By Kathleen Cole

Those of us who love Aussies can't imagine a more perfect breed of dog. Unfortunately, the very characteristics we value in these dogs make them unsuitable for some homes and owners. Consider carefully if your lifestyle can accommodate the exuberance of a typical Aussie.

The Australian Shepherd was developed to be a moderate sized, intelligent, all-purpose stock dog of great character and endurance. Many Aussies today still do the work they were bred for, and even those that have never seen sheep or cattle usually have a strong herding instinct. This means that Aussies need fenced yards and leashes, as the temptation to herd dogs, children, and traffic can simply overwhelm them.

 

Aussies need a job

Being bred to work hard all day means that most Aussies are not content to be couch potatoes, although Aussies have individual characters and some are more sedate and quiet-natured than others. For the most part, however, these are high-energy dogs who need a purpose in their lives, a job as it were. Owners must be committed to give these dogs the time and attention they require through play and training, for, as with any dog, undirected energy can turn towards destructive behaviors such as digging and chewing. Running, jumping, and rough-housing are all a part of being a normal Aussie.

The great intelligence of these dogs, necessary to out-think and control livestock, can be detrimental when left untrained and unused. Aussies are quite capable of out-thinking their owners. Obedience training is highly recommended as a means of teaching owners how to channel the typical Aussie's innate desire to please into appropriate behaviors. Aussies learn very quickly, so be certain you are willing to keep your Aussie occupied with walks, play, and training to benefit both mind and body.

 

Reserved with strangers

Although many Aussies are friendly with everyone, the Australian Shepherd as a breed tends to be somewhat reserved and cautious around strangers. With Aussies of this nature, owners should encourage the dog to meet people but not force encounters. Aussies are often quite protective of their family and property, a desirable trait in some situations but not acceptable in others, and some dogs never accept strangers. As with all dogs, poorly socialized Aussies may become aggressive without proper training.

Aussies are generally healthy dogs, and can be expected to live up to 12 years or more, so ownership can be a lengthy commitment. Although minimal , there is some grooming required to keep the coat clean and conditioned, such as regular brushing and nail trimming. To maintain their high energy levels, typical active Aussies may eat more than other, more sedate dogs of similar size, so be prepared to feed plenty of high quality food.

However, Aussies are perfect for people wishing to own a highly trainable, versatile, super-smart dog that can work/play "until the cows come home." If you have the time and commitment for an Aussie, you won't be disappointed. These special dogs deserve special owners. Their loyalty, drive, character, and whimsical sense of humor place them in a class by themselves!

Why are people getting rid of their Australian Shepherds?

By Trish Whitley

Australian Shepherds are being killed everyday and there is something you can do to help prevent this. Those familiar with Aussies know how wonderful they are; beautiful, smart, active, protective, versatile and more. Many people are discovering that the supply is meeting the demand, and then some. This article is for those of us who love Aussies and how to educate people about our favorite breed, but much of it could apply to all breeds as well.

I've only been doing Aussie rescue a short time, coming up on 4 years, but it doesn't take very long to understand what is going terribly wrong: People are not researching the breed they intend to buy, misinformation, lack of information. Many people are looking for a medium sized dog, one that is active enough to keep up with them, and one that will alert them to danger. Many people are looking at an Aussie to buy, whether they've been referred to the breed by a professional (veterinarian, groomer), a friend, or by doing some research on their own. The majority, being somewhat spontaneous, are running to their nearest newspaper or pet shop to buy an Aussie. Some take more time to find one from a reputable breeder. But many of these people, regardless of where they got them from, are getting rid of them not long after: 6 months to 4 years.

Why? Well it's easy - they didn't know enough about the Aussie before they bought one. They didn't investigate for themselves and no one offered complete information. The primary thing these people NEED to know is simple: The same characteristics that make Aussies wonderful for many can also be too much to handle for others, (for more information, see The Australian Shepherd - Personality and Character).

Let's look at the two main reasons that I find most people get rid of them: Aggressiveness and activity level. A person buys an adorable Aussie puppy and takes it home, lets call the dog "Shadow". The family plays with Shadow for a few months, housebreaking it, taking it to the vet for a checkup and shots, etc. Then the newness wears off, and this once fuzzy puppy keeps jumping on them and nipping at the children when they are playing in the yard, a resentment builds up. Shadow proceeds to get less and less interaction and never gets to leave the yard, as he is dragging them down the street when they try to take him for a walk. He is also beginning to destroy the yard, wearing paths in the grass, chewing anything he can find, digging holes. They took him to obedience class locally - but didn't do their homework with the dog - so he's learned very little. Well, time goes on and Shadow is now 1 or 2 years old. He is fence fighting with the neighbor's dogs, barking at passersby. Then one day the children's friends come in the backyard unannounced and whamo - the dog bites a child. Needless to say the parents can't tolerate having a biting dog around so they have to get rid of Shadow - right away. Some may call rescue, some take the dog to the shelter, some just "take it for a drive" or open their gate and let it leave. Several will take their frustrations out on the dog, abuse it, sometimes kill it themselves. One would think this couldn't possibly happen very often. Think again. It's going on all the time.

