"The Australian Shepherd is
intelligent, primarily a working dog of strong herding and
guardian instincts. He is an exceptional companion. He is
versatile and easily trained, performing his assigned tasks with
great style and enthusiasm. He is reserved with strangers but
does not exhibit shyness. Although an aggressive, authoritative
worker, viciousness toward people or animals is
intolerable." ASCA
breed standard
It was a dark and stormy night.
Really! And 8 homes in our neighborhood, including ours, were
broken into. 
At that point, rather than putting in a cold
and impersonal alarm system, we decided to get some dogs. But not
just any dog, mind you. We wanted dogs which would not only act
as early warning systems, but that would also be loving and
intelligent companions. After a fairly extensive breed search we
settled on the Australian Shepherd. We adopted our girls, Sheila
and Brumby, in October 1994, and life hasn't been the same since.
Of course, the cats had hissy fits at first and Thirteen was
quite up-front about making these two little hellions understand
who's boss. As "the girls" are pure-bred Australian
Shepherds, they immediately decided their job, as pups, was to
herd the cats. And, as everyone knows, cats don't herd,
but try telling that to a puppy with a purpose!
Life eventually settled down, with the cats pretty much ignoring
the dogs and the dogs doing everything possible to entice the
cats to play. Aunt Bea is the only cat who will pay any attention
to the girls. Even allowing them to wash her head on occasion. Of
course, no one has had the courage to tell her that it leaves her
looking like "Bill the Cat."
Sheila and Brumby have since become our faithful hiking, camping,
walking, and snuggle buddies. They are always eager to do what
ever we ask of them. And even though they are almost 5, both have
retained an innate sense of joy that is contagious.
Then, in the fall of 1998 we were offered the opportunity to own
a Black-Tri bitch, bred by Hardrock Aussies. This little girl,
whom we 
named Mudlucious Daffodil is a delight.
She's brought a new drive to Sheila, and has done wonders in
instilling a new sense of mischief in Brumby. We are currently
training in herding, agility and obedience. As you can see, she
showed an interest in ducks at an early age :}.
Australian Shepherds are high energy dogs and require a lot of
exercise. They are happiest when they have a job and if you don't
give them one they'll make one up (usually
involving destruction and mayhem). They're
extremely intelligent, exuberant, 
inventive, and,
generally speaking, have a great sense of humor. These dogs are
not couch potatoes and definitely not the right breed for the
sedate or faint of heart. The breed can be susceptible to certain
health problems, and care should be taken to make sure that if
you're bringing an Aussie into your home you only do so through a
reputable breeder or rescue group.
If you'd like more information on Australian Shepherds, check out
these links
ASCA
Home Page - the official Australian Shepherd Club
of America Home page
Greater
Atlanta Australian Shepherd Club - host
to the 2000 Nationals
Australian Shepherd Photo Page - be
sure and take a look at the rescues who are waiting for a new
home (maybe yours!)
The Australian Shepherd - Awesome
Aussies!!!
Aussiedogy's Home Page - great
page!
Other
Aussie links - breeders, kennels, and lots and lots
of pages devoted to the Australian Shepherd!
Home Me The Rest of
the Gang
Activities & Clubs
Gardening Hiking Photo Album Links
and Resources
CopyrightŠ Wendy
Eldredge
1999
The Hole In The Head Gang