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 2009-09-17 2:08 PM in reply to: #2411982 |
Elite  3770     |  Subject: RE: puppy helpMelissa you're awesome! And this was post-jumping into the bushes and causing a huge hole. She took care of Fen when we had a long bike ride and wedding Saturday, only a week from knee surgery, and I cannot imagine how she managed to limp along all day! |
| 2009-09-17 2:18 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Master 4101 Denver | Subject: RE: puppy help I asked my vet about running when Greta was maybe 4 months or so. She told me I was allowed to run with her down the block or so, just to get her used to it and teach her how to run with me. She said after maybe 4-5 months (so when Greta was 8 or 9 months) then it was ok to start taking her on longer runs, gradually building up her milage. I've also read you shouldn't have them jumping (such as playing frisbee) until they're 1 to 1-1/2 years old. |
| 2009-09-17 4:06 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Regular 79 Leesburg, | Subject: RE: puppy help I remember going through all of this with my dog a little over a year ago! |
| 2009-09-17 4:19 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Expert 1456 Central New Jersey | Subject: RE: puppy help Our German Shepherd puppy (now 1 1/2) like to jump up. 2 things. For counters, etc. Put a cookie tray (something not breakable) hanging JUST over the edge of the counter and LOAD IT UP with lots of noisy metal things (measuring cups, spoons, etc). Things that won't hurt the dog but make a lot of noise. Took 1 day and she stopped. Same thing with stealing the dish towel, fold it up over the stove and load it up. People are amazed she doesn't steal it. For you - same thing, except you need to hold something noisy (soda can full of pennies) every time puppy jumps shake the thing. Stopped jumping real quick  Try finding a kong toy (or something hard/ and chew resistant). Layer food in it between thin layers of cream cheese. Make the puppy work for the food (takes longer and much more mentally stimulating). It does get better. |
| 2009-09-17 6:44 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Elite 7783 PEI, Canada | Subject: RE: puppy help Did someone say Aussie pics??? This is Sydney playing flyball...  This is Tessa relaxing at the lake...  This is the two of them swimming...  We love our Aussies!!! |
| 2009-09-17 8:47 PM in reply to: #2411862 |
Extreme Veteran 499 Racine WI | Subject: RE: puppy help OMG, a thread that I can relate too oh so well. I need to show this to Cindy. We adopted an Aussie Shepard / mix of some sort from a shelter in IL back in late spring. They told us she was a "mild" dog and about a year. Boy, were they wrong on both accounts. This dog is non-stop energy (and we think she is slightly younger than they told us but thats not an issue). I think she was waiting to find a home to come out of her shell. She is a great dog despite losing too many shoes to even begin to count, one dining room table leg, a couple of dinner table chair legs, a couple of blankets, and who knows what else we havent realized is missing yet. We finally figured out that crating her when we arent around is the best bet (I need to try feeding her in crate to see how she reacts). She seems very content in there. She still "mouths" a lot but is slowly getting better. She has been very trainable with the basic commands. My backyard looks like a bombing range though (lots of craters and holes). She has one really cute habit, she gives hugs when she sees you. We have talked to several other owners of similar herding breeds who have told us that she is going to have this level of energy for many years to come (oh my backyard) but that we should find a "job" for her. I have even considered taking her to doggy-daycare a couple of times a week so she can play with the other dogs and burn of her energy. Best of luck to you with your dog, sounds like we'll be able to share dog stories for many years to come...... |
| 2009-09-18 8:02 AM in reply to: #2412890 |
