The Australian Shepherd is a misnomer: the breed was actually created in California when the wool market had become established in the West and all of the ranches needed talented herding dogs.

In the 1950s, famed rodeo performer Jay Sisler began touring the United States with his stunt-performing Australian Shepherds, eventually leading to their starring in two Disney films: Run, Appaloosa Run! and Stub: The Best Cowdog in the West.

Australian Shepherds were bred to be extremely athletic and endure all sorts of harsh weather conditions; between that and their need for constructive activity, they are an ideal breed to assist emergency search-and-rescue teams in finding missing people.