Australian Blog

Australian Shepherd
is NOT an Aussie

Jeni from Oregon, USA wrote to us and asked if "dinki di" is pronounced "dinkee-dee" or "dinkee-die". It's "dinkee-die".

It seems she wanted to name her Australian Shepherd Dinki Di, but didn't know how to say it.

She's got a bigger problem. An Australian Shepherd is NOT Australian. She's not alone in that completely understandable, but wrong, assumption.

Blue Merle considered Aussie?
No one knows exactly why this herding breed acquired the name Australian. It may be because so many dogs brought to the American West from Australia in the late 1800s had blue merle coats (mottled patchwork of grey and black).

As a result it's possible that the word Australian was associated with dogs of that coat colour.

Ghost-eye dog
What's most noticeable about blue merle dogs is the their eyes. They can have two different coloured eyes, most notably blue eyes. They can even have bicoloured eyes where an eye is half-brown and half-blue.

As you can see, their appearance would certainly stand out from the traditional herding sheepdogs. In fact, it is said that they were called the "ghost-eye dog".

How did they get to Australia?
It's believed that the blue merle sheepdog arrived in Australia in the early 1800s with the German immigrants who came to care for the imported Spanish Merino sheep.

The American breeders
The Australian Shepherd breed was developed in America from dogs brought in from Spain as well as Australia. It was thought that those climates best matched the American West and so the dogs would do well.

Australian Shepherds come in a variety of colours, (not just blue merle), with traditional colour eyes. But it's the blue merle we'll always favour even if it's not really Aussie.

The ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) did not officially recognize the breed until 1994.

Read more Aussie Bloggin'

Greeting Cards

Australian Happy Birthday cards
Birthdays should be celebrated no matter your age. And what better way to do that than with one of our delightful Aussie cards.

Whether you like our cute animals, want traditional Australian flowers, or happy Aussie friends in For the Kids series, you're sure to find a Birthday card to brighten someone's day.

Any time is a good time to say hello to family and friends with one of our unique free Greeting Cards.

Websites

Aussie Pet Organizations

To continue our animal theme, we'd like to share with you three interesting organizations . . .

Australian Support Dogs (ASDOG) is a registered charity that raises and trains dogs to assist people with physical disabilities.

Dogs Across Australia offers information and encourages the support of 'No Kill' Rescue Shelters across Australia and to rehome unwanted pets.

Lost Dogs Home helps with pet adoptions and offers shelter to lost or abandoned pets. They also run the National Pet Register to help reunite lost pets with their owners.

Fun Time Games

You Can't Play Just Once

Love a challenge? Flea RoundUp is simple to play, but hard to stop. It rates a 10 on our addictive scale.

Try any of our over 100 free online action games, illusions, puzzles, word games, and silly things. It's a great way to take a break and relax. See all the games.

For Sale

Domain Name for Sale

The domain name of our old website WhatsTheNumber.com is for sale.
Contact us if you're interested.