Australian Shepherds - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Australian Shepherds

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:05:51 PM EDT

Anyone have anything to add above and beyond the commonly available info?

May look at a few rescue Aussies. They look good on paper for our family/lifestyle but I've no first or second hand knowledge of them.

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:11:07 PM EDT

[#1]

They are incredible......but require interaction.......lots of it.....not a "hands off" pet by any means........

When ours used to get bored, she'd waltz out back, throw her ball in the pool....jump in....retreive it.....then do it again.......X100......

Smart, clean, and cute.......great dawg if you're not a lazy dawg owner......

eta: good with kids (ours grew up with them though), and protective when she felt she needed to be......had to put ours down due to complications from diabetes.......a very bad day.......

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:11:29 PM EDT

[#2]

Neighbor had two, barkiest dogs I ever encountered. If they could see us at all they would not stop barking until we were out of sight.

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:12:11 PM EDT

[#3]

Great guard dogs .

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:12:42 PM EDT

[#4]

Very high energy, but very trainable and fun.

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:12:56 PM EDT

[#5]

I had an Aussie / GSD mix. What a great dog. I really loved her. If I ever was forced to choose between her and most people................well you know.

We had to put her down after 12 years and it tore me up so bad it was almost 20 years before I could consider owning another dog.

They are generally very high energy. If you get a puppy be aware that the first two years are going to be a battle of wills. Once the dog gets the picture that you are boss, it gets better.

Obedience training is essential. They are extremely smart and get bored easily. YOU have to put in the effort.

All that said, having an Aussie is one of life's amazing experiences. Good luck

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:13:12 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
Neighbor had two, barkiest dogs I ever encountered. If they could see us at all they would not stop barking until we were out of sight.

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Thats a behavior caused by the neighbor not a trait of the dog

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:15:34 PM EDT

[#7]

FPNI.

They are very good family dogs for active families. They also tend to be very intelligent and will learn things quickly. It's up to you to make sure they learn good behaviors, and not bad ones like the excessive barking one poster mentioned.

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:17:47 PM EDT

[#8]

They are very similar to border collies in terms of energy level and temperament. In other words, they are a royal pain in the ass at times. I don't have the time or patience needed for the obedience training required to reign in those two breeds these days. That said, despite being annoying shitheads, they do have good characteristics too. They are quite loyal, good with kids, they tend to make excellent watch dogs, etc.

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:21:25 PM EDT

[#9]

LOVE ours he needs LOTS of love and attention tho. Our female aussie we had before him was much more independent and needed less attention they do need to stay busy tho or get bored and can be a PITA.

him as a pup not giving a fuck!

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:26:36 PM EDT

[#10]

We have a 30lb mini Aussie that is about 2.5 years old.

Very smart dog, but coming from bird dogs its a whole new world in terms of a dog "questing" why he needs to do what you tell him to.

He is loyal to our "pack" and gets along with the other two dogs (lab & springer) without any issue.

He needs tons of exercise every day, jog a few miles in the morning and evening, play fetch in the river and dog park in-between. Gets along fine with other random dogs in the dog park for the most part.

He doesn't "get" children, maybe because there were not any around when he was a puppy, but he is easily displeased with them and we do not allow children to approach him in public. He also has barrier aggression with people and other dogs at the fence/front door etc. We are still working on that.

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:42:58 PM EDT

[#11]

Very unpredictable and prone to attacking little kids. Stay away.
And people that own them act like " my baby didn do nuffin" moms and tell you how sweet they are and were about to turn their lives around.

Posted: 10/21/2014 6:46:16 PM EDT

[#12]

Ours has been a pretty good dog, but lately he's started to nip people. I didn't mind him nipping the Kirby vacuum retard, but some other people that have stopped by didn't really need to be nipped.

Posted: 10/21/2014 7:09:08 PM EDT

[#13]

I think they're great dogs. I've had 2 and wouldn't mind another one day. One was a great house dog, after the initial puppy stage, never an issue. Smart. She wasn't raised with kids, so sometimes she would nip at my niece when she would come over. Had to be careful. She would also nip at heels when people were leaving, but she was a heading breed, after all.

My second was a pepper and full of energy! Oh my! It was she that taught me Aussies weren't couch potatoes. Again, smart. No nipping with her. And she came from a working line.