Master 1920 Ann Arbor, MI | Subject: RE: puppy help MarkK - 2009-09-17 9:47 PM OMG, a thread that I can relate too oh so well. I need to show this to Cindy. We adopted an Aussie Shepard / mix of some sort from a shelter in IL back in late spring. They told us she was a "mild" dog and about a year. Boy, were they wrong on both accounts. This dog is non-stop energy (and we think she is slightly younger than they told us but thats not an issue). I think she was waiting to find a home to come out of her shell. She is a great dog despite losing too many shoes to even begin to count, one dining room table leg, a couple of dinner table chair legs, a couple of blankets, and who knows what else we havent realized is missing yet. We finally figured out that crating her when we arent around is the best bet (I need to try feeding her in crate to see how she reacts). She seems very content in there. She still "mouths" a lot but is slowly getting better. She has been very trainable with the basic commands. My backyard looks like a bombing range though (lots of craters and holes). She has one really cute habit, she gives hugs when she sees you. We have talked to several other owners of similar herding breeds who have told us that she is going to have this level of energy for many years to come (oh my backyard) but that we should find a "job" for her. I have even considered taking her to doggy-daycare a couple of times a week so she can play with the other dogs and burn of her energy. Best of luck to you with your dog, sounds like we'll be able to share dog stories for many years to come...... What is your exercise regiment with your dog? It sounds like you have yourself a very high energy dog, and you are right- without a job to do, your dog is going to continue finding her own jobs, and your house will continue to suffer. We took Cody to doggie daycare once a week from 4mos to 1.5 years, and it worked very well. Every morning, we were out there throwing a ball or frisbee, or taking her on a long hike (until she could run, then it was morning runs). Every night, she either went to the dog park for an hour, or went on another long walk/disc throwing session. I am not talking a few times a week- I mean EVERY single day. Always. Rain or shine, snow or sleet- she was ALWAYS out twice a day (not including play time and pee time or doggie daycare, obviously). We also went to obedience or agility once a week, and we went to a special dog park once a week- every single week. It just wasn't an option NOT to do this, she needed it as much as I need to workout. And, that was the easy part! The hard part was when I was trying to get schoolwork done at home, and she was stealing my pens and eating my books, chewing on my hands or trying to hump my leg. That was when I didn't want her to be a puppy anymore :) Have you done a lot of research on the breed? I can point you to a lot of good articles if you need them. I researched the breed for YEARS before I got my Aussie. I even thought I knew what I was getting into, but I was wrong!! The physical energy is easy to control, especially being an athlete. The greatest challenge I found was keeping Cody busy mentally. Reading articles on puppies were useless- giving an Aussie a chew toy, or filling up a Kong works for approximately 10minutes, then is no longer interesting for the breed. If the object is not moving on it's own, then where is the fun in that? Here is a really good read: http://www.k9station.com/articles/raisinganaussie.htm I read that article AFTER I got Cody, hehe. But- after those very taxing puppy years, Cody is now sooo well behaved, and I couldn't be happier with how she turned out. She doesn't need AS much exercise, and she's only 2- the key is to be consistent. (sorry, I can't get the link to embed! Gr) Edited by jazz82482 2009-09-18 8:03 AM |
| 2009-09-18 8:51 AM in reply to: #2411130 |
Elite 3770 | Subject: RE: puppy help We need a puppy support group. I LOVE the flyball pix! We are hoping to do flyball and frisbee with her! And I am hoping that she takes to swimming, we'll be using the two labs to teach her. Can't go wrong with that, I hope. I was lucky that my border collie is a husky mix and that takes the edge off...but he used to get the crack addict heebee jeebies at 10:00 pm every night. He got lyme's at 3, which made him an extremely calm dog, to the point that he was like a 10 year old...so like I said, I got a taste of the hyper breed, but its been awhile. We've been watching the Dog Whisperer like crazy. I LOVE Ceasar....he is incredible. Zak George also has some fantastic videos on Youtube and will have a show on Animal Planet soon. Thanks for the can and noisy utensils idea! |
| 2009-09-18 8:54 AM in reply to: #2411436 |
| Pro 4054 yep, | Subject: RE: puppy help Gaarryy - 2009-09-17 10:30 AM I really needed a puppy thread.... too many political threads lately.
