Australian Shepherd Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

Should you adopt or buy an Australian Shepherd?

Start with the dog, not the colour. The Dogs Australia breed standard describes the Australian Shepherd as an intelligent working dog of strong herding and guarding instincts. That brain and drive are why people love the breed, and why some Aussies end up in rescue when a busy household cannot keep up.

If you want a puppy with known parents, a registered breeder is the realistic route, because purebred Aussie puppies seldom reach rescue. If you are open to an adolescent or adult, or to an Aussie cross, a rescue dog arrives desexed and vaccinated with a personality you can already see, which matters a lot with a high-energy breed.

Reference figures: RSPCA NSW, RSPCA ACT and RSPCA Victoria fee pages, read November 2026. They are not quotes. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them.

Which health tests should an Australian Shepherd breeder show you?

One is compulsory. Under the Dogs Australia registration regulations, both parents of every Australian Shepherd litter (where the parents were born after 1 July 2001) must be radiographed and assessed for hip dysplasia before the litter can be registered. The Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria describes this x-ray assessment of breeding pairs as a requirement for the breed, and lists the Australian Canine Eye Scheme (ACES) among its current health issues.

Sources: Dogs Australia Regulations Part 6 (version effective 1 July 2025) and Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria, read 9 November 2026. Elbow x-rays and further DNA tests are worth asking about too; ask which tests the breeder runs and why.

Ask to see the certificates, and check the dog names on them match the parents of the litter. If you want to understand these conditions as an owner, our Australian Shepherd health issues guide covers them, and our Border Collie health issues guide covers the herding-breed DNA tests in more depth.

What is MDR1, and why does it matter for an Aussie?

MDR1 is a gene mutation that changes how a dog's body handles certain medicines. Washington State University's veterinary diagnostic laboratory says the mutation can cause severe and life-threatening reactions to some common drugs, and lists its approximate frequency in Australian Shepherds, standard and miniature, at 50%. It says the only way to know whether a dog carries it is to test.

The Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria notes that some common veterinary medicines can cause toxic reactions in dogs with the mutation, that affected dogs can react at much lower doses than other dogs and need alternative drugs, and that it is something all Aussie owners should be aware of. In practice:

• Buying: ask for both parents' MDR1 results. Two clear parents means a clear puppy.
• Adopting: ask whether the dog has been tested. If not, a DNA test arranged through your vet answers it.
• Either way: tell your vet the result, and do not give any parasite or other medicine without checking with your vet first.

We do not list drug names or doses here; that conversation belongs with your vet.

Why are merle to merle litters banned?

Because two copies of the merle gene can damage hearing and sight. Merle is the marbled coat pattern behind blue merle and red merle Aussies, and a single copy is a normal, accepted colour: the breed standard lists blue merle, black, red merle and red, and notes that merles characteristically become darker with age. The trouble starts when two merles are bred together and a puppy inherits the gene from both parents, which breeders call a double merle.

Dogs Australia has acted on it. Its registration regulations have prohibited merle to merle matings in all breeds since 1 January 2015, stating that the merle gene carries an increased risk of impaired hearing and sight. A breach is an offence by the owners of the sire and dam, and the puppies can only go on the Limited Register, never to be upgraded. In a separate Dogs Australia buying guide, the chair of its Canine Health and Wellbeing Committee says merle should never be doubled up because it causes deafness and blindness.

How much is an Australian Shepherd puppy from a registered breeder?

There is no published figure for the breed. We found no Australian Shepherd club page and no Dogs Australia page that quotes a price. Ask each breeder, and compare what the price includes: hip certificates, eye and MDR1 results for both parents, the register the puppy goes on, and the breeder's return policy.

For scale only, the Australian breed bodies we found that publish a figure for a popular pedigree breed both land in the same band. The German Shepherd Dog Club of Victoria puts the average German Shepherd puppy at $3,500 to $5,000, and Dogs Australia says to expect $4,000 to $5,000 for a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Those are other breeds, not an Aussie price. A higher price for a particular colour or eye colour buys you nothing in health terms.

