Dog Community

Is it true Aussies never go around?

Posted : 9/9/2007 5:58:50 AM

We were out camping with Penny on the weekend at a really great dog friendly place (they let you dine in the restaurant with your dog!). At one point, we came across a young GSD and an Aussie having a run in a big open area. Penny wanted to say hi, but the game these dogs was playing was very fast. She trotted around on the outskirts for a bit, then eventually started to meander towards where the dogs were running. Before any of us knew it, this Aussie tore down and collected Penny in the side, literally at full speed. She slammed into Penny so hard my poor old corgi yelped and was bowled off her feet. No sooner had she gained them than the GSD crashed into her other side and decided he wanted to chase her, so he did just that, chasing poor Penny at top speed around the field, her yelping all the way. The owners of the Aussie and the GSD were pretty quick and called their dogs back and put them into a down and held them still for a bit so they could calm down. Penny was shaken, but recovered quickly and said her hellos to the dogs, which is all she wanted to do in the first place.

The owners were both apologetic. The GSD's owner explained that her dog loved corgis and seemed to think they were a fast toy to chase that just happened to bite him all the time. The Aussie's owner told me that Aussies never go around, they only go through. She said her Aussie never ever goes around anything, but rather just keeps barrelling on and expects any dogs to get out of her way.

Despite their name, Australian Shepherds are pretty uncommon over here. People with Aussies, is it true that these dogs never go around other dogs or obstacles? It seems weird to me, considering they're a herding dog.

Jewlieee

Posted : 9/9/2007 8:25:27 AM

I can't say that I've ever seen my pup barrel straight through everything .

TexasDaisy

Posted : 9/9/2007 9:38:09 AM

Ha, I'd never heard that, but it makes sense in my Aussie's case! He's run over so many doggie playmates, it's hard to count. As a younger pup, he used to do that with people too, but he's learned that's not a good idea. Now he'll run straight towards a person & just skin past them at the last second. But dogs....He'll tackle them flat out, never slowing down or necessarily stopping to play with the dog. If he's heading for an inanimate object that he doesn't expect to move, he'll jump over it rather than go around. Not sure if that's a common Aussie trait or just because he's still young & rowdy.

Pwca

Posted : 9/9/2007 4:59:09 PM

It has nothing to do with breed, IMO, it's just pushy, bratty behavior and bad play manners.If the dog is consistantly bowling over other dogs, it's a manners issue that the owner should be addressing.

Liesje

Posted : 9/9/2007 6:00:45 PM

Despite their name, Australian Shepherds are pretty uncommon over here.

I don't know much about Aussie behavior and temperament, but they are actually American dogs, which is probably why they are uncommon. I'm not sure how they came to be called "Australian" shepherds.

"The Australian Shepherd's history is vague, as is the origin of its misleading name. What is known is that it developed in western North America in the 19th and early 20th centuries"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Shepherd

TexasDaisy

Posted : 9/9/2007 6:58:07 PM

ORIGINAL: Pwca

It has nothing to do with breed, IMO, it's just pushy, bratty behavior and bad play manners.If the dog is consistantly bowling over other dogs, it's a manners issue that the owner should be addressing.

Always nice to hear a stranger call my dog a brat & me negligent in my training....

Jewlieee

Posted : 9/9/2007 7:07:48 PM

This post got me thinking so I paid more attention to how my aussie acted at the dog park today. His favorite game is chase, usually it's him chasing another dog. Either way, he went around all the people - even if he was running full speed. With dogs, he'd *sort of* body check them but not bowl them over. By body check I mean, he'd run up to them so he was besides the other dog then push his body into the other dog while they were both running. Not hard, but enough to push the dog off course. Some dogs loves this and see it as a fun challenge. Some dogs don't and tell him right away that they don't appreciate it. I didn't see him bowl any dog over head on.

He does have this horrible habit though of jumping in the pond, then finding the nearest human to wipe the water off. It's so embarrassing. Here's some unsuspecting dry people, then my wet, dirty aussie comes up to them sweet as can be, only to wipe his entire body down their legs, getting them all wet and dirty in the process. Then he takes off running like a little stinker.

The not going around people or other dogs could be the characteristic of an alpha type dog. As in, everyone should move for that dog, not the other way around. Who knows. My aussie is pretty middle of the road as far as dog pack order goes whenever he's out and about.

