Aussie Vs Border Collie

[vxf111]

[QUOTE=Bicoastal;8726089]
OP and I are in the same area. I’m guessing she’s asking about yappiness because of all of the debarked Shelties we hear at our trials. The breed is notorious for barking. I’ve heard a wide variety of results from debarked shelties like odd muffled coughs to a slightly less than volume-cranked-up barks.[/QUOTE]

And like I said, I train with someone who breeds them. At least 50% or more of the dogs I see in class are shelties. Some bark on course with excitement. Not more than any of the other breeds bark. And none are de-barked. They all go in the crating room and sit quietly without barking.

[Lazy_Palomino_Hunter]

I’m on my second Sheltie, both agility dogs.

If barking is a deal breaker for you, they are not your breed. Some individuals might be quieter than others, but many are just naturally vocal dogs.

My blue boy makes all kinds of noises- he’s not a big barker around the house, but he grunts, groans, soft woofs, huffs and puffs…he has an opinion about lots of things, and has sounds for many of his opinions.

When he’s excited our or close to threshold, he had a hair trigger bark. This means he barks at agility. A lot.

The barking is not for everyone, and it’s unrealistic to get a Sheltie with the expectation you’ll be able to teach it to be a quiet dog.

[knightrider922]

[QUOTE=Rhyadawn;8726090]
All the herding breeds have an inclination to be vocal, but like any dog that can be trained.

I have Aussies, so my opinion is a bit biased, but I’m going to do my best to give you a balanced opinion.

If you stick to working lines you won’t have issues with coat. https://www.facebook.com/shari.joanisse/media_set?set=a.10156092199370724.1073741855.656750723&type=3 That’s my working-bred bitch at 29 months, holding about as much coat as she gets except for a few weeks in the dead of winter.

A well bred border will have a good off-switch. So will a well bred Aussie. Good breeders are breeding for stability of temperament, as that is absolutely vital to working ability (loose screws don’t do well at work).

Not that colour is your most important choice, but they both come in a lovely variety of colours.

Do you like tails?[/QUOTE]

do I like tails? Ha! I’ve never owned a dog with a tail! My poodles have short tails and they don’t knock anything over! So…I don’t know!

[Rhyadawn]

[QUOTE=knightrider922;8727383]
do I like tails? Ha! I’ve never owned a dog with a tail! My poodles have short tails and they don’t knock anything over! So…I don’t know![/QUOTE]

Then chances are you won’t find floofy fluffy things that knock everything over endearing. There are some lines of BCs that have the bobtail gene, but breed standard for Aussies is no tails.

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

Haven’t read the whole thread but it caught my eye because we have a (presumed) border collie x Aussie cross. Beautiful blue merle with copper points and a lovely, long white tipped tail. Best dog ever - more intense when she was younger but has mellowed with age. My husband took some agility classes with her, and she did very well but they did it for fun rather than competitively and stopped going when life intervened.

[flashwhitelock]

[QUOTE=Groom&Taxi;8727924]
Haven’t read the whole thread but it caught my eye because we have a (presumed) border collie x Aussie cross. Beautiful blue merle with copper points and a lovely, long white tipped tail. Best dog ever - more intense when she was younger but has mellowed with age. My husband took some agility classes with her, and she did very well but they did it for fun rather than competitively and stopped going when life intervened.[/QUOTE]
I also have not read the whole thread. I had border collies, sister has aussies. Border collies are much much more work. They need a job 6-8 hours a day. If you can’t provide that, they are not the right breed. The aussies seem to be the best of both worlds. Good mind but not as needy in the work department.