I agree 100%. I try and get away from the office politics and discussion of politics. I honestly could care less. There is very little that I can do about it right now.
And of course the cute puppies can easily distract my attention. Awwwww |
| 2009-09-18 9:37 AM in reply to: #2411130 |
Master 1327 Ann Arbor, Michigan | Subject: RE: puppy help Thanks for starting this thread!!! Jazz#s and I have been kibbitzing rapid fire because I'm about to pull the trigger on getting an Aussie!!! I'm so excited -- scared and nervous and excited and this is all very valuable information!!! |
| 2009-09-18 6:43 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
| Subject: RE: puppy help Turtlegirl, I haven't taken the time to read all the replies, so some of this maybe repetitive. I'm also an Aussie fan. "Miss Swamp Dog" is a red tri Aussie who turned 2 this summer. We got her at 10 weeks so we went through everything you're going through. A rule of thumb for potty training....they can "hold it" an hour for every month of age. So at 11 weeks she should be close to being able to go 3 hours. But why wait? Take her out more often if you can. Use whatever words you want her to know for the cue, and don't take her in until she goes. It can be mind numbingly painful to do this. Give her LOTS of chew toys. Our is a SERIOUS chewer. Chews like nobody's business. But not EVER on anything that she should be chewing on. She's working on a raw marrow bone at the moment. When it's done, I'll put yogurt in it and freeze it for another treat. She LOVES her bones. Buy toys that are TOUGH. She will chew them to pieces in no time if they're not tough enough. No soft fuzzy toys for Miss Swamp Dog. She has a killer instinct for the squeakers and rips them right out. LOTS of exercise, at least an hour a day if you can squeeze it in. We hike for at least an hour every day. I let her go off leash in the woods so if I do 2 - 3 miles she probably does 5 or 6. We leash trained her before we ever tried anything off leash however. It's ok if she does some running while you're out, but running a few miles while you train isn't good for her. My vet said 14 months old was a good time to start. You want to make sure she's done growing and that the growth plates are done as well. You don't want to risk doing any damage there while she's so young. These dogs are soooo smart! Last night she brought me a toy to play with and I told her no, it's too late to play. It's time for bed. And she turned around, went upstairs and got in my bed! Anyhow, enjoy your Aussie! They are tons of fun! |
| 2009-09-20 10:04 AM in reply to: #2411130 |
Master 1662 Flagstaff and Phoenix, AZ | Subject: RE: puppy help I've had an Aussie/Great Dane mix for 4 weeks now. He's 5 months old. During this time he got most of his adult teeth so there was a lot of chewing going on. I made sure all my shoes were stored away in a closet and then left an old pair of running shoes out for him. They're still his favorite toy after 4 weeks, never gets tired of them--although you can hardly tell they used to be shoes. A stuffed Kong toy also works well to keep him busy. We walk 1-1.5 hours every day in addition to playtime with the neighbors' dogs. He still gets into frenzies sometimes in the house but not too bad. Here's the baby last week:  He might not look much like an Aussie but he loves to herd! Puts on the typical Aussie, low-crouching, stalking body language and rounds them up... dogs and kids. It's too funny. Edited by SauseEnte 2009-09-20 10:14 AM |
| 2009-09-20 7:44 PM in reply to: #2416008 |
Master 1920 Ann Arbor, MI | Subject: RE: puppy help SauseEnte - 2009-09-20 11:04 AM I've had an Aussie/Great Dane mix for 4 weeks now. He's 5 months old. During this time he got most of his adult teeth so there was a lot of chewing going on. I made sure all my shoes were stored away in a closet and then left an old pair of running shoes out for him. They're still his favorite toy after 4 weeks, never gets tired of them--although you can hardly tell they used to be shoes. A stuffed Kong toy also works well to keep him busy. We walk 1-1.5 hours every day in addition to playtime with the neighbors' dogs. He still gets into frenzies sometimes in the house but not too bad. What a cutie!! And what a fun mix, too! Just a warning about the shoe chew toy, and I learned this the hard way- Now that you have given him a shoe for a chew toy, he will think all shoes are chew toys- because you said it was OK. The next time you leave a new pair of running shoes out, and he decides those are his NEW chew toys- are you going to correct him and get angry? Is that fair- how can he really tell that the new ones are not for