Auggie Dogs 101: Everything You Need to Know About This Unique Crossbreed
If a breed called an “Auggie dog” sounds to you like something made up as a hoax, we’re here to tell you Auggie dogs are real, but not technically a “breed.” The Auggie dog is an Australian Shepherd Corgi mix. Since standard Australian Shepherds are large dogs—sometimes upwards of 60 pounds—and Corgis are a medium-sized dog breed—about 30 pounds or less—Auggie dogs are usually a mix of miniature Australian Shepherd and Pembroke Welsh Corgi.
An uncommon and usually accidental mix, the Auggie dog breed isn’t one you’ll see every day! The lucky few that find one of these sweet mixed breeds up for adoption enjoy a life of goofy antics, high-energy playtimes, and enthusiastic adventuring with their Auggie dogs.
Meet 7 Auggie Dogs from Instagram
The mixed Auggie dog breed has a lot of variation since mini Australian Shepherds and Corgis look very different. The most dominant physical traits of both breeds are usually pretty apparent, but no two Auggie dogs look the same. Most will have the multicolored coat of an Aussie and the long torso and short legs of a Corgi, but there’s no guarantee what a full-grown Auggie dog will look like.
Let’s meet seven adorable Aussie Corgi mixes to see what these pups look like.
1. Penny
Penny is an adorable tri-colored Auggie dog from Tennessee who loves the outdoors, spending time with her humans, and her best friend Lillybelle—a cat! Penny is a social girl, and her humans rarely leave home without her. She visits ball games, bars, restaurants, and plenty of parks to meet up with other pooches.
2. Karma
Karma is a teeny tiny Australian Shepherd/Corgi mix who travels with her mama and her Pomeranian “brother.” Three years old and just ten pounds, Karma is one of the smallest Auggie dogs we’ve ever seen, but miniature Australian Shepherds and Corgis can both be around 20 pounds. Because mixes like the Auggie dog are unregulated, it’s very possible Karma also has an additional breed parentage that makes her so petite.
3. Dean
Dean (center) is a super cute Corgi and Australian Shepherd mix who seems to have an endless supply of energy! Dean has a lot of the features of an Aussie, but his coloring looks like it comes from his Pembroke Welsh Corgi parentage.
4. Roscoe
Roscoe looks almost exactly like a mini Australian Shepherd with the long body and short legs of a Corgi! His stunning colors, beautiful coat, and light blue eyes are Aussie features, but there’s no mistaking that he’s also part Corgi. Roscoe is three years old and lives in Chicago, Illinois where he bravely battles Midwest winters.
5. Nora
This little Aussie Corgi is Nora, also from Chicago! Nora has two different colored eyes, which is a common mini Australian Shepherd trait, but she definitely has a Corgi butt!
6. Winnie
Winston—Winnie for short—is a five-year-old Auggie dog yet again from Chicago, Illinois. Winnie is a total sweetheart with a curious and social personality, and he loves everyone including kids!
7. Dakota
This sweet fluffy Auggie is Dakota from Rockland County, New York. Dakota is sort of an inside dog, and doesn’t like the rain or wet weather—she would much rather be snuggled up on the couch! Dakota’s humans say she’s 50% Australian Shepherd, 50% Corgi, and 100% loaf.
Mini Australian Shepherd Corgi Mix Basic Info
The Auggie dog is a mix of miniature Australian Shepherd and Pembroke Welsh Corgi—two varieties of herding breed. Standard Australian Shepherds originate in Europe from a line of herding breeds native to the Pyrenees Mountains. 19th-century immigrants from Europe to Australia brought their herding dogs with them. Isolation helped to refine the breed, and American farmers encountering these dogs misidentified them as a native Australian breed, thus creating what we know as the Australian Shepherd.
Pembroke Welsh Corgis originate in Great Britain. Farmers in the region used short-legged herding breeds since at least the 12th century, but the Pembroke gained distinction as a unique breed in the late 19th century. The first Pembroke Welsh Corgis were brought to the US in 1934 by Olde English Sheepdog breeder Mrs. Lewis Roesler, and her Corgis were the first two to be registered with the AKC. Thanks to Queen Elizabeth II popularizing the breed among non-farmers and ranchers, interest in the Corgi would take off internationally.
So, what do you get when you combine two herding breeds with centuries of breed history? Let’s talk about what you can expect if you own an Auggie dog.
