Aussie insights

[saddleup]

I lost my Aussie about 4 months ago due to cancer. She was almost 13, and I had owned her since she was a puppy. The best dog ever. I’m not ready to get another dog yet, but because she was the smartest and funniest dog I’ve ever owned I was planning to get another Aussie.

So I joined several online groups about Aussies, and reading all the problems people are talking about with the breed I’m wondering if my beloved and perfect dog was an anomaly? She was moderate drive, but had an “off button”. She was potty trained to a doggie door on the first day, at two months old. Yes, she was a challenge that first year because she was too smart for her own good! But never a barker, never nipped or growled, or a neurotic beast as so many people are describing. She was happy, loved everyone, super smart.

I’m now nervous about getting another Aussie. Before her I owned four different English Springer Spaniels and only switched breeds because my last Springer was an angel and I didn’t think I could fairly get another Springer…none could measure up, in my mind. But now I’m second guessing going with an Aussie. What’s your experience? Am I overthinking it?

[Texarkana]

Not an Aussie owner, but I’ve been pet-sitter/friend/family to many many Aussie owners to the point where I have strong opinions on the topic.

Yours probably wasn’t an anomaly, it just sounds like you’re probably the type of dog owner to meet their needs.

A friend said once, and I badly paraphrase, “if you don’t assign your Aussie a job, they will assign themselves one and you won’t like what they choose.”

In a nutshell, they are intelligent, high energy, working dogs. If you meet can meet those needs, you are golden. Problem is, too many people are attracted to fluffy Merle puppies without thinking about how it will work out in a 1br apartment with a 12 hour workday.

[Bluey]

@Texarkana

Not an Aussie owner, but I’ve been pet-sitter/friend/family to many many Aussie owners to the point where I have strong opinions on the topic.

Yours probably wasn’t an anomaly, it just sounds like you’re probably the type of dog owner to meet their needs.

A friend said once, and I badly paraphrase, “if you don’t assign your Aussie a job, they will assign themselves one and you won’t like what they choose.”

In a nutshell, they are intelligent, high energy, working dogs. If you meet can meet those needs, you are golden. Problem is, too many people are attracted to fluffy Merle puppies without thinking about how it will work out in a 1br apartment with a 12 hour workday.

What she said.^^^

We had one Aussie and many other dogs and she was the best ever.
In our performance dog club there was a member that raised Aussies and was showing them and the list for her puppies was long, some waiting two years.
They were amazing and beautiful dogs and did great in obedience and later agility.

Many dogs will go along with anyone that owns them, are love sponges and not demanding.
Aussies are a bit more particular, they need someone that respects them and they respect you back and are more of a real partner than a “yes sir/ma’m, whatever you say”, type dog.

I think that maybe we hear so much more about breeds and their good and bad points because so people can choose better, not necessarily because dogs of certain breeds are not as good as they used to be.
We do live in the Information Age, we know so much more about everything, about dogs too.