We have two Australian Shepherds. We've had our male Aussie for thirteen years. He has been such a blessing to our family. Not only is he an amazing guard dog, but he is also great with our critters. We didn't get into chickens, rabbits, and goats till he was eight years old and he accepted them right off the bat. He took right to our new chicks, keeping a watchful eye on them when they were loose in our yard. He still tries to check on any new chicks we get, but they just don't understand his concern. One day, years ago, my family went on a walk through the woods. My youngest brother, who was about three years old at the time, lagged behind and no one (except probably my mother) really noticed. Our dog dashed to his side, trying to herd him back to us. I'm not so sure my brother was very appreciative since he was a little one with his own mind. 
We recently acquired a two year old Aussie; one whose previous owners didn't really socialize her well. She was terrified of everything; she would bolt at any loud sound (except thunder, which I thought was strange) and crouch/ hide away when someone came near. I took her to a beginner dog training course and since then she has made amazing progress. It's been seven months and now she is coming up to my dad and meeting friends and family. She comes when she hears that my grandfather or grandmother has come. She is even becoming less frightened of the vacuum when I get her to focus on doing commands and receiving yummy treats. I am amazed at her progress.
I don't think she was ever around any animals, and she does just fine with our cats and goats. Why, when I first put her with our female goats, she herded them into a tight circle so I could easily see them. Our poor goats were so confused. She's chased the chickens two or three times, but I think that was partly my fault. I was trying to catch one of my bantam hens and Sally saw it, so when my hen escaped, she went after her. I was very firm and told my dog, "No." She did it several times that day and then two or three separate times after that. I was just very firm telling her no and being consistent with it. I did put her inside when she was getting too excited during that time. She hasn't done anything naughty like that since. She's always been fine with the chickens free-ranging. It's just when they seem out of place, like when I was trying to catch my bantam and when my guinea was out overnight, that she goes after them- I believe she is trying to get them cornered for me. I think it'd be neat if she could be trained as a herding dog, but I don't know if she's too old to learn.
At first, she found our rabbits to be very interesting specimens, I think, for she constantly sniffed them and looked at them curiously. She just plops down when I'm working with them now. One of my naughty rabbits escaped on two separate occasions. The first time, my dog,Sally, herded her into a corner and kept her there till the rabbit escaped. We caught the rabbit. When she escaped the second time, she got into a chase and finally got the rabbit underneath our chicken coop. I need to work with her a bit on the rabbits when they're actually out. She hasn't shown any aggression or tried to kill any of them. I think that she just gets excited about herding them into a corner. I think with some work, she'll be just fine.
As you can see, Aussies really need to be socialized. It's super important for them to have proper socialization with family and friends. Take them on walks. Go to the park. Those are great ways to socialize your dog. : ) We didn't do that with our first dog because we wanted a guard dog and he has done very well at that- very well. (Okay, we also weren't very knowledgeable about training dogs at all at the time.
)
I personally wouldn't ever want border collies. I have seen some of the damage they do. Some friends had two that constantly hunted their chickens. It was terrible-almost wolf-like when I saw it. They just snuck to the coop so silently and tried getting in. They also broke through my friend's well-built rabbit area and killed their two rabbits plus took several toes off a rabbit we have now. They weren't very good with the goats either. Those particular dogs just weren't good livestock dogs. I realize that any untrained dog can do this, but seeing it from a border collie just has me very hesitant with ever wanting one- I've had a great experience with our Aussies, so maybe that is why I'm ever so slightly biased. : P : )
Do your research. Maybe picking a few breeds that stick out to you and researching their personality would help. Perhaps you could visit different folks who raise that breed or visit dogs in a shelter of that/ those breeds and check out their behaviour. Of course, every dog is going to be a bit different. Some are more dominant like our male dog and some will let you do anything to them and some will just be more fearful, like our female. Research the different positions [as in dominant dog, middle, low on the totem pole] of dogs and see what you'd like. A very dominant dog would require you making sure he knows his place, that he is not above you. A 'regular' dominant dog, like I'd consider ours, knows who the leader is, but also knows he is to guard and protect his owners, critters, and property. A fearful dog will be hesitant to do anything that might displease you or frighten her. You have to work with a dog like that to gain her confidence.
