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i have an australian shepherd (2nd one). i enjoy her a lot and she is more true to the breed that my last one. but i want a bigger dog next time so im thinking maybe gsd.
i have an australian shepherd (2nd one). i enjoy her a lot and she is more true to the breed that my last one. but i want a bigger dog next time so im thinking maybe gsd.
She's standing ON the dog???? OMG. Well, they DO have a desire to be useful!
Husky drives: prey drive, running. Will chase prey with full intent of catching and carrying on from there. Often are strongly independent.
Aus drives: deeply modified prey drive - HERDING. Should NOT bite, but should GRIP with teeth on occasion. Might be seen by humans as a nip. They can be bossy of other critters - dogs, livestock, humans. Often are ORGANIZED and rule-driven. Will put animals and toys in their proper spot - be it paddock, field, or basket in the corner.
Both will find outlets if outlets are not provided. And the drives can be muted if they are never used. But, once used, the drives are alive forever. So you COULD find a husky who will leave cats alone. And if an Aus never gets to use the herding drive, it may not develop. But I wouldn't count on it.
Actually, tho, there is a LOT of variance in individuals. You can find working bloodline Aus who have no herding drive. Not common, but it happens. Etc.
She's standing ON the dog???? OMG. Well, they DO have a desire to be useful!
yeah, its not something we let continue but i had to snap a picture of her looking at me like "do you see what she is doing to me?" i have social issues with her that i didnt have with my last one, but i think that this one is more consistent with issues that are common with the breed.
. . .I haven't found her a job yet and I know she needs one, but I have started riding her a few miles along my bicycle at a pretty good clip to disperse some of her energy. I don't mind doing some 10 mile rides with her 2-3 times a week, plus shorter walks/rides on off days. . . .
BTW, I neglected to mention something about your exercise plan. Any time you RUN a dog, or do agility, or anything like that - obstacle courses at the park, whatever - you should treat them like an athlete. And a young dog should be treated like a young athlete. A year old dog is a teenager. Any signs of discomfort or unwillingness should be heeded as a communication from the dog. If they show soreness, you gotta cut back.
Running with a dog you should probably work up to. Just to be sure they are fit enough, both cardiovascularly and in terms of soft tissue (joints, tendons). Those all need to be strengthened as one goes. Which should happen naturally if you build up to distance over time.
Also, there is a lot of variance in individuals. Ray Coppinger had a Border Collie he turned into one of his best sled dogs. And he used that BC to create a bloodline of sled dogs. He used more traditional breeds as the base, but I forget what.
But take my two. They are littermates, and look so alike they could be twins. But the female, after a mile or two, can outrun the male by a large margin. He has overheating issues. On a sprint, or middle distance, they are pretty equal. But when it comes to jumping, the male is far superior. The female will quickly develop bursitis from extended agility work. Running? No problem for her.
We have not approached her limits yet. One hour after a several mile ride, she wants to go again.
Yeah, if she were working, she might do that multiple times in a day. One ride of a few miles should be enough, though, unless you want to do more! If that's the case, ride on!
I need to teach her to not destroy my house while I'm gone to work by Monday or Tuesday. I can't/won't leave her in a crate for 8 hours, and I'd be seriously worried that she would injure herself trying to get out. I won't lock her in a room because I'm afraid she'd dig through the floor or door. Wish me luck. I'm spending today and tomorrow removing all loose objects within her reach, which of course I will fail at. Then we'll have several days of practice leaving her for progressively longer periods. Now that she's had a stable owner for a month, and is now in her permanent home with a nice comfy (cheap, hand-me-down) couch to sleep on this could work right? Say yes....I don't believe it but say yes...
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