chewing, but the old ones are OK? They both smell like shoe.... I made this mistake, and gave my dog a pair of old running inserts once, and now she thinks all running inserts are fair game. I also gave her an old visor one time, so now whenever she finds a visor or hat, she chews it. She does not chew anything that I've told her not to, however, so I know she is not being deliberately naughty- she just genuinely thinks these are her toys. Just a warning- same thing goes with stuffed animals! We let her go after stuffed animals, but one time we brought her to my mom's house, who had a stuffed animal toy box, and Cody went nuts!! In the morning, there was a graveyard of stuffed animals, all missing their faces- nose, eyes mouth, all gone. It was a stuffed animal slaughter... hehe. |
| 2009-09-20 8:21 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Expert 721 | Subject: RE: puppy help We have an aussie and a lab also. Tupper, our Aussie is really smart; sandy- not so much (awful cute though!). It's hysterical to see the trait differences between them, especially when Sandy gets together with the pack of labs she's related to. They race around chasing sticks, and Tupper's looking at them in disgust, like "you silly animals! There might be a real threat out there somewhere and you would MISS it! Not to mention no one has yet quantified dark matter. Ugh!" Tupper is a scary planner. We have a duplex at a lake and we are close with the neighbors (fortunately!). It was raining, and their son was watching TV on the coach, when suddenly the screen door opens, a grey blur flies by across the living room, into the kitchen area, grabs an open peanut butter container off the counter, and runs back outdoors, into the rain, where he enjoyed a lovely snack. |
| 2009-09-20 9:08 PM in reply to: #2416637 |
Pro 6767 the Alabama part of Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: puppy help jazz82482 - 2009-09-20 8:44 PM I made this mistake, and gave my dog a pair of old running inserts once, and now she thinks all running inserts are fair game. I also gave her an old visor one time, so now whenever she finds a visor or hat, she chews it. She does not chew anything that I've told her not to, however, so I know she is not being deliberately naughty- she just genuinely thinks these are her toys. Just a warning- same thing goes with stuffed animals! We let her go after stuffed animals, but one time we brought her to my mom's house, who had a stuffed animal toy box, and Cody went nuts!! In the morning, there was a graveyard of stuffed animals, all missing their faces- nose, eyes mouth, all gone. It was a stuffed animal slaughter... hehe.This made me think of when we first got Mojo. We got him, in part, to help socialize Nikki to other dogs. She had a small collection of stuffed animals, that she would carry around, but did not destroy. When Mojo came to the house, within half an hour, he had destroyed every stuffed animal and squeeky toy. Nikki just gave us a sad look, as if to say "See, this is what I have been telling you about other dogs." |
| 2009-09-20 10:05 PM in reply to: #2413282 |
Extreme Veteran 499 Racine WI | Subject: RE: puppy help jazz82482 - 2009-09-18 8:02 AM MarkK - 2009-09-17 9:47 PM OMG, a thread that I can relate too oh so well. I need to show this to Cindy. We adopted an Aussie Shepard / mix of some sort from a shelter in IL back in late spring. They told us she was a "mild" dog and about a year. Boy, were they wrong on both accounts. This dog is non-stop energy (and we think she is slightly younger than they told us but thats not an issue). I think she was waiting to find a home to come out of her shell. She is a great dog despite losing too many shoes to even begin to count, one dining room table leg, a couple of dinner table chair legs, a couple of blankets, and who knows what else we havent realized is missing yet. We finally figured out that crating her when we arent around is the best bet (I need to try feeding her in crate to see how she reacts). She seems very content in there. She still "mouths" a lot but is slowly getting better. She has been very trainable with the basic commands. My backyard looks like a bombing range though (lots of craters and holes). She has one really cute habit, she gives hugs when she sees you. We have talked to several other owners of similar herding breeds who have told us that she is going to have this level of energy for many years to come (oh my backyard) but that we should find a "job" for her. I have even considered taking her to doggy-daycare a couple of times a week so she can play with the other dogs and burn of her energy. Best of luck to you with your dog, sounds