Australian Shepherds...

Energy, energy, energy.  Brains, brains, brains.  They're BC's with slightly less drive (notice the word slightly) and no tail.  They require a good deal of exercise, lots of mental stimulation, patience, and a fair, but firm hand.  They are prey driven (good ol' herding dog) and are highly motivated by moving targets (love toys).
 
This is a working breed, and thus, it has to work in some capacity.  You must always stay on top of training.  While they are not as big of opportunists as GSDs, they do take the good openings.  While Shepherds will take ANY opening, the Aussie seems to make things "worth its while" and waits for a really GOOD opening to take advantage.
 
Aussies are diggers and runners, and should always be supervised when playing.  The temperaments are good and solid in the majority I've met, they do come in a lovely variety of colors and sizes (depending on show lines or working).  The showlines still have a great deal of energy, but are less drivey than their working counterparts.  I personally wouldn't recommend an Aussie to a new dog owner simply because of their excercise requirements and "the way they think", but lots of people wouldn't recommend a GSD for a first time dog owner either.  Any first time dog owner can take a difficult breed and get a great dog out of it IF they are willing to put in the time and effort to meet the needs of that specific breed.

I have had the absolute pleasure of owning my Aussie for 3 years. He was my first dog, but to be honest I have had very few challenges with him. He came from a show line breeder, which I guess accounts for his size (75lb) and his slightly mellow disposition. He definately had a lot more energy as a pup, but at 3 he has the same energy level as a typical Golden Retriever. Some days, he's actually lazy!
He lacks nothing in the 'brain' department however. He is an extremely quick study and likes to be mentally challenged with new games, environments and activities. He can get bored doing the same routines. New exercise areas and/or new toys are met with great excitement! Sometimes he is too smart for his own good. I swear he thinks outside the box. One day I found him carrying around the remote control in his mouth. I asked him to drop it (which he did) and I gave him a treat and a "what a good boy!". So now every so often, he will wonder off and return with the remote, drop it at my feet and look at me like 'so where's my treat?' You really have to be one step ahead of him when it comes to training.
He is very people orientated. More so than dogs. He has particular dogs that he really likes and generally ignores the rest. But people, he adores them all. He is very attached and likes to be with me as much as possible. When I take him for off leash exercise, he will disappear into the wooded areas. A call will bring him back immediately. If I do not call him back after 3 minutes max, he will pop out, check where I am and disappear again.
I agree that Aussie's love exercise, like to have a job, like mental stimulation etc., but what they thrive on is attention and companionship. Great Dogs!

Greetings,
I am Kim, a new member (aka Catrel). I have an 11 month old pup, 3/4 aussie, 1/4 border collie. The description of energy, energy, energy and brains, brains, brains definitely fits ... She is constantly on the go. The only time I see her not on the go is when she is dead asleep and believe me it has to be DEAD asleep. Appearance wise she does not favor her sire (tri 1/2 aussie, 1/2 bc) or her dam (full red merle aussie), but personality and mental wise she definitely favors her sire. Her dam is much slower, easier going whereas her sire was go go go, which is what she is.  I'm at work right now but when get home will post a photo. However since she is a cross bred should this be moved to the mixed breed forum?

welcome to the forum. Tell us more and of course pics!

 The Australian Shepherd is a brilliant and energetic workaholic if it comes from working lines.  This is where you find the working dogs, so take note of these kennel names if you find them in a prospective dog's pedigree: 

http://www.workingaussiesource.com/breederDirectory/breederState.html

My dog is from Pincie Creek and Hardin's lines, working dogs all the way back five generations and then some.  I have to be honest, my dog is not a climber, and she doesn't take off.  But, she is persistent and a problem solver, so without good conditioning and training, who knows what mischief she might have gotten herself in to.

 

These dogs are definitely NOT a beginner's dog, in most cases.  Many of them are not going to be everyone's best bud, so if you want a dog that loves everyone, many of these will not be that.  The breed has a fairly small gene pool and is affected by some serious genetic defects, such as epilepsy, hip dysplasia, eye disorders.  The working lines tend to have less epilepsy, but again, not the dog for everyone.  These guys need a job, and they need to learn very early how to have a shut off switch.  They are very trainable, biddable dogs, but will outsmart the inept trainer and they do have a weird way of thinking compared to some of the other breeds.  Personally, I LOVE the tar out of them and am happy to be owned by one, but I know that my dog, in the hands of an ordinary pet owner, might be sitting in a shelter or worse, because she is not an easy dog to own.

 Some of the show line dogs' tendency toward guardiness has been muted, though many of them are still reserved with strangers.  They can be heavy boned, and too large and copiously coated to be effective working dogs, although quite a few of them are multi-talented and can still do the job for which the Aussie was bred - herding cattle.  They do sheep and ducks, too, but this is really a cattle dog.

