Australian Retriever

25-52 lbs
19-23"
United States
Australian Shepherd
Golden Retriever
Aussie Golden Retriever

The Australian Retriever is a hybrid dog breed and consists of a mix between a Golden Retriever and an Australian Shepherd. They tend to be a combination of white, black or brown with individual dogs having different markings. Their coats are usually coarse and a bit wavy and they are moderate shedders. With both parent breeds being working dogs, the Australian Retriever has good herding instincts but they are friendly and loyal dogs and very easy to train. They aren’t big barkers and are very good with children. They enjoy swimming and are not sensitive to the weather so will do well in most climates.

purpose Purpose
Companion, Herding, Hunting, Sport
history Date of Origin
2005
ancestry Ancestry
Golden Retriever, Australian Shepherd

Australian Retriever Health

Average Size
Male Australian Retriever size stats
Height: 19-23 inches Weight: 30-60 lbs
Female Australian Retriever size stats
Height: 19-23 inches Weight: 25-52 lbs
Major Concerns
  • Hip Dysplasia
  • Epilepsy
  • Bloat
Minor Concerns
  • Eye Problems
  • Hypothyroidism
Occasional Tests
  • Eye
  • Hip
  • Skeletal
  • Thyroid Tests
  • X-Rays
  • Eye Examination

Australian Retriever Breed History

An Australian breeder is believed to have registered the Australian Retriever with the Australian Canine Hybrid Club after breeding her black Australian Shepherd with three of her Golden Retriever females. There were four puppies in the first litter in late December 2007 and two other litter followed in 2008.
The Australian Shepherd, in spite of its name, was bred in the United States in the 1840s to herd livestock and is still happiest when working. Often referred to simply as “Aussies” they earned recognition for starring in Disney movies. In 2012 one appeared in the film the Famous Five. They are often used as guide dogs and for search and rescue. Many of them are registered with the Australian Shepherd Club of America. The Golden Retriever’s ancestry goes back to the 1800s from dogs bred in Britain to retrieve waterfowl and game. In 1865 a Scottish businessman and politician Dudley Marjoribanks received the only yellow puppy in a litter of black wavy-coated retrievers from a cobbler which he named Nous, which is Greek for “wisdom.”
According to records, Nous was bred to a Tweed Water Spaniel (now extinct) and they had four yellow puppies which are now regarded as the foundation of the Golden Retriever breed. They continued to breed using among others black Wavy-Coated Retrievers, a Red Setter and a Bloodhound creating the line that is seen today. They came to the United States in the early 1900s the first one was registered by the Australian Kennel Club in 1925. 

Australian Retriever Breed Appearance

The Australian Retriever is a large dog with males weighing up to between 30 and 60 pounds with a height of up to 30 inches. Their coats are quite coarse and usually a bit wavy although they can be straight and stiff. They come in various colors and shades with combinations of colors including black, blonde, brindle, brown, golden and merle.
These energetic and affectionate dogs are usually well built with a broad head. They have bright, expressive and small round eyes, hanging ears and a round black nose. Australian Retrievers will have traits from both the parent breeds and can vary according to individual animals.

Australian Retriever Breed Maintenance

Australian Retrievers need regular grooming  to keep them looking good so it will be best to brush them at least twice a week. If the dog is brushed regularly it won’t need to be bathed more than a few times a year with a good dog shampoo. Occasionally trimming can be done to keep your Australian Retriever’s fur from matting. During grooming sessions check the ears and teeth. It’s a good idea to brush your dog’s teeth regularly to keep them healthy. Clipping the nails should be done regularly to prevent splintering.

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Brushing Frequency
fur daily fur weekly fur monthly
Australian Retriever requires daily brushing
Daily Weekly Monthly

Australian Retriever Temperament

Australian Retrievers are very intelligent and loyal dogs and very loving towards their owners. They are energetic, affectionate and playful but can be quite possessive over their belongings and their family. While they are good with other animals and with children, their tendency towards possessiveness may need to be monitored when children are around. While they are not known to bark a lot, Australian Retrievers make good watchdogs and are very easy to train. With all dogs it is best to start training as soon as possible but these breeds are very responsive.
With their Australian Shepherd ancestry they do have a herding instincts, but are good family pets. Because of their instincts for retrieving, from the Golden Retriever side, good games to train them with will be those involving balls or frisbees. Considering the Australian Retriever is a combination of an Australian Shepherd and a Golden Retriever, their temperament will be quite similar. 