like we'll be able to share dog stories for many years to come...... What is your exercise regiment with your dog? It sounds like you have yourself a very high energy dog, and you are right- without a job to do, your dog is going to continue finding her own jobs, and your house will continue to suffer. We took Cody to doggie daycare once a week from 4mos to 1.5 years, and it worked very well. Every morning, we were out there throwing a ball or frisbee, or taking her on a long hike (until she could run, then it was morning runs). Every night, she either went to the dog park for an hour, or went on another long walk/disc throwing session. I am not talking a few times a week- I mean EVERY single day. Always. Rain or shine, snow or sleet- she was ALWAYS out twice a day (not including play time and pee time or doggie daycare, obviously). We also went to obedience or agility once a week, and we went to a special dog park once a week- every single week. It just wasn't an option NOT to do this, she needed it as much as I need to workout. And, that was the easy part! The hard part was when I was trying to get schoolwork done at home, and she was stealing my pens and eating my books, chewing on my hands or trying to hump my leg. That was when I didn't want her to be a puppy anymore Have you done a lot of research on the breed? I can point you to a lot of good articles if you need them. I researched the breed for YEARS before I got my Aussie. I even thought I knew what I was getting into, but I was wrong!! The physical energy is easy to control, especially being an athlete. The greatest challenge I found was keeping Cody busy mentally. Reading articles on puppies were useless- giving an Aussie a chew toy, or filling up a Kong works for approximately 10minutes, then is no longer interesting for the breed. If the object is not moving on it's own, then where is the fun in that? Here is a really good read: http://www.k9station.com/articles/raisinganaussie.htm I read that article AFTER I got Cody, hehe. But- after those very taxing puppy years, Cody is now sooo well behaved, and I couldn't be happier with how she turned out. She doesn't need AS much exercise, and she's only 2- the key is to be consistent. (sorry, I can't get the link to embed! Gr) Jazz82482, great article on the Aussies. We knew that we were getting a high energy dog which is something we wanted (we wanted a running partner for my wife and I) and we knew that we were getting an intelligent breed, but it is just amazing how intelligent she actually is. I think that once she enters dog-adult years she is going to turn into a wonderful addition to the family, we just have to make it through the next few months. As far as her exercise, she is taken out for short runs (about a mile) several times a week (not too many while she is still young) and at least two walks daily + several periods of chasing ball in the backyard. We are working on getting her into a doggie daycare facility at least once per week to work on her socialization skills and to attempt to burn off some extra energy. We had her at a boarding facility recently for a few days when we went out of town and they told us that she was allowed to play with two golden retrievers a couple of times a day and she would run them into the ground and still have energy of her own left Edited by MarkK 2009-09-20 10:11 PM |
| 2009-09-21 9:05 AM in reply to: #2416691 |
Master 1920 Ann Arbor, MI | Subject: RE: puppy help momandmd - 2009-09-20 9:21 PM We have an aussie and a lab also. Tupper, our Aussie is really smart; sandy- not so much (awful cute though!). It's hysterical to see the trait differences between them, especially when Sandy gets together with the pack of labs she's related to. They race around chasing sticks, and Tupper's looking at them in disgust, like "you silly animals! There might be a real threat out there somewhere and you would MISS it! Not to mention no one has yet quantified dark matter. Ugh!" Tupper is a scary planner. We have a duplex at a lake and we are close with the neighbors (fortunately!). It was raining, and their son was watching TV on the coach, when suddenly the screen door opens, a grey blur flies by across the living room, into the kitchen area, grabs an open peanut butter container off the counter, and runs back outdoors, into the rain, where he enjoyed a lovely snack. Omigod, that is so funny! Both stories! Cody is such a snob around other labs, too, and labs HATE her! Her favorite game is keep away, and she knows that all labs are taught to drop the ball at the owners feet. So, she just waits for them to retrieve, steals the ball, and then taunts them. Well, the labs don't understand that Cody stole the ball, and they walk around, all confused, wondering where the ball went. Sooo funny. So Cody drops it right in front of them, then waits for them to notice, then quickly goes in to grab it again. Labs hate her  Cody also plans, and has an amazing memory, too. Whenever she finds something in the woods, she finds a very special spot to bury it, and she will always remember the spot- even months later! It's downright freaky. |