Run the first year through the dog cost calculator, including training classes. With this breed, training is not optional.

What do Australian Shepherds in rescue look like?

Mostly adolescents and young adults, plus Aussie crosses. The common story is a puppy bought for its looks that grew into a clever, busy herding dog with more energy than the home expected. Many of those dogs settle well with an owner who gives them daily exercise and something to think about.

The breed club rescue

The Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria runs a rescue service. Its policy says it acts as a resource to owners, shelters and welfare groups, tries to keep dogs in their current homes with advice where it can, and takes in and rehomes suitable purebred Aussies through rescue volunteers. As a state club with contacts around Australia, it describes itself as a first point of contact for people considering the breed. Its page lists any Aussies available for adoption and gives a rescue email address. Often none are listed, which the club says is exactly how it likes it.

Aussies and herding crosses also reach general rescues and pounds. If you are flexible on breed, Border Collies and Border Collie crosses are another clever herding option worth a look: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

What does a rescue Aussie cost?

Fees as published on the date shown. They are a reference, not a quote: rescues change fees and price some dogs individually. The fee normally covers desexing, microchipping, vaccinations and a vet check.

How do Australian Shepherd puppy scams work?

Scamwatch says scammers set up fake websites, social media profiles and marketplace listings offering popular breeds or cute puppies that do not exist. Its advice: view the puppy in person, ask for a video call if you cannot visit, check that the breeder is legitimate, and compare prices, because a very cheap pet is likely a scam.

Aussie versions of the pattern to watch for:

• Eye colour and merle pricing. Ads that charge more for blue eyes or a merle coat are selling looks. The standard accepts brown, blue and amber eyes in any combination.
• “Both parents are merle.” Sometimes said as a selling point. It is the one litter Dogs Australia bans.
• No hip certificates. A registered Aussie litter cannot exist without them, so a seller who has none is not selling a registered litter.
• No breeder number. NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT all require an identifying number in puppy ads. Look it up yourself on the official register.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the full state-by-state table of breeder numbers and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone. A registered breeder is a reasonable choice if you want to do herding, agility or other dog sports with a puppy from known working or sport lines, if you need a dog raised around young children or livestock from the start, or if you want MDR1 and eye status known before the dog comes home.

1. Registration. Enter the breeder's prefix or membership number in the Dogs Australia registered breeder check. It confirms membership, not puppy quality.
2. Hip certificates for both parents, with names that match the litter.
3. Eye and MDR1 results for both parents.
4. The parents' colours, confirming they are not both merle.
5. A written contract covering health problems, register type and whether the breeder will take the dog back.

Is an Australian Shepherd the right dog for you?

The Dogs Australia standard describes a medium-sized working dog, 51 to 58.5 cm at the shoulder for males and 45.5 to 53.5 cm for females, with an even disposition: good natured and seldom quarrelsome. It also describes strong herding and guarding instincts, and those instincts come home with the dog.

Be honest about two things before you apply. Exercise and work: an Aussie needs daily physical exercise and mental work, and our guide to Australian Shepherd exercise and stimulation covers what that looks like. Children: Dogs Victoria notes that a high-energy herding breed may not be the right match for a home with young children, and that children are most commonly injured by their own dog or a friend's dog, so always supervise. Not sure it fits? Try the what dog breed am I quiz and the adoption readiness check.

Find an Australian Shepherd near you

Australian Shepherds and Aussie crosses listed by rescues, by city:

• Australian Shepherds for adoption in Sydney
• Australian Shepherds for adoption in Melbourne
• Australian Shepherds for adoption in Brisbane
• Australian Shepherds for adoption in Perth
• Australian Shepherds for adoption in Adelaide

Local guides to adopting an Aussie, with the rescues that serve each city: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast.