australian shepherds

Hi and welcome.We have a small blue merle female from herding bloodlines.She is pretty intense when working (agility) but otherwise a class A cuddlebug:)Then we have a young black bi-color male who is larger and goofy.Both have a soft nature and dislike a raised voice.Both take awhile to warm up to visitors.These are my first two Aussies and despite all the extra grooming I don't think I'll ever own another breed.

This is my forever breed too. They match my personality perectly.

They are super velcro dogs and will follow you every where to the point you nearly trip on them. They aren't happy unless they are with their people so make sure you can handle that. Some people can't stand that velcroness in a dog.

Aloof with strangers is a breed trait and I have met some like that however they tend to warm up fast. My 3 aren't aloof at all but they got lots of socializing and now love everyone.

Strong guardian instincts is another breed trait. I really like this about them personally. a lot of people over look what this means though when they get aussies. Just because they are cute, wiggly and fluffy doesn't mean they won't threaten or bite if a stranger enters their property. They can be very protective of kids too.

The aloof with strangers and the guardian instincts sometimes get these dogs in to trouble because if they aren't socialized well, they can turn in to fear biters.

They are very sensitive dogs and do not require a strong hand or a loud voice to train. Positive training is the only way to go with these dogs.

As far as energy goes, people say they are nuts but that has not been my experience. Even with the ones I have fostered. Sure, as they are growing they have that puppy energy but they have an awesome off switch.

The most important thing with these dogs is mental work. They are smart and need an outlet. Problems to solve, tricks to learn, obedience to do, whatever. If you don't provide them with something to do they will find something to do themselves, which usually isn't good. There's nothing these dogs can't do imo. I've done therapy work, sheep herding, agility, tracking and search and rescue, etc. If you can train it they can do it.

Thanks for replying!

These dogs seem better and better every time I hear something new about them. Hopefully I'll be lucky enough to own one in the future. Our family has a miniature schnauzer right now and he is totally a velcro dog, up to the point where if you stop petting him he'll continuously bother you until you pay attention to him again. I love that about him so velcroness in a dog isn't a problem at all. (:

I'll make sure to keep the guardian instinct in mind, do they tend to be vocal about things? For example, if someone visits your place would they bark to warn you?

Oh, and one more question. :D Concerning energy, would an Australian Shepherd be okay living in an apartment setting as long as they were given enough exercise? This is all hypothetical since right now I'm living in a house with my family. :P

grapefruit

do they tend to be vocal about things? For example, if someone visits your place would they bark to warn you?

Oh Yeah! Mine bark any time a person,cat,or blowing plastic bag ventures on our property.As far as the apartment goes perhaps an older dog from a rescue or shelter would be happy living this way but I know neither of mine would.In fact the breeder we got our female from had her till she was five months old.She had several people who wanted her but they lived on busy streets with no yard so she chose to hold on to her rather than let her live in a situation like that.One more thing I'd like to mention is we got our first Aussie for my 11 year old son.He trained her through 4H and competed with her.My son grew up with a Labrador,she is still with us.I would never trust my Aussies around a very young child the way I trust my Lab.The herding instinct does not lend itself to babysitter status,even with close supervision I would not feel comfortable with them around toddlers.

Dogs can be exercised away from the home and then be fine in apartments. The problem you'll run in to this breed in apartments is that they are  VERY alert to their surroundings and they can be vocal to the slightest noise outside. I live in a house and mine always tell me when someone walks by outside on the sidewalk. In an apartment there's always people coming and going so that could be problematic.

I'm playing with the idea of adding a larger dog in the future, and Aussie is on my list.  How do each of you find yours behave around toy dogs?

I'll likely go with a rescue that has been fostered with little ones, but personal experiences are always welcome.

Abbie is really gentle with little dogs and will lay on the ground upside down to play. Neiko loves anything and everything, size and shape don't matter. Lily is the one I have to watch. She has an obsession with them that borders on prey drive. Mostly she goes in to herding, nipping mode. I suspect that it all comes down to the dogs personality and its training / socialization.

My neighbor has two Yorkshire Terriers.My dogs almost dismiss them as "non-dogs".No eye contact,no desire to sniff or play,it's weird.We just added a baby parrot to our home and they both seem to think of him as one of their pack.

Benny lives with two smaller dogs - 13# and 11#. He does GREAT with both - however, they BOTH love to run and play. They each give one another a run for their money! The two smaller dogs are fearless when it comes to bigger dogs, I think that makes a huge difference! Benny does well with cats too, but sometimes feels the need to chase - he will stop if I tell him to though - however, he is NOT left alone with them, just in case. He does have a high prey drive outside with rabbits, etc.

 I have an Aussie mix and a purebred Aussie from working lines.  The mix is a therapy dog.  The purebred is "nuts," and while she's extraordinarily well trained and obedient, she is typical of the type Aussie that people say is "not for everyone."  In terms of aggressive or guarding tendencies, my feeling is that the Border Collies are less aggressive, even if they are more intensely focused.  Aussies from working lines can be awesome dogs, but they can also decide not to love strangers, even after what most people would consider adequate socialization.  I don't think that Aussies need less physical or mental stimulation than Border Collies, but I do think they are different from one another.  In Aussies, the show lines tend to be more mellow, but there may be more epilepsy in those lines - it's a problem in the breed, and one reason why you MUST find a good, reputable breeder if you plan to purchase.  ARPH does a good job of placing rescued Aussies, and you will get a good idea of your prospective dog's personality from them, as they have their dogs in foster families before they adopt them out.  Aussies can be ok in apartments, but it's not the norm.  Many of them are barky, as well as reactive to strange noises.  My girl alerts to things that go bump in the night LOL. This is a breed with a small gene pool and is subject to several major genetic health concerns: hip dysplasia, eye problems, deafness (merle to merle breedings), hypothyroidism, & epilepsy.

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/australianshepherds.html

http://www.ashgi.org/articles/gen_info.htm

http://www.australianshepherds.org/reput.html

Some people say the red dogs are crazier.  Well, my mix is a red tri, and the crazy one is a red merle.  You decide;-))  At the very least, the merle is obsessive.  You can see that tendency here: http://www.youtube.com/user/sequoyahbean?feature=mhum#p/a/u/2/ghkHLNWy3us

She is beautiful, though, and I love her to pieces.  

 

 

Moonlight

I'm playing with the idea of adding a larger dog in the future, and Aussie is on my list.  How do each of you find yours behave around toy dogs?

I'll likely go with a rescue that has been fostered with little ones, but personal experiences are always welcome.

 

Sequoyah is great with most smaller dogs, but I would not necessarily trust her around the teacup foo foo dogs that screech;-))  Sioux is only half Aussie, but she's great with all dogs, even the tiniest.  That is not always the case, however, so getting a rescue with a known history is a great idea.  Some Aussies are fine around the house with smaller dogs, but can fall prey to predatory drift when the thing has room to run.  You are smart to be thinking about this issue in advance.

spiritdogs

Aussies can be ok in apartments, but it's not the norm.  Many of them are barky, as well as reactive to strange noises.

Absolutely! This is why Benny does not currently live with me. He is very protective of me, and our house. He has ripped down screens in the windows 'protecting' the house. He is easily managed, for me. He is not allowed free reign on the house when no one is home.

I can say that I will ALWAYS have an aussie in my life, and I cannot wait to have Benny back with me. Like Anne said, they are NOT for everyone. Benny, even at close to 7 years now, needs a LOT of physical and mental stimulation. If he does not get it, the pillows get it.

Another aussie group to check out is New Spirit - I foster for them, and that's where Benny came from. Check out www.ns4ar.org

4HAND

My neighbor has two Yorkshire Terriers.My dogs almost dismiss them as "non-dogs".No eye contact,no desire to sniff or play,it's weird.We just added a baby parrot to our home and they both seem to think of him as one of their pack.

 

As the proud owner of a Yorkshire Terrier, I can tell you that if they are raised as dogs, not foo foo's, most of them are quite feisty for their size, and can hold their own.  In her first family, the other dog in the household was a GSD.  She also lived with cats, ferrets, and birds.  Here, she played with Sequoyah (the Aussie) until a couple of days before she died in her sleep cuddled up in a donut bed at the age of 20 years, 11 months, and 5 days.  

If you like the Aussies, you might also like the Finnish Lapphund. They are another laid back, less intense herding breed. Plus they are spitzes, which makes them awesome. Lappies are known for being very friendly, gentle and cuddly. My boy is like a teddy bear. I think toned down herders make great companion dogs. That's why I seem to have a Nordic herder thing going. Clearly I live in the wrong part of the world.