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SiliconX posted:Thanks for the advice guys, I didn't realize Border Collies were that demanding. I consider us active but now I'm not really sure we're that active. We are still open to breed suggestions and I do like the Australian Shepard. We'll definitely look into it. Border Collies are one of the most demanding breeds, hands-down. If you do opt to go for a border collie, I'd spend some time poking around these boards: http://www.bordercollie.org/boards/index There's a big split within the breed between working, sport and show. There are people who believe that BCs became the dogs we know and love solely because of their ability to herd, so they should only be bred from accomplished herding parents. Then there are those who feel that sport is a sufficient job for BCs -- they tend to create insanely fast, biddable, sensitive, high-strung dogs. Finally you have the show people who feel that they can honor the history of the breed while breeding towards a physical breed ideal (which I kind of think is dumb). Then I guess you have people who breed BCs for pets and don't really do anything with their dogs and aren't active within the breed community. I think that the working purists have some good points, but I also love the sports-bred dogs. I know plenty of show-bred BCs that are cool, fun dogs that generally are a bit less intense than others, but if you go that route you'll probably have a few breed people guffaw at your decision. They don't tend to be great with kids, but there are exceptions. If you're not dumb about it, you can have a household with both with a bit of work. Aussies aren't exactly easy either. Some are. Some may as well be crazy BCs. I find that they're a bit more stable, temperamentally, than BCs on average. They're still a breed that is close to its working roots and shouldn't be entered into lightly. You can find some pretty mellow, cool Aussies, but there are plenty of the insane, reactive, barky ones around too (like mine!). Do your homework. Research breeders in your area. Get a feel for the temperament of the mature dogs. Be upfront with the breeder about what you're looking for (stable, calm(?), etc.) and try not to work with someone who you suspect will foist their pups off on anyone. If you get serious about the breed, PM me and I can try to point you in the right direction. For both BCs and Aussies you'll want eye clearances via CERF, Penn-Hip or OFA scores in the parents to try to avoid hip dysplasia, you'll want to know if there's epilepsy in any of the lines, reactivity, cancer, etc. Probably more, but I'm running out of time so I'm gonna just post this. E: I see that the BC board has been linked already. Beaten!
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Dec 29, 2014 22:48
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| # ¿ May 21, 2024 13:53 |
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I forget that Aussies are supposed to have a sense of humor because mine doesn't.
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Dec 30, 2014 01:04
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