Just be sure to buy from a good breeder for good health. If you are rescuing, then that doesn't matter, obviously. My first one came from a BBB before I knew better, I bought her when I turned 19 and moved out on my own. She lived to 16 years, but by 5 or 6, was going blind with cataracts and had hip dysplasia. She remains in my heart today and all dogs are rated against her.

Posted: 10/21/2014 7:15:06 PM EDT

[#14]

Best friend I ever had..RIP.

Posted: 10/21/2014 7:18:13 PM EDT

[#15]

Looks like a Border Collie to me

Posted: 10/21/2014 8:01:47 PM EDT

[#16]

I have had two , both males, they were smart and loving dogs never showed any aggression out side of home, But did get territorial at home with strangers.
Both were excellent with my two daughters and other kids, all though one of them did like to play cop and did not like kids fighting or being physical.

Unlike my cousins border collie at the end of the day they were happy to hang out and just chill, where the collie never did relax. They need job or they
will make there own,the tennis ball or frisbee everyday after work was a must, and everything they do is a 120% .

They loved water, if you take them anywhere near water you had wet dog.
They could have been more obedient but that was on me, I dident want dogs with broken spirits that to me was half of the fun, they made me laugh with
some of the stupid shit they would do and would play like puppys right up to the final days
I dont think I will ever own any other breed.

Posted: 10/21/2014 9:49:37 PM EDT

[#17]

Thanks for the replies...

I'm on the fence about having a super active dog because we aren't super active people - we are boring losers without lives. With that in mind, a bit of motivation to actually do something would be a nice change of pace as well.

All other traits seem to be desirable.

Posted: 10/21/2014 9:57:37 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Thanks for the replies...

I'm on the fence about having a super active dog because we aren't super active people - we are boring losers without lives. With that in mind, a bit of motivation to actually do something would be a nice change of pace as well.

All other traits seem to be desirable.

View Quote

Honestly, get a dog to fit the lifestyle you have, not the one you think you can maintain after you get the dog. You will end up with a bored, hyperactive, destructive dog that drives you nuts.

Posted: 10/21/2014 10:01:08 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:

Honestly, get a dog to fit the lifestyle you have, not the one you think you can maintain after you get the dog. You will end up with a bored, hyperactive, destructive dog that drives you nuts.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Thanks for the replies...

I'm on the fence about having a super active dog because we aren't super active people - we are boring losers without lives. With that in mind, a bit of motivation to actually do something would be a nice change of pace as well.

All other traits seem to be desirable.

Honestly, get a dog to fit the lifestyle you have, not the one you think you can maintain after you get the dog. You will end up with a bored, hyperactive, destructive dog that drives you nuts.

this. very much this. you and the dog will be much happier. "cute" isn't the final say in picking a dog. fitting the dog to you is the best way. please heed her advice. please.

Posted: 10/21/2014 10:03:04 PM EDT

[#20]

I have a Texas Heeler; half aussie and half cattle dog.

She was CRAZY active the first couple years but is mellowing out now. Rigorous exercise 2-3x's a week is still a must.

She does love to cuddle and hates being alone; very emotional dog.

She's also pretty strong willed. She will listen most if the time, but if she really doesn't want to do something...forget it

One nice thing about herding dogs is that they don't seem to wander off.

She has no desire to "escape", lol...she's terrified of being left behind.

ETA: First pic I found:

Speed

Posted: 10/21/2014 10:04:31 PM EDT

[#21]

Smart dogs.

Posted: 10/21/2014 10:15:00 PM EDT

[#22]

We have a 3 year old female Blue Merle Aussie. Very high energy, very smart and probably the best dog we have ever had. They need exercise...lots of it. I walk or run mine at least 3 miles every day and then have her chasing balls or frisbees in the yard.

Awesome dogs.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:08:57 AM EDT

[#23]

My Aussie is ~7 years old. I spent LOTS of time training and socializing him when he was young and it paid off. He is extremely intelligent and all he wants to do is make me happy. He is very goofy...He does funny stuff like go grab a ball and stand there staring at me. When I start laughing at him I swear he smiles and that little nub of a tail goes crazy. He definitely has a unique personality. Even the vet says he is goofy.

