Despite their name, Australian Shepherds have little to do with the Down Under. This dog breed has originated in the Basque region between France and Spain, where many shepherds came from an Australian descent, hence the Australian dog name. Later on, because of their incredible trainability and herding abilities, these dogs were favorited by American farmers and cowboys where the official breed registration began. Even though these shepherd dogs are still working in farms herding cattle, their big brains and warm hearts have won over regular people across the world, too. Bored Panda has compiled a list of examples why Australian Shepherds are the best dog breed to have around.

From clinging onto their humans and being the best dogs ever to solving just about any puzzle they encounter, you could argue that these K9s are the Good Will Huntings of the animal kingdom. Aussies do need quite a lot of exercise, and though they excel in dog training, when bored they may invent their own games, which to a very busy owner might appear as destructive hyperactivity. Also, some of these dogs still have a lot of working qualities in them, so they might even try to herd little kids.

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