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Still more breed questions, as we consider adding a different breed to our household....this time I'm comparing these three breeds: Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds, and Corgis. How would you compare their temperaments, energy levels, affectionate nature/velcro-itiveness (new word!), protective nature, etc.
Aussies tend to be more friendly and outgoing with strangers seem to be less likely to be snappy. They along with the other two tend to be really high energy dogs and require interactive owners who will keep them busy. Aussies are probably the most easily trained of the three IMHO. Cattle dogs and corgis can be really independent thinkers and I think Aussies are more people oriented. Cattle dogs can have a stubborn streak however once you both are on the same page they are awesome dogs who will do just about anything for their owners. IMHO they aren't a good choice for inexperienced owners and probably small children either and they do seem to be snappy when provoked. They tend to be "one man dogs" and more aloof with strangers. This is another breed that will require LOTS of exercise and training however I think they calm down significantly with training and tend to be pretty calm in the house. Any of these breeds will tear up your stuff if they are not geting enought physical and emotional sitimulation. When it comes down to it all dogs are individuals and some more active or manic then others. I can't really comment or corgis because I have only known a few and none of them in any meaningful way.
Really ACD's and Aussies require a sigificant commitment as these are dogs who will get themselves into trouble when bored, They require A LOT of exercise and should have a tremendous amount of structure early on. When well trained both have the potential to be great dogs. Adding a same sex corgi or heeler to your exisiting dogs could be an issue but that would depend largely on the dogs in question.
Please consider adoption...There are many homeless ADC's and Aussies in need of homes.
Depends on which Corgi you are talking about. I have a Cardigan. I don't know much about the Pembroke, only what I have read. I started out wanting a Pem but then looking into the Cardis I chose the Cardigan.
Finnegan is 7 months and as any puppy is full of energy. And yes he loves to chew. He is very intelligent and has learned things much quicker then any dog I have ever had. He's a very confident little guy. Very clown like, and just full of personality. Great watch dog, really alert. He is a big dog in a small package. I had a GSD before him and Finn does require more exercise then my GSD did. But he will also settle down when I need him to. I had him around my 3 yr old nephew last month for the first time and he did great. Finn was not rough at all. That was the first time he had ever been around a small child. He is also the most affectionate dog, loves to cuddle. Loves to be with you but not real needy. As for being stubborn, haven't seen that, but he's still young.
I believe they are not as hyper as the Pems are. I also have read that the Pems are friendlier, Cardis are more aloof with strangers which is what I like. But I can't imagine him ever snapping at anyone. He just loves everybody. He has also been exposed to people and other dogs everyday since we got him, I think thats important with any dog.
I don't know anything about the other breeds. If you want a small dog with a big dog personality then the Corgi is a good choice.
I had a blue heeler, and he was my best dog. He was the perfect pet...so smart, so trainable...he could read our minds! I would definately get another....BUT, I'd get a female, because he was a bit too territorial, and I've heard that from other owners as well.
bailey is acd mix ..... not a clue what the mix is, but her predominant personality is cattle dog..... and i will second the independent thinker..... she can be stubborn and hard headed at times...... and was a bit of a handful until she got to be about 2 or 2-1/2..... was pretty mouthy as a pup too...... although she never really chewed much of anything she wasn't supposed to.......
BUT..... loyal, velcro (look up the word in the dictionary..... there is her picture..... ), alert, protective of me and "her territory," and good about sounding the alarm ..... she is attached most strongly to me, but adores my house mate as well..... i have had more than one person remark about how in tune she is to me...... she does tend to be more reserved with people she doesn't know, but does VERY well with children from toddlers to teens..... very patient with the little ones petting her and hugging her all over her body..... and i have no children in my house.....never had human children of my own.... she will try to herd a running or jogging person, but that can be controlled.....
stamina to run through the woods for miles when she gets the opportunity..... at nearly 5 years old, has more stamina than the 1 y/o border collie / probably lab mix foster boy i had over the summer and more stamina than the 1 y/o lab / probably boxer mix boy i have now does..... but content to lay around the house while i am at work....... although she does let me know that it is time to go to the park NOW when i get home......
pretty much house trained by 4 months..... the only accidents she has EVER had were MY fault or once when she had a sick tummy......and she was TERRIBLY embarrassed about that...... has always been pretty fastidious about her potty..... and very good about letting me know when she needs to go out if it has been too long......
i don't know much about the aussies..... other than that they can be strikingly beautiful dogs..... with a high degree of intelligence.... and i REALLY don't know much about corgis, other than the queen of england favors them and has or had a boatload of them.......