Kids crawl all over him and pull his hair, scream in his ears and he doesnt care. He gets along with everyone and everything. He isnt yappy. The only issue I have with him is that sometimes if he sees a kid running they may get tackled. I dont have kids or really ever have kids over so I havent put any effort into breaking him of it. We just tell the kids not to run if he is outside with them. He is not incredibly energetic. When he was younger we walked him ~3 miles every day but when we moved out to the country (and he hurt his hip) that stopped. He will usually play ball inside the house for a few minutes after he does his after dinner poop.

One thing to consider is that they always want to be close to you. He follows us room to room and can get in the way. Its so bad if you just say "Move" he gets up and tries to figure out where you want him to go. I'd love to have another one but our current house is a bit small.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:12:18 AM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
Neighbor had two, barkiest dogs I ever encountered. If they could see us at all they would not stop barking until we were out of sight.

View Quote

I have to totally DISAGREE on this......i've had 3.....at least not a "true" Aussie.

OP...just be prepared for hair shedding....buy a pair of "dog clippers" and make sure to keep the blades sharp....I cut mine about 4 times a year here in Texas...March..June...Aug..Oct...and she stays inside....

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:16:15 AM EDT

[#25]

HYPER, if you don't keep them busy, they will get into mischief, LOTS OF MISCHIEF.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:19:54 AM EDT

[#26]

Great dogs. Shed a lot.

If you're looking to rescue/adopt a purebred you'll probably run into a lot of "lethal white" examples. Two blue eyes, star shaped pupils, lots of white coloring, considered undesirable. My parent's have one like that, he's great, he's about 10 now, no health issues besides the fact that he's blind as a bat. He's fine with it though, he even still plays fetch. He runs into walls once in awhile though.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:24:29 AM EDT

[#27]

They aren't even Australian.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:29:07 AM EDT

[#28]

Quote History

Quoted:

this. very much this. you and the dog will be much happier. "cute" isn't the final say in picking a dog. fitting the dog to you is the best way. please heed her advice. please.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Thanks for the replies...

I'm on the fence about having a super active dog because we aren't super active people - we are boring losers without lives. With that in mind, a bit of motivation to actually do something would be a nice change of pace as well.

All other traits seem to be desirable.

Honestly, get a dog to fit the lifestyle you have, not the one you think you can maintain after you get the dog. You will end up with a bored, hyperactive, destructive dog that drives you nuts.

this. very much this. you and the dog will be much happier. "cute" isn't the final say in picking a dog. fitting the dog to you is the best way. please heed her advice. please.

This. I dog sit and a few of them are Aussies. They are great on walks, and need long ones every day. The ones I know will walk off leash and stick close by and come if I make sure to keep talking to them, but they do seem to always pay attention to me no matter how far out they get. The merle colors have interesting and can cause serious health problems. One red merle I walk can't catch a Frisbee because of a blind spot. He'll get hit in the forehead, chin, or neck but cannot catch the thing. So we don't play that game. It was funny to watch the first and only time though.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:36:05 AM EDT

[#29]

Smart fucking dogs. Like, if they could physically speak english, they would, type of smart. Very playful and loyal. The need a lot of interaction and person time.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:41:41 AM EDT

[#30]

Mine was named Bill. She showed up in our garage one day and my girls fell in love with her. She was terrified of me and I'm certain she was abused by a man at some point. Took her about a year to come around to me but she was by far the smartest dog I've ever had. I would take her over most people's children.

Posted: 10/22/2014 12:51:55 AM EDT

[#31]

Best dog we ever had was our Aussi / Collie mix. He was an outside dog. Good watch dog. I think he lived to about 14. He was good with kids. And he was a damned good fighter. He never took on a Pit but I don't think I saw him lose a fight with a neighbors dog.

Posted: 10/22/2014 1:05:46 AM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
Very unpredictable and prone to attacking little kids. Stay away.

View Quote

Yep, we are experiencing this very frustrating issue right now with our 1.5 yo Aussie. He is great with my kid, fine around adults but has aggression/fear issues around all kids. We got him as a pup and he has never had any negative experiences with children. This issue seemed to develop as he matured.