Australian Retriever Activity Requirements

Because Australian Retrievers have so much energy they will need regular exercise preferably twice a day. Both parent breeds need plenty of exercise, so the Australian Retriever will be much the same. To prevent boredom and any destructive behavior from setting in, walk or exercise your dog for at least 30 to 60 minutes a day. Ball games and frisbee are a good way of keeping the dog active and stimulated but make sure the dog is in a safe, enclosed environment when off the leash. These breeds do best in a home with a large fenced in yard so they can also run freely. The Australian Retriever will do well in hot or cold climates.

Australian Retriever Owner Experiences

Jico
1 Year
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
walk in the morning
playing with kid
training
Swim
Road trip
Run
Tracking
we found it unconscious at the shelter it's as if someone had abandoned the poor dog.the dog was just 1 week when we found it then we brought the dog to the vet to check up on its condition and health to see if the dog is sick or not.but anyways the dog is good and is easy to train.he is a good guard and companian dog
3 years, 3 months ago
fiji
2 Years
7 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
very good dog!! super nice and good with kids
3 years, 4 months ago
Izzy
2 Years
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Cuddling
Swim
Dressing up
Dog
Playing in the snow
It has been great. Only down side is that she can be destructive...but that is probable because we do nit walk her enough. She is gentle and affectionate. She loves other dogs and plays nicely.
7 years ago
Rayland
1 Year
3 People
House
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Walk
Very good experience
4 years, 8 months ago
Cooper
11 Weeks
3 People
House
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
Simple commands as sit, lie down,
Cooper is the friendliest pup I've met. He does nip and honestly does not understand that puppy teeth and nipping hurt!! He doesn't seem to mind being reprimanded by his elder, a 7 yr old chocolate lab German shorthair mix. He is very playful, genuinely happy, and picks up on training techniques very quickly! Simple training is a breeze with this sweet pup! He likes to mimic the "older brother Charlie" when barking very loud anytime he's excited or feels the need to be heard. (Howling at the phone ringing, loudly greeting guests into his home, etc.) Cooper picks up on any repetitive actions and puppy training pads, we didn't even bother kenneling during the 4-5 hours he was human free during the day and night! Beware of these puppy eyes for they could get ANYTHING they want!
6 years, 9 months ago
Nala
3 Years
3 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Chase
Fetch
Walk
Run
She's a handful and easily jealous but my furbaby regardless
6 years, 7 months ago
Whiskey
5 Years
3 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Whiskey is so loving, sometimes a bit pushy, but he means well. He wants to be friends with all dogs, cats, and people even if they dont want to be friends with him. He is scared of swimming/baths, but loves the shower.
6 years, 6 months ago
Luna lovegood
7 Months
6 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
He is reslly good and friendly plus súper duper cute
6 years, 6 months ago
Hazel
3 Years
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
training
Walk
Swim
Fetch
snow
Sniffing
She loves to swim. She will only play fetch if it's to fetch her orange Chuck-It ball from the lake. If we throw it on land she'll chase it but won't bring it back. She also loves to run through and roll around in the snow. She was abused/neglected for her first two years, so she's very skittish. She dislikes other dogs but I think this is because of her original owner rather than a breed trait. She ONLY likes Huskies and Husky-mixes. With new non-Husky dogs she'll put on a big show to let them know to leave her alone, but she does ultimately warm up to them if they stick around. Hates the shower but is very compliant when being bathed or brushed. Gentle with and watchful over babies and toddlers. Prefers to be in the room with people, but remains a wallflower. Loves people more if they ignore her when they first meet her. She likes to get to know you on her terms. Hardly chews on toys or random household objects. Comes to life when outside, is subdued and nervous inside. Super fast learner, but too nervous to always do what you're telling her to do.
6 years, 5 months ago
Meadow
7 Months
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
catch
Run
she has sooo much energy and am having trouble stopping play biting
6 years, 4 months ago
Sia
6 Months
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Playing ball, Tug of war, hearding cats
This my first Aussi/ retriver. I adore her. She is so intelligent it's hard to keep ahead of her. She so eager to learn
6 years, 3 months ago
Tyson
8 Weeks
7 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