| 2009-09-21 9:07 AM in reply to: #2416838 |
Master 1920 Ann Arbor, MI | Subject: RE: puppy help Jazz82482, great article on the Aussies. We knew that we were getting a high energy dog which is something we wanted (we wanted a running partner for my wife and I) and we knew that we were getting an intelligent breed, but it is just amazing how intelligent she actually is. I think that once she enters dog-adult years she is going to turn into a wonderful addition to the family, we just have to make it through the next few months. As far as her exercise, she is taken out for short runs (about a mile) several times a week (not too many while she is still young) and at least two walks daily + several periods of chasing ball in the backyard. We are working on getting her into a doggie daycare facility at least once per week to work on her socialization skills and to attempt to burn off some extra energy. We had her at a boarding facility recently for a few days when we went out of town and they told us that she was allowed to play with two golden retrievers a couple of times a day and she would run them into the ground and still have energy of her own left :) I'm glad you knew! It makes me very nervous if people don't understand the breed, and when people meet Cody+I, and ask about her- I try to discourage them from getting an aussie!! Unless, of course, I know they will be good parents :) It sounds like your pup is getting about as much exercise as you can manage! I really hope doggie daycare works for you- it really was amazing for us. We would take her in on Tuesdays, and she would be exhausted at home that night, and then all day Wed., too. The best part of the daycare we used was that they had a puppycam, so I could see what she did all day! I loved it. Edited by jazz82482 2009-09-21 9:08 AM |
| 2009-09-21 9:40 AM in reply to: #2417290 |
Master 4101 Denver | Subject: RE: puppy help jazz82482 - 2009-09-21 8:07 AM I'm glad you knew! It makes me very nervous if people don't understand the breed, and when people meet Cody+I, and ask about her- I try to discourage them from getting an aussie!! Unless, of course, I know they will be good parents It sounds like your pup is getting about as much exercise as you can manage! I really hope doggie daycare works for you- it really was amazing for us. We would take her in on Tuesdays, and she would be exhausted at home that night, and then all day Wed., too. The best part of the daycare we used was that they had a puppycam, so I could see what she did all day! I loved it. Heh, I can vouch for that .One other note about the crate training - don't know if it's been mentioned but you want to make sure not to let them out if they are crying, wait until they are quiet. Otherwise they learn that crying=freedom. Thats a great idea about filling the bone with yoghurt. I'd heard chicken broth as well but its kind of hard to freeze inside a bone and has to be eaten outside. I have a rubber dumbbell type thing with spikey pyramid things on the dumbbell part. I smear cream cheese in the spikes and freeze it. On the weekends sometimes I'll let Greta wake me up at her normal time, let her out and give her breakfast, then give her the frozen cream cheese which will keep her occupied & let me go back to bed & sleep in a little bit. |
| 2009-09-21 11:57 AM in reply to: #2411130 |
Elite 3770 | Subject: RE: puppy help So we have been trying very hard to curb our puppy's unwanted behaviors. I'm proud to say she is learning "off" when she has tried to toddle and reach for things off the table. Yesterday we did have to crate her while we ate since she knocked off my soda AGAIN...and boy did she yelp. But we waited until she stopped crying and let her out. She still doesn't like the crate, even though we continue to feed her in it and I do leave her treats...but she is beginning to love her bed. BF doesn't really want to move the bed into the crate b/c he's afraid the bed will become evil...I think we get her used to the bed, then move it out eventually at night to where she will be sleeping. We have a kong...but can't get the kong treat out! What do you put inside of it? someone had suggested peanut butter to us, but just worried about the puppy stomach.