When my nieces or nephews or friends of my son come to visit, it is now necessary to keep him in his kennel or otherwise removed from any contact with kids, supervised or otherwise. So far, our attempts to break him of this has been unsuccessful. Even with a prong collar, muzzle and taunt lead, he can't be trusted around kids.

Posted: 10/22/2014 1:30:23 AM EDT

[#33]

I hope you live a face paced active lifestyle. They need lots of exercise, mental stimulation and a job to do.

Posted: 10/22/2014 1:42:41 AM EDT

[#34]

I have a Aussie Shepard mix- except he's small dog , 25lbs. I got him at 2-3 months old from a shelter.

He enjoys hunting squirrels , possums and pigeons.

Lil bastard is too smart for his own good.

Posted: 10/22/2014 1:58:25 AM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:

Yep, we are experiencing this very frustrating issue right now with our 1.5 yo Aussie. He is great with my kid, fine around adults but has aggression/fear issues around all kids. We got him as a pup and he has never had any negative experiences with children. This issue seemed to develop as he matured.

When my nieces or nephews or friends of my son come to visit, it is now necessary to keep him in his kennel or otherwise removed from any contact with kids, supervised or otherwise. So far, our attempts to break him of this has been unsuccessful. Even with a prong collar, muzzle and taunt lead, he can't be trusted around kids.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Very unpredictable and prone to attacking little kids. Stay away.

Yep, we are experiencing this very frustrating issue right now with our 1.5 yo Aussie. He is great with my kid, fine around adults but has aggression/fear issues around all kids. We got him as a pup and he has never had any negative experiences with children. This issue seemed to develop as he matured.

When my nieces or nephews or friends of my son come to visit, it is now necessary to keep him in his kennel or otherwise removed from any contact with kids, supervised or otherwise. So far, our attempts to break him of this has been unsuccessful. Even with a prong collar, muzzle and taunt lead, he can't be trusted around kids.

I have never heard of an aussie being agressive to kids. The female Aussie we had was protective while at home, but even then she was never aggressive. I just don't think that is a common trait. I think they will tend to herd kids but never heard of them being aggressive or attacking kids as a trait. Everything I have ever heard and experienced has been that they can be shy but are fantastic listeners and companions.

Posted: 10/22/2014 2:02:18 AM EDT

[#36]

Very trainable high energy dogs. This one has never showed signs of aggression. He has the best personality of the 3 I've had. Very friendly and energetic.

Posted: 10/22/2014 2:13:51 AM EDT

[#37]

Extremely smart, extremely loyal and what the others have said. There's a lot of variance from dog to dog though. We've had aussies for as long as we've had dogs and one piece of advice i'd give is to pick a puppy from the middle of the pack. The alfa pup will be the most active, most easily bored and challenging to train. Probably the best working dog though. The runt of the litter will often blossom with the right master and be loving and loyal to him, but may also be prone to fear-aggression around strangers. The beta and charlie pups are often the most 'normal' psychologically.

Posted: 10/22/2014 6:42:17 AM EDT

[#38]

Another few breeds for OP to consider:

Polish Lowland Sheepdog- similar in temperament to the Aussie but more laid back and slightly more protective. They can also be a little more stubborn and assertive.

Tibetan Terrier- another laid back candidate that's good with kids, intelligent, and a good family dog in general

Keeshond- a silly, happy, lovable breed renowned for being particularly in tune to their people. They adore children, and their ultimate desire is to be doing whatever their people are doing.

Finnish Lapphund- another gentle, friendly breed well known for being good with kids

Slightly more energetic, but not to be discounted would be the English Springer Spaniel and the standard Poodle.

Posted: 10/22/2014 7:13:02 AM EDT

[#39]

We have a year and a half - old, female. She's tough as nails, and routinely kicks the shit out of her older "brothers". (Shep-mutt and Wheaten Terrier)

What a great dog!

Posted: 10/22/2014 9:46:59 AM EDT

[#40]

We have a 2 y.o. mini. She is about 32 pounds, and as others have said high energy. She will come and stare at me after dinner because she knows it's time for her "exercise". Loves going running, hiking, riding in the truck, etc. She knows which shoes are my running shoes. When she sees me putting them on she goes nuts.

Fur covered energy ball:

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Australian Shepherds

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