My dog is extremely independent. In fact, I have two Australian retriever puppies: Max and Tyson. They are really loving and LOVE to be in the house with me. They've only have three accidents in the house, all peeing. The fight for my attention often and they love to fight each other.
6 years, 2 months ago
Luka
15 Months
2 People
House
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Frisbee
We rescued this dog from a shelter. He is biting and barking all of the time. A very high maintenance dog. Very controlling and is going in the house a lot. I would not do it again....ever!
5 years, 11 months ago
Duck
7 Months
1 People
Apartment
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
Throwing the tennis ball
Hiking
Running
Duck truly is the best of both breeds! He has been incredibly easy to train and is very affectionate, but also protective of me when I may seem wary of a new person (which is actually quite nice as a single 20yr old woman living in a city). It took me literally one day to house train him which was nothing short of a miracle. He also is completely obsessed with tennis balls... you could throw the ball a thousand times and he would still want you to throw it again. He loves the snow as well and adjusts to new environments very well. Overall he is the most eager to please dog I’ve ever had. I love my handsome little devil!
5 years, 10 months ago
Cricket
4 Years
2 People
Apartment
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
swimming
Who’s there
Hide & Seek
Tug
She is loving and playful. Loves attention and snuggles. Not very social with other animals but that is our fault. She wasn’t around them as a puppy. She isn’t aggressive with them but she isn’t calm. Very easy to train. She was potty trained in under a month. Rarely ever has accidents. She loves to play. She loves walking, running, and hiking. She used to trail run with me. She’s a very intelligent doggo. ❤️
5 years, 10 months ago
Lily
8 Years
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
Swim
Tug-of-war
Hide & Seek
Walk
Very intelligent barks at everything that passes by. If she doesn't get 2 walks a day she goes bananas. Generally she is really healthy happy dog looks alot like a golden retriever. Oddly cold about things. If your sick she will avoid you at all costs otherwise and amazing dog. Favourite activities fetching the ball and chasing bunnies. A bit possessive she gets jealous when I or someone in the family is petting another dog but we usually dont let her get too involved. Major water dog
5 years, 6 months ago
Tonks
14 Weeks
2 People
Condo
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Go to Beach
Go to Park
Run
Learn a new trick
Tug-of-war
Nap
Fetch
Playing in the snow
We got her at 8 weeks old and the description the breeder gave her was 'confident' which proved to be extremely accurate. She is always ready to try something new, and can usually pick it up within a 5 minute training session. She is a very well-behaved puppy once we got her teething under control. If she doesn't get enough stimulation in a day, she can get a bit crazy, so we need to give her training sessions and walks multiple times a day. Definitely not a dog to get if you just want to chill, their energy requires a lot of work, but they are so smart and so much fun, that if you are an active person this is a great choice of breed!
4 years, 10 months ago
Carley
18 Months
4 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
She is the friendliest dog. A little timid around strangers at first, but loves then if they will throw her ball. Likes to rough house, but will makes sure you are never hurt. Gentle with our 5-year-old, and big enough to take it. The sweetest disposition. Barks a little, but only as a greeting. When she barks you can tell she is asking you to play.
4 years, 10 months ago
Mandie
13 Months
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
Walk
Ball
Frisbee
Roughhouse
Mandie has been the easiest dog I have ever had! She is so smart, hardly tore up anything as a puppy and most of that was our fault because we worked long hours and lived in an apartment at the time. We bathe her pretty frequently but only because we live in the woods with a pond and creek and she loves to go get muddy and play with the neighbors dog. She loves her people! Even from a little puppy she treated us differently from one another which I found comical. With me she is more playful and with my wife she is more calm. She is so affectionate with both of us. She loves children and will match their attitude and playfulness once she has time to get acclimated to them. Once she even crawled behind a crawling baby and just calmly licked his toes as he went. She hardly barks at all unless there is a problem or a stranger, then she goes nuts and will alert you quickly if the problem. Great guard dog! Everyone thinks and is ferocious when they don’t know her so they stay in their cars until we come outside. She is mostly inside, however. She will test boundaries if you allow her but is willing to accept them if you will hold to it. For example, she is not allowed in our bedroom but will start with one paw and slowly, each day, make her way further and further into the bedroom until we get onto her. She is very responsive to “the look” when she is doing something she shouldn’t be. I would recommend her for anyone looking for an easy pup to raise and a loving affectionate companion.
