hey this is shellie and I was wondering if you could give me some information on the austrailian shepard because i am suppose to be getting one and i dont have any udnerstandingabout them.

Why are you getting a breed you know nothing about? The Australian Shepherd can be a very head-strong character, one that is intelligent and I don't think suitable as just a pet. They need to 'work', whether it be training for show, obedience, agility or field trials - the more they do the more keen they are to learn. They also need lots of exercise off lead.
They are very protective of their own (including the property where they live), and can be vocal if they even think there is someone approaching the house. Where are you getting your dog from? Surely the breeder would have given you information on the breed.
I love Aussies, they are my favourite breed of dog - they're just full of character, but they are a dog you have to be firmly in charge of, because otherwise they will be in charge of you!
Hilda

Hilda, you beat me to it!

Shelly - are you in the UK or are you in the US? I cannot think of any breeder over here who would contemplate letting you have one of her pups without you having the first idea of what you would be taking on. They are wonderful dogs - but you do have to realise that the Aussie is primarily a working dog who does have a herding instinct (you should see my cats try to slink away before any of the Aussies notice & start rounding them up!) As Hilda says, they can be pretty vocal when they are "guarding" their home. They are wonderful dogs, very quick to learn, and very eager to please.

If you are in the UK, go back to your breeder, and ask him/her all these questions. Come to any of the dog shows over the weekend, and seek our the Aussie people (we'll either be in the Aussie classes (obviously :-)!) - or in AV Pastoral. Someone with an Aussie is always eager to talk about them. I'll be at Towerlands, Braintree on Monday if you are near that vicinity.

Margot

Hi Shellie,

i agree with the other poster, you need to research thoroughly into a breed before getting it. Many breeds are just not suitable as family pets and quite rightly need to work.

I would suggest you either look around for another breed if you are not going to work this dog, ie. obedience or agility or buy a book very quickly and speak to as many Aussie owners as possible so you are prepared!!

Many dogs are on rescue because they were bought and not researched beforehand or because owners just didn't realise what things like "strong willed", "boisterous" or "bold" actually meant and were not prepared.

Please think carefully about what you are doing, remember "a dog is for life"!

manda
X

Hi Manda,
Our local rescue has always got lots of border collies in for this reason - people end up bringing them in because they are too lively and too full of energy!
I think before you get any breed, even if it's crossbreed and you know one or other of the parent breeds, you look into it's characteristics, positive and negative. Obviously no two dogs are the same, but my last Aussie, though affectionate, at the same time was a very dominant dog. If he had been my very first dog, I would have had a hard time with him! Only because I was aware, did I know from day one never to let him have the last word, and I learnt so much at local dog training club.
The aussie I have now is more submissive, but still a very bouncy and boisterous boy, which wouldn't be to everyone's liking! He is training obedience, which really is a great way to have control, but he also wants to do it, is incredibly keen to learn and do!
Hilda

Agree totally - if we hadn't had such a hard time coping with our older rescue dog, we wouldn't have been so prepared for our Aussie bitch, even then we have had our moments :) :) We had lots of advice before getting her, one breeder we visited did her very best to put us off (she didn't succeed - but it did make us think).

Daisy

Hi Hilda,

Definately agree with you, it's so sad there are so many dogs out there looking for new homes through just being a typical example of their breed.

Hopw can we educate people to research into dogs before buying them, it seems impossible!!!! :(

manda
X

Oh how I do agree with you!! When Loki had her puppies, I spent hours and hours emailing people questionnaires and notes on the breed, talking on the phone to them before getting anywhere near letting them see the puppies! Even so, even with checking very carefully, we came near to a disaster - the family whom we thought seemed ideal - had had border collies, had retrievers, teenage children, Mum wanting to train, Dad interested in obedience - but their knowledge of Aussies had to be theoretical because when they came to pick up their pup (after having photos emailed, etc) - they suddenly realised that the Aussie is a tail-less breed They went away to think about it (we had already decided that they weren't going to have her) - and came back, v.v. apologetic - they couldn't have a dog without a tail!

Obviously they hadn't researched the breed properly - but it has also made me aware that I shall ensure when we have the next litter (am I really contemplating another litter??????) that my questionnaire will be even longer and more detailed!

Margot

Hi Shellie,
Whilst we all agree that you should be seeking more advice from your prospective breeder, there are also many useful books,such as ''All about Aussies'' and ''The Australian Shepherd, Champion of Versatility'' that have lots of useful information and there are also two breed clubs in the U.K. who will provide you with more information on owning an australian shepherd. The addresses of these clubs can be found on this website by using the search option, pastoral group, australian shepherd breed clubs. If you are in the U.S.A, then there are also two parent clubs as well as many regional clubs. If you require more information on these, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Well done, on coming forward and asking questions, you have made the first step towards educating yourself further on the australian shepherd.

To the other people who have replied to this........ remember we were all novices once. Everybody has to start somewhere....... Let's educate, not alienate. :-)
Yes, Hilda and Margot, we are doing this from America, having a great holiday, with a massive ''aussie fix'' !!!!!!!!! This is ''aussie heaven''...........

Applethorn and Gabrielle xxx

Ah - aint the WWW grand!!! Enjoy your holiday Jayne & Gabrielle!

Hi Jayne & Julie,
Great to hear you're having a wonderful holiday - surrounded by Aussies and showing!! - I'm really jealous!!!! I bet your two weeks has absolutely flown by - but then you'll be looking forward to coming home and seeing your own doggy families again!
Will probably see you at Stafford next Sat at the show - though I haven't entered Cody. He's more or less finished with losing his undercoat now - looked so tatty for a while, but oddly enough now that it's gone he looks better (just thinner!).
Hilda

Having just finished vacuuming - again - I can definitely say that my little one hasn't finished her moult :( She hasn't had her first season yet - will she moult again after that as well

Daisy

Hi Shellie,
I'm sure none of us intended to 'alienate' you from getting a puppy - so sorry if messages have come across as that! It's just the way you posted your message, it sort of sounded as if it was a spur of the moment decision to get a puppy. By all means read some books and join a breed club - that way you will at least have a phone number to get help if you have any questions or problems. Of course it's true we were all novices once, though I have to say I made sure I knew the breed well enough beforehand to be able to say, yes that is what I want and can cope with! Good luck with your puppy.
Hilda