CHRISTMAS PUPS!! The German Australian Shepherd is a deliberate crossbreed between two popular breeds of shepherding dog, the German and the Australian Shepherd. While the Australian Shepherd is still widely used for working with livestock in this century, the German Shepherd is now more commonly associated with military and police work. With responsible breeding, the result is an intelligent canine with an athletic structure and a strong work drive that makes a good working dog, home companion, or therapy animal.