Pwca

Posted : 9/9/2007 9:20:57 PM

I would say that while it may be an 'alpha' thing, it can be (hence my use of the word 'consistantly') a bullying behavior- rather like the aggressively submissive golden retrievers and labs that you see sometimes.

corvus

Posted : 9/10/2007 3:42:35 AM

I've seen dogs play rough before, but I'd never seen one just slam right into another dog like that before. I'm still not sure if it was intentional or not. She didn't seem to be aiming for Penny when she started running and I got the impression Penny was just in the way. Nonetheless, Penny was pretty shocked by the whole thing, and she's a tough little nut and she wouldn't have yelped if she hadn't been really hurt by it. I've had a dog slam into me by accident at high speed before, and it REALLY hurts. I can only imagine what it would be like if I was a quarter of that dog's size like Penny was.

I feel like it was a pretty extreme case of going straight through instead of around. The Aussie didn't seem to even register that she had hit Penny. It's been a while since I've had much experience with an athletic dog playing boistrously, but I feel like it was bizarre that she didn't even acknowledge Penny's existence, really. She made no attempt to meet and greet, made no play bows, didn't even make eye contact with Penny. Even when she was lying down and Penny was trying to approach her to say hello, she didn't pay any attention to her. I wonder if she just dismissed Penny as no fun the moment she set eyes on her.

I'm just relieved that Penny wasn't traumatised by it. I would have been pretty dirty on someone if they did that to me!

denise m

Posted : 9/10/2007 7:06:51 AM

ORIGINAL: Pwca

It has nothing to do with breed, IMO, it's just pushy, bratty behavior and bad play manners.If the dog is consistantly bowling over other dogs, it's a manners issue that the owner should be addressing.

Well a couple of years ago I posted about this behaviour with my then young Aussie. He would do the body slam when playing at the dog park. The response I got on idog was exactly as PWCA describes - bratty, bully and should be discouraged.

Pat Gipps

Posted : 9/10/2007 7:17:57 AM

I too watched my girl very closely to see her in action when playing with the "group" She goes around. Now when she is looking back at the others she may bump into someone ahead but not on purpose. Mostly she makes wide swings to herd them back to us.

When 3 or 4 of them really get going they will "bump" into anything in their way, because of the play. ( this includes trees, picnic tables, people etc.) The group is a mix of breeds three labs, one aussie, one mix lab/retriever cross and a terrier.

We do have an old dog ( 1

who wanders around while the group is playing and they all go around or over him.

denise m

Posted : 9/10/2007 7:29:49 AM

ORIGINAL: TexasDaisy

But dogs....He'll tackle them flat out, never slowing down or necessarily stopping to play with the dog. Not sure if that's a common Aussie trait or just because he's still young & rowdy.

[sm=rofl.gif][sm=rofl.gif][sm=rofl.gif] "It's all fun and games 'til someone loses an eye!"

Dave Cripps

Posted : 9/13/2007 11:43:54 PM

I have never heard of this but I have a aussie mix(some say heeler other say cattle) but anyway. Sadie does the same thing she will bowl down the other two liittle dogs that we have. She doesnt even attempt to slow down. Not sure on yours but mine will also throw her hind quarters into them at times. I wouldnt say its a meanful act but more of her being over excited.

heidislz

Posted : 9/14/2007 7:55:10 PM

I have seen both of my boyfriends red heelers do this. Once one of them did it so hard to my mastiff puppy that we had to take her to the vet and hope that she didnt crack a growth plate or mess up a hip! I am very glad now though that my mastiff is too big to get hurt by this any more but I still scold the heelers for it any way. Both of his heelers have always tried diffrent dominancy things and I believe thats kind of what it is.

tdenise

Posted : 9/19/2007 2:06:25 PM

corvus
I've seen dogs play rough before, but I'd never seen one just slam right into another dog like that before. I'm still not sure if it was intentional or not. She didn't seem to be aiming for Penny when she started running and I got the impression Penny was just in the way. Nonetheless, Penny was pretty shocked by the whole thing, and she's a tough little nut and she wouldn't have yelped if she hadn't been really hurt by it. I've had a dog slam into me by accident at high speed before, and it REALLY hurts. I can only imagine what it would be like if I was a quarter of that dog's size like Penny was.

I feel like it was a pretty extreme case of going straight through instead of around. The Aussie didn't seem to even register that she had hit Penny. It's been a while since I've had much experience with an athletic dog playing boistrously, but I feel like it was bizarre that she didn't even acknowledge Penny's existence, really. She made no attempt to meet and greet, made no play bows, didn't even make eye contact with Penny. Even when she was lying down and Penny was trying to approach her to say hello, she didn't pay any attention to her. I wonder if she just dismissed Penny as no fun the moment she set eyes on her.

I'm just relieved that Penny wasn't traumatised by it. I would have been pretty dirty on someone if they did that to me!

Penny is a dog right? corgi? If so I am pretty sure she was not tramatised by the experience and the aussie was probably just caught up in the moment- not dissing Penny. While my aussie never bowled anything over they do have a tendency to herd by either nipping feet or pushing but both can be overcome with proper training.