4 years, 8 months ago
Aria
5 Years
4 People
House
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Fetch
Catch treats
Swim
Run
she has been the greatest addition to our home! she is so smart and loving. She has been "my" dog since we adopted her but she is very accepting and loving to all members of our home. even her fur-siblings. she has energy for days! she definitely is a herder and has the best personality!! shes loved everywhere we go!
4 years, 6 months ago
Nugget
4 Months
2 People
Apartment
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Tug-of-war
Cuddles
swimming
Chase
Fetch
Tricks
Nugget came home with us when she was 6-weeks old. She weighed 4 lbs at the time, and she weighs over 30 lbs as of yesterday! She was fully potty & crate trained after two weeks. We put a bell on the door and taught her to ring it when she needs to go outside; it’s been super effective! Very energetic, she loves to play all sorts of games and go for walks. We’ve been teaching her tricks and she can sit, high-five, roll over, come, and stay. Her chewing started to increase because she’s teething, but she learned very quickly to chew on her toys instead of our hands or furniture as training continued. Nugget loves to cuddle right after she wakes up in the morning and right before she goes to bed at night, but she strictly wants to play during the day #puppyenergy She was fully sleeping through the night after having her for two weeks. She’s very smart and good natured; if you’re thinking about adopting from this breed, I highly recommend it! Just remember to show your new friend lots of patience when they first come home and be consistent with their training.
4 years, 3 months ago
Howie
16 Years
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Teaching tricks
Playing Freesbie
Playing babies.
Watching him climb trees
taking walks
His off leash work
Doggie Hugs
Playing in the snow
We adopted Howie at 5 years of age. He was a little reserve with us at the beginning, but once he knew he was here to stay (he had been through 5 different homes) he came out of his shell. He was an absolute genius, never in my life have I seen an animal(in some cases humans!) learn and pick up on things. I have literally taught him tricks or behavior related things in as short as 30 minutes! We took him to audition for the David Letterman Show when they had try outs here. I could write a laundry list of his tricks. He was very perceptive, was as laid back as you would want your dog to be. Only when we were in bed would he ever show any aggression. He was for the most part a very healthy dog, no real issues other than hot spots during the allergy seasons. When he got around his mid 13s, he did have epilepsy seizures. He lost his balance and had to learn to walk again, but eventually did but also had seizures again as he got older. The big tell was he would violently push away his food bowl and not eat. He was suffering mildly from hip dysplasia, more evident when he went to the bathroom and had trouble squatting. My only regret is that I didn't have him from the beginning and that he had to be rehomed so many times. I also write this because he is now passed, he was euthanized on New Years Eve of 2019. I miss him dearly. Never wanted a dog (grew up a cat person), now I can't stop wanting him back. My wife and I have tried unsuccessfully for about 7 months to find Howie's friend and partner, Meeka, a new companion. We have been given the opportunity to adopt a Dutch Shepard, a Border Collie and another mix breed. Meeka was so use to the calm demeanor of Howie. He got along with every dog he came in to contact with except one, and that dog attacked him. My one hope is that maybe this post will inspire some breeders to think hard about doing some serious looking into making this dog more popular and start breeding. Howie was originally trained to be a special needs dog. He did not pass the attention part of his training and instead was turned into a therapy pet. This breed has such a great upside that I am astounded no one is trying to get the word out on this fantastic animal. I think the problem is that the AKC does not recognize them as a breed, but have seen other organizations do. Breeders wake up and do what is right! Btw, Howie was a little over 70 pounds. He had a great mix of Aussie and Golden markings. He had a gold coat, his facial bone structure was Aussie, and was his tail and legs. He had the size and weight of a Golden, and the ears.
4 years, 2 months ago
Ollie
11 Months
2 People
House & Yard
Health
Grooming
Friendliness
Energy
Trainability
Pastimes
Wherever I go, runs with his older
Personality I’d awesome. Very smart. Learns quickly. He had been in a few homes before I adopted him. He can be destructive if left alone for long. Does better on a regular schedule. Well socialized
3 years, 11 months ago
Book me a walkiee?
Pweeeze!
Sketch of smiling australian shepherd