I hope that this helps and I'm sorry it's so long. I'm trying to give you all this in a nutshell, just so you can get an idea of Aussies, well, at least of our Aussies. : ) Anyway, I hope you find the dog that is just right for you and your family!!
We recently acquired a two year old Aussie; one whose previous owners didn't really socialize her well. She was terrified of everything; she would bolt at any loud sound (except thunder, which I thought was strange) and crouch/ hide away when someone came near. I took her to a beginner dog training course and since then she has made amazing progress. It's been seven months and now she is coming up to my dad and meeting friends and family. She comes when she hears that my grandfather or grandmother has come. She is even becoming less frightened of the vacuum when I get her to focus on doing commands and receiving yummy treats. I am amazed at her progress.
I don't think she was ever around any animals, and she does just fine with our cats and goats. Why, when I first put her with our female goats, she herded them into a tight circle so I could easily see them. Our poor goats were so confused. She's chased the chickens two or three times, but I think that was partly my fault. I was trying to catch one of my bantam hens and Sally saw it, so when my hen escaped, she went after her. I was very firm and told my dog, "No." She did it several times that day and then two or three separate times after that. I was just very firm telling her no and being consistent with it. I did put her inside when she was getting too excited during that time. She hasn't done anything naughty like that since. She's always been fine with the chickens free-ranging. It's just when they seem out of place, like when I was trying to catch my bantam and when my guinea was out overnight, that she goes after them- I believe she is trying to get them cornered for me. I think it'd be neat if she could be trained as a herding dog, but I don't know if she's too old to learn.
At first, she found our rabbits to be very interesting specimens, I think, for she constantly sniffed them and looked at them curiously. She just plops down when I'm working with them now. One of my naughty rabbits escaped on two separate occasions. The first time, my dog,Sally, herded her into a corner and kept her there till the rabbit escaped. We caught the rabbit. When she escaped the second time, she got into a chase and finally got the rabbit underneath our chicken coop. I need to work with her a bit on the rabbits when they're actually out. She hasn't shown any aggression or tried to kill any of them. I think that she just gets excited about herding them into a corner. I think with some work, she'll be just fine.
As you can see, Aussies really need to be socialized. It's super important for them to have proper socialization with family and friends. Take them on walks. Go to the park. Those are great ways to socialize your dog. : ) We didn't do that with our first dog because we wanted a guard dog and he has done very well at that- very well. (Okay, we also weren't very knowledgeable about training dogs at all at the time.
)I personally wouldn't ever want border collies. I have seen some of the damage they do. Some friends had two that constantly hunted their chickens. It was terrible-almost wolf-like when I saw it. They just snuck to the coop so silently and tried getting in. They also broke through my friend's well-built rabbit area and killed their two rabbits plus took several toes off a rabbit we have now. They weren't very good with the goats either. Those particular dogs just weren't good livestock dogs. I realize that any untrained dog can do this, but seeing it from a border collie just has me very hesitant with ever wanting one- I've had a great experience with our Aussies, so maybe that is why I'm ever so slightly biased. : P : )
Do your research. Maybe picking a few breeds that stick out to you and researching their personality would help. Perhaps you could visit different folks who raise that breed or visit dogs in a shelter of that/ those breeds and check out their behaviour. Of course, every dog is going to be a bit different. Some are more dominant like our male dog and some will let you do anything to them and some will just be more fearful, like our female. Research the different positions [as in dominant dog, middle, low on the totem pole] of dogs and see what you'd like. A very dominant dog would require you making sure he knows his place, that he is not above you. A 'regular' dominant dog, like I'd consider ours, knows who the leader is, but also knows he is to guard and protect his owners, critters, and property. A fearful dog will be hesitant to do anything that might displease you or frighten her. You have to work with a dog like that to gain her confidence.
I hope that this helps and I'm sorry it's so long. I'm trying to give you all this in a nutshell, just so you can get an idea of Aussies, well, at least of our Aussies. : ) Anyway, I hope you find the dog that is just right for you and your family!!