Auggie Dog Temperament
Unsurprisingly, herding dogs like to herd. Auggie dogs can be bossy and mouthy, meaning they’ll sometimes nip, poke, or use their bodies to move humans and other dogs. This quality is desirable when you’re a rancher moving thousands of cows, but not so positive when you have small children. While they can be good family dogs, Auggies need a lot of training and stimulation to keep them from self-fulfilling their herding instincts.
“When we take [our Auggie dog] to the dog park he runs around attempting to herd all of the other dogs. For having such short legs he can sure run fast,” says a comment from a Reddit user with a full-grown Auggie dog.
Another comment from a user with an Auggie puppy says: “I have this mix too, she is 15 weeks old, and I’ve had to put a massive amount of training into her to not nip absolutely everything.”
Luckily, Auggie dogs are relatively easy to train since they are highly intelligent and enjoy having a “job.” Auggie dogs have uniquely high energy levels and need extensive physical exercise. Because of their intelligence, Auggies also need plenty of mental stimulation and enjoy puzzles, training, tricks, agility, etc. A walk once or twice a day is not enough for an Auggie—these dogs are Energizer bunnies.
While Auggies can be good family dogs, they are not right for first-time dog owners or anyone who wants a couch potato. If you have little kids, you’ll need to set firm boundaries purely to ensure your pup doesn’t accidentally hurt your kids or vice versa. If you have an active lifestyle and can spend most of your time with your dog, an Auggie might be right for you.
Auggie Dog Size
Auggie dogs come in a variety of sizes, and there’s no guarantee how big or small yours will be. Most are a mix of miniature Australian Shepherds, but that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily small dogs. On average, Auggie dogs stand around 10–13 inches tall and weigh 20–30 pounds.
Auggie Dog Health
Miniature Australian Shepherds and Pembroke Welsh Corgis have many of the same health issues, which they may pass down to their mixed-breed puppies. Some health problems to be aware of and keep an eye out for if you have an Auggie dog or similar mixed breed include:
- Joint problems (e.g. elbow and hip dysplasia)
- Back problems (e.g. degenerative disc disease)
- Eye and vision problems (e.g. progressive retinal atrophy)
- Epilepsy
- Anxiety
- Lymphoma and other cancers
Where To Find Your Own Corgi Australian Shepherd Mix
Auggie dogs are mixed breeds and usually the result of an accidental litter. While some backyard breeders and puppy mills have attempted to rebrand mixed breeds as “designer breeds,” mixes like the Auggie dog are far from standardized or ethically bred. If you see an advertisement for puppies claiming to be Auggie dog breeders, it’s reasonable to assume they are backyard breeders or a puppy mill solely interested in profit.
Accidents do happen, and people can accidentally breed dogs like the Auggie. Many of these pups end up at shelters, which are the best places to look for a mix like an Aussie/Corgi. Visit your local humane society, search for rescue pups online, or try connecting with a breed-specific rescue.
Here are a few Australian Shepherd, Corgi, and general dog rescue resources to start your search:
- Aussie Rescue & Placement Hotline
- United States Corgi rescue group index
- Petfinder
Auggie Dog FAQ
Need more info on the mini Aussie Corgi mix? See what other readers are asking about the Auggie dog.
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Are Auggie dogs smart?
Yes! Auggie dogs are an extremely intelligent breed. Herding breeds in general are known for superior decision-making skills, independent thinking, and the ability to learn complicated tasks.
What is the lifespan of an Auggie dog?
The average lifespan of an Auggie dog is about 12-15 years.
Do Auggie dogs shed?
Yes. Auggie dogs are heavy shedders that shed year-round but may also have periods of extra-heavy shedding as the seasons change.
Are Auggie dogs easy to train?
Yes! Auggies love to learn tricks and are eager to please and listen to their humans. Keep in mind that these pups are smart, so your training needs to be smart too or they’ll find their own ways of doing things.
Related Article:
- Cardigan Welsh Corgi vs. Pembroke Welsh Corgi: What’s The Difference?
- These 19 Corgi Butts Might Break the Internet
- 6 Biologically Appropriate Dog Foods for Australian Shepherds
- Fur or Foe? The Real Deal on Australian Shepherds and Allergies
- The Beagle Mixed with Corgi: a Beagi or a Borgi?
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