Well I adore my aussie mix, of course. She is very much a velcro dog! She is a great watch dog as well, no one comes to the door without me knowing about it. I have to say she isn't friendly with most strangers. Not aggressive, but cautious and can sound scary.
From what I've seen, Australian Cattle Dogs tend to be biters. Keep in mind that I usually see them in the vet clinic, so I'm sure that makes a difference.
I've seen some Corgis be nippy and others that were thrilled with whatever attention they could get. It almost seemed to be a regional thing?
Yeah, LOL my heeler can outlast my border collie out on the trail in the desert and herding...I do believe my BC is a bit of a wuss though. I think it's easier to find a RANDOM heeler who is still suitable for their origional purpose than it is a border collie at least in the U S. The average heeler is still one tough little dog and they seem to still have a touch of the outback in them. With BC's it pays to know the bloodlines if your desire is a serious working dog. My heeler is willing to take on just about anything I can come up with in the field...everytime I take him out I am impressed with his drive and problem solving abilities.
Yeah, LOL my heeler can outlast my border collie out on the trail in the desert and herding...I do believe my BC is a bit of a wuss though. I think it's easier to find a RANDOM heeler who is still suitable for their origional purpose than it is a border collie at least in the U S. The average heeler is still one tough little dog and they seem to still have a touch of the outback in them. With BC's it pays to know the bloodlines if your desire is a serious working dog. My heeler is willing to take on just about anything I can come up with in the field...everytime I take him out I am impressed with his drive and problem solving abilities.
bailey is FAR from the fastest dog in the dog park..... a result of being chubby (my fault ..... she needs more exercise than she gets and she is a treat and people food HOUND.... again, my fault) AND the fact that her legs are short for her body........
BUT.... she knows this and when the big game of chase gets going, she will stand off to the side and watch.... and calculate where the lead dog is heading.... and position herself to race in and cut him or her off at the pass.....successfully every single time......
I have had the good fortune to have two Pembroke Corgi mixes for 12.5 years. My girl Brownie just passed on November 2nd. They have been the most wonderful dogs. Full of life! Intelligent, loyal, good natured, always curious, well behaved, playful and a good sense of humor, sweet, quick to learn, and all around wonderful company. They can be quite comedic!
I've never heard of a Corgi being a nippy type dog and I've certainly never witnessed it in mine. Curious if the PP was dealing with purebreds or crossbreeds?
Corgis much more than other dogs imo, are certain they're human. lol They are not a dog that wants to be leashed up outside or even outside in a fenced yard without you. They want to be wherever you are. They are very social animals. They want to be part of whatever you're doing. They are wonderful family dogs. If you have two as I did, they do love to herd each other as that is in their genes.
They are very territorial. They are quite certain that anyone they don't know who comes into an area they are in, albeit the wooded trail you're walking down, the sidewalk, etc., needs to be alerted they are on your turf. They will bark notification to them! lol Regarding their intellgence, they both would come to me and bark to let me know of things that needed attention. Example: Coming three rooms away to let me know the buzzer on the oven was beeping because my pizza was cooked!, coming and nuzzling me to let me know the cat was at the slider to come in, putting the window in the truck down with their paw on the electric button, etc. Just a myriad of little things they do because they are that alert. Really great!
I work in the vet industry as well, and some breeds seem to be less tolerant of discomfort and have a lower bite inhabition . There are other breeds who generally don't seem to appreciate being handled by strangers and can be very unpredictable (Chows, Akitas,and to a lesser extent Rotts and Cattle Dogs come to mind) There are exceptions to every rule and I am quite certain that most of these dogs are fine in their home situation but some breeds just stand out as generally posing more of a bite risk than others and from my experience I would include Corgis and Border Collies on the low bite inhabition list. Aussies in my experience aren't anywhere near as likely to bite in a defensive situation. I have to agree that some of this does seem to vary to some degree by region...I don't think I ever encountered a nasty Rott until I moved to Vegas, and there, probably 70% that came to the practice had aggression issues.
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), alert, protective of me and "her territory," and good about sounding the alarm ..... she is attached most strongly to me, but adores my house mate as well..... i have had more than one person remark about how in tune she is to me...... she does tend to be more reserved with people she doesn't know, but does VERY well with children from toddlers to teens..... very patient with the little ones petting her and hugging her all over her body..... and i have no children in my house.....never had human children of my own.... she will try to herd a running or jogging person, but that can be controlled..... 