NOw we're working on come and biting. Down seems to be really hard....she doesn't follow the food like they do in the training videos!!! |
| 2009-09-21 12:47 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Master 1402 Cumming, Georgia | Subject: RE: puppy help I don't have experience with your breed but I think some dogs will not take to a crate no matter what. We are lucky and both of our dogs know to go to their crate when we leave. They always get a treat but all I have to do is grab my keys and say "Time to go to work" and off they go. Even our 14 week old puppy knows the drill. A couple of years ago we got a fox terrier and that dog could not stand the crate. We timed it one day and this dog would not stop yipping for over 3 hours before I gave in. We lived in a high rise and it was not sitting well with neighbors so we eventually had to get rid of her. That was one of the most strong willed dogs I have ever seen. Edited by csharp1171 2009-09-21 12:47 PM |
| 2009-09-21 12:58 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Veteran 144 El Dorado Hills, CA | Subject: RE: puppy help Having had Aussies for the last 10 years....hang in there...they are great dogs...just keep telling yourself that for the next year and a half. They do tend to have a rather long teenage period. As far as running goes, I would wait until the pup is at least 1 year. Generally the growth plates have closed by then. I would recommend having hips and elbows xrayed to check for dysplasia around age 2. It is not uncommon in the breed. Check out www.asca.org for more Aussie info Carole- riostaraussies.com |
| 2009-09-21 2:35 PM in reply to: #2417930 |
Elite 3770 | Subject: RE: puppy help thanks so much! gee, I could have used you guys while we were searching for 4 months for a breeder. That took forever! Luckily, we're pretty happy with the one we ended up with. She already is learning new stuff every day, but boy, is she a runner.
Anyone take one of their guys to shepherding classes?
happybunny - 2009-09-21 12:58 PM Having had Aussies for the last 10 years....hang in there...they are great dogs...just keep telling yourself that for the next year and a half. They do tend to have a rather long teenage period. As far as running goes, I would wait until the pup is at least 1 year. Generally the growth plates have closed by then. I would recommend having hips and elbows xrayed to check for dysplasia around age 2. It is not uncommon in the breed. Check out www.asca.org for more Aussie info Carole- riostaraussies.com |
| 2009-09-21 3:02 PM in reply to: #2418233 |
Veteran 144 El Dorado Hills, CA | Subject: RE: puppy help One of mine has been out on ducks as a pup...but not since then. I have focused mainly on conformation. I'm working on agility with one of my pups. I would love to herd but the lessons get pretty pricey. Carole |
| 2009-09-21 4:05 PM in reply to: #2411130 |
Champion 6503 NOVA - Ironic for an Endurance Athlete | Subject: RE: puppy help As you may know, I work at golf courses. Aussies are popular for goose control. In my 25 years, I have only seen 1 well-behaved Aussie of any age, although they were all sweet, loving dogs. IMO, Aussies are too smart mischievous for most owners. To get a well-behaved Aussie, your dog will need the following two things: 1) Several hours of physically and mentally strenuous work each day 2) A strong alpha human, who won't take any bull-pucky from the dog (I own a St Bernard. She needs about 40 minutes of work each day, and a place to sleep for the rest of the day, and owners who tolerate drool and fur by the truckload) |
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