The people that bought Shadow had heard that Aussies are wonderful with children, they wanted a medium sized dog and Aussies are beautiful dogs! But what did they know about socializing, training, their protective nature, or fully understand about their activity level and needs? Apparently not enough! It is up to the "experts" of the breed to tell people about Aussies. An expert, in the eyes of someone who knows nothing about the dogs, is anyone who may be breeding, rescuing, or living with an Aussie. They have no other reason not to believe what you say. This means that if incomplete information is getting out there, then that is what is being passed along from person to person. I have found that most people who do rescue are extremely protective of the dogs we get into our programs. We don't want them to go to just any home, we want to make sure that it is the right home. That the potential owners understand what an Aussie's traits are, the positive and the negative. We will discourage anyone who doesn't seem like a "right fit" for an Aussie and work very closely with those that have passed the screening tests. We will turn away more folks then we accept.

Most people realize by talking to us that this breed really isn't what they thought or heard they were and move on. The average pet owner has to know everything that they are getting into with an Aussie, even if a breeder has to wait till the next person comes along and keeps the dog a little longer. A partial list of things to discuss with a prospective owner should be this: (I won't go into the obvious like visiting the potential new home)

* How much time do they have to exercise and train an Aussie?
* How to introduce children to dogs - training your children to be dog smart.
* How to introduce dogs to young children, for those planning a family in the near future.
* How to play with your dog - what encourages aggressive behavior and/or brings out the herding instinct.
* What is the herding instinct and how it affects the dogs behavior.
* What is normal behavior for an Aussie.
* What are the differences between an Aussie bred for stock work verses the show ring.
* Maturity level verses intelligence. (a slower maturing dog - what does this mean?)
* Information on being smarter than your dog.
* Suggestions on books, local trainers with behavior knowledge, and behaviorists.
* What is positive reinforcement, how can I get my dog to learn in a positive, fun way?
* Proper selection of an Aussie based on health, breeding, and temperament. What does white factored mean?
* Basic safety information. (no pickup trucks, choke collars ONLY when training, etc.)
* What kind of activities are available to do with your Aussie?
*Local and National clubs to help provide future training and information.
*To breed or not to breed.

When we know or run into someone who already owns an Aussie - there is still a great deal that we can educate them on. The misconceptions about breeding a dog are still rampant. People are still convinced that having at least one litter will calm down or mature their female dog, that spaying and neutering will make their dog fat, health risks for an intact dog, thinking as long as they don't have an intact dog of the opposite sex that there is no way for their dog to be bred, that male dogs have to sow their oats and it's inhumane not to let them breed. It goes on and on. All of these misconceptions are adding to overpopulation, a bad gene pool including poor health and temperaments - things I'm sure you already are aware of.

Why do these people still think these silly things? They don't know any better - no one has told them the facts, they are ignorant either by choice or surroundings. Lets tell them! One of the hardest things to learn when educating people about dogs is to be diplomatic. When you come across someone that is doing something blatantly wrong or about to - you cannot get angry with them. You can bite your lip and speak in a very definite tone - but if you make them mad they will not listen and go about doing whatever they were about to do. There is the chance that by making them see things in a more responsible light, that you can change their minds. Aside from the need to educate about breeding their dogs, we also need to help them along by offering or referring them to quality obedience instructors, training books and/or behaviorists. The activity level and intelligence of an Aussie can be too much for some to handle so they need to learn how to be smarter than the dogs and how to provide different activities for them. Otherwise the dog will likely end up in a shelter - or worse.

Another important thing that all breeders can do to help control the number of Aussies being ignorantly or mistakenly bred is to use a spay and neuter contract. This easy to use sale contract will ensure that any pet quality puppy will be spayed or neutered as a puppy. As a breeder you DO have control over what happens to the lives you've brought into this world, as well as a responsibility. One backyard breeder I spoke with was sure that the only reason a breeder would use this type of contract was for a selfish reason: To prevent others from breeding so that they (the breeder) could be selling more dogs - hence making the money. I had a very hard time explaining to him that the reason to do this is for responsible reasons - not greedy ones!

If you'd like to do a little experiment give this a try. Go pick up your local newspaper, check to see if there are any Aussies for sale, give that person a call and pretend to be an ignorant potential buyer. Ask a lot of questions like: Are they good with kids? Do they need a lot of exercise? I live in a condo, any problem? I only have a 3 foot fence, is this okay? Can I breed one of these dogs? Are you selling with a spay/neuter contract? Why did you breed this litter? Are you currently competing your dogs? Can I meet the parents? Have the parents been tested for hips and eyes? I'll bet, in most cases, that you will be disgusted and surprised about what you are hearing.

The results of that conversation will probably demonstrate the LACK of information out there. Can you turn around and educate this person you called on? Sure! Just do it calmly and with a helpful tone, otherwise they'll hang up on you. If I had a nickel for every person that has said to me "I wish I knew that before . . . " I'd be able to alter a lot of dogs with that money!! Education is the key, it is one of the things YOU can do to save lives.