If you are interested in versatility, this is a great breed.  In addition to herding, they are good at agility, disc dog, freestyle, tracking, tricks, and all kinds of other canine activities. They always seem to want to say "What are we doing next mom?" and they don't quit - after tiny rest breaks, they are up and ready to work again.  Other dogs sleep for hours after a good run on the beach - not these guys...they are right back at it again.  Stamina?  Yup, the Aussie has it.  Many owners can't keep up LOL.

There's a saying among Aussie owners, because these are dogs that get really attached to their families -  "I asked God for a friend - so he sent me an Australian Shepherd".   I love the fact that she wants to follow me everywhere, but some people can't stand that, so know that if you get one, you will never be out of the dog's sight.  Not that they are SA dogs, or velcro.  They don't want to be ON you necessarily, just within sight.  If you move, they move LOL.  Don't be surprised to find your Aussie sleeping in the one spot on the floor where she could notice any of the family members move because she has them ALL in her line of sight.  And, don't expect any of your other dogs to have any toys.  Aussies are "collectors" sometimes.  All the toys end up in the Aussie's bed.

They're different, but once you fall in love with this breed, nothing else is quite like it.  Just understand (really well) what you are getting yourself in to.  High drive, high energy, not always friends with everybody, not good for anyone who cannot train them not to nip at kids heels, and definitely a thinking dog.


 

Awww!  Good Luck!  They are full of energy and very smart to put it mildly.  I just got a border collie pup and a friend of ours are on their second Aust. Shepherd.  They like to herd you and everyone else.  They will nip at your heels or ankles, so it takes some getting used to.  If you have small children, they say they will herd them too.  Exercise and a big yard.  We got ours from a farmer and he asked us if we lived in an apartment, and if we had a big yard.  He wouldn't sell any of the pups to anyone who lived in an apartment.  They love to have jobs, supposedly if you don't give them a job, they'll find one on their own, and it might not be one you like.  Also, my Misty loves to dig, dig, dig, chew, chew, chew, and play, play, play.  Just give your pup lots of excercise and teach em' tricks.  We take our Misty down to our boat and she loves to swim and play with the other dogs (all day long) and this is the greatest thing, 'cause she really gets nice and tired for the night!  Good Luck, look forward to seeing pictures and talking with you more.  I don't find many people with our type of breeds, so it will be nice to have someone to compare notes with. 

 Check out the pics I posted in the photo forum under "dog park dogs" You'll see how much energy aussies have. I LOVE their energy. My aussie goes and goes and goes and goes. He has endless amounts of energy. I let him loose in the dog park and he does not stop moving at warp speed until we leave. Even after 2 hours of all out running, he still wants to play. If I don't play with him, he'll play with his toys on his own.

If you like that kind of energy then you'll really enjoy an aussie imo. It can get overwhelming though to family members, kids and visitors that aren't used to that kind of energy.

They're total clowns. My aussie does things just to make me laugh. 

They're very smart, just like everyone has said. You have to make obedience interesting for them. Agility and frisbee - my dog LOVES both and is very eager to do both at the drop of a hat. He wants to please and wants to get positive attention.

Aussies can be really sensitive to punishment and reprimands. I rarely have to reprimand my aussie - redirection followed by positive reinforcement work really well. (for me anyway)

Aussies can be reserved with strangers. Mine isn't at all. He loves everyone he meets.

They can be guard-y.

They can also be very shy of new situations. Picking the right dog and good socialization is key.

I think that they are great dogs but I have run into other aussie owners at the dog park that said "They are hard work!". I don't agree. After raising my husky, my aussie has been super easy. I am stuck on the breed and will probably have one the rest of my life.

I think the only thing that makes them not good first dogs is their energy level and intelligence. That shouldn't be a problem though if you know that going in. 

Wow, I posted that almost a year ago to the day, but it doesn't seem all that long ago. Since that time, I have gotten an Aussie. He turned a yr old a few weeks ago. His sire was from working lines & his mommy was from show lines. He was a rough-and-tumble, hard-headed little maniac until he turn about 8 months old. (Our trainer said he probably calmed down so much due a reduced testosterone level from being neutered.) While he does need a lot of energy (which I enjoy most days), it fits in pretty well with my lifestyle. As expected, he's brilliant. He could sit and shake hands reliably after less than a week of working with him at age 9 weeks. He was the star of his puppy kindergarten and we did a little obediance/rally for a while. While he isn't afraid of people, he generally ignores them on the street. If they're allowed in the house with me, however, they MUST be good people! He's recently picked up on the guarding thing, it seems. He doesn't like unexpected guests in the house without my supervision (he's typically outside in that circumstance) & doesn't appreciate family members sneaking into the house after a late night on the town. He definately knows who his mommy is & follows me all over the house, even if that means waking himself up & relocating his nap. It's been so long since I've been able to go to the bathroom by myself, lol! Sometimes he seems almost human in the way he responds to situations. He's definately been a blessing!

Awesome! That's a beautiful pic in your avatar too