Breed Standard

Temperament

The Western Shepherd is an intelligent, athletic, and affectionate dog with strong nerves and a high desire to please it’s people.

General Appearance

The Western Shepherd is a powerful medium to large size dog that is elongated and visibly well muscled. 
Height is 24”-26” for males with a weight of 70-95lbs.
Height is 22”-24” for females with a weight of 60-80lbs
The body should be elongated with a length:height ratio of 1.1:1. 

Structure

Head is wedge shaped, skull/muzzle 1:1

Nose should be black

Ears should be erect, equally aligned, not leaning forward

Tail is long and powerful, carried low with slight curl and can be carried erect

Front Legs

  • Straight and Parallel
  • Elbows not bowed
  • Paws should be symmetrical and point straight ahead

Rear

  • Square
  • Equal in length to the front
  • Paws should be symmetrical and point straight ahead

Coat

  • Texture: smooth with little to no undercoat
  • Colors: “Bart” (Bi-Color), Sable, Fawn, Brindle, Black
  • Markings: All dogs should have dark mask, some white on the chest or toes is acceptable

Health

Life expectancy of 12-14 years

Hips – the Achillies heel of the working dog, great care has been put into the testing and selection of the foundation stock to produce the best hips possible.