
You’ll need to closely monitor your Australian Shepherd’s health in their senior years. During a dog’s senior years, ensure you’re taking them to the vet routinely, as doing this can enable you to catch illness and disease early, which gives you a better chance of treating them successfully with diet and medication. The earlier a problem is found, the better off your dog will be!
How to Tell Your Australian Shepherd’s Age
Determining a dog’s age can be difficult if you aren’t a vet. However, one easy way to determine approximate age is to look at a canine’s teeth.
Dogs 4 weeks old or less won’t have teeth, while pups 4–8 weeks of age will have cute, tiny, but uber-sharp teeth. A dog’s permanent teeth will appear in the 3 to 4-month range and look white until at least a year of age. If you see some slight wear and tear on your dog’s teeth, though, they’re older than one. If a pup has some yellowing on the teeth, they’re likely around 3 years of age. If teeth don’t look particularly sharp and have moderate yellowing, your pet is probably somewhere between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. Canines older than 10 may have broken or missing teeth.
That said, your best bet to determine your Australian Shepherd’s age is to ask your vet.
Conclusion
Australian Shepherds have a bit of a longer lifespan than other medium-sized breeds, as they live 12–15 years. Many factors can affect just how long an Australian Shepherd can live for, though. By taking steps to ensure your dog stays healthy, you can enable them to live their longest and healthiest life!