Tell me about your Australian Shepard

[Melabella]

Here is a link to a post from another thread I posted in..I can't express enough about this breed... and there are many in need of adoptive homes... ( as will all breeds. and mixes!)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/725109/dog-breed-suggestions-doberman-experience/20#post_9980977

 

[naturalfeddogs]

Wow, this is completely new to me. I have read about the eye problems and have been warned against finding a blue-eyed dog, but the epilepsy is new to me. I will look more into this.

The bad thing about this thought, is that it would likely be impossible to know the dog's history if it came from a shelter or rescue.

Blue eyes are common in the breed, and it's fine. The problem comes from poor quality breeder who breed a merle to a merle. That causes blindness and deafness in most of the puppies in a litter. One parent can be merle, but the other should be a black or red. Our blue merle has half blue eyes, and our red merle has sort of an amber colored eyes.

You won't know the dogs history coming from a rescue, but he/she will be spayed/neutered, and may not be blind or deaf. Just depends on what you find.

 

[lgrant1]

Here is a picture of my collie/aussie Molly.

 

[KatGold]

Oh, she's lovely!

 

[Oregon Blues]

I just got my second Australian Shepherd. The first was show lines and gorgeous. He was beautifully raised around horses with perfect manners. I told him one time to leave the poultry alone and that was the end of it. But he was timid and 2 weeks after I got him, he started growling at my son, completely unprovoked, so I returned him to the breeder.

My new family addition is 1 year old and he is a monster. His feet are always 2 feet above ground. He chews like a destructive machine, he climbs on people, and gets up on the kitchen counter. He is ranch and cattle dog style with a hard coat, not fluffy, and he produces enough watts of energy to power a small town..

He's a brilliant dog. He's wicked smart, very bold, loves everybody he meets on sight, and adores praise. He follows me around like my shadow, hoping I will ask him to do something or give him a cuddle, any attention is good attention. He's learning fast and I adore him. He would be a lot better behaved if he had been raised better, but he is trying hard to figure it out and he is already much improved.

I suspect that Australian Shepherds are best for people who are planning to actively raise them correctly. Left to their own devices and without guidance or training, you end up with an out of control monster like my gorgeous Wyatt. I am so lucky that his first family couldn't take any more of the climbing and chewing. I got an excellent dog. Wyatt got an excellent home, but it hurts my heart to think of the other high powered dynamo pups who lost the puppy lottery and ended up with families who would not train and discipline. I wonder how many of them are put to sleep because they are going through life at 150 MPH and no one has given them direction.

 

[opossum04]

I've had Aussies my whole life and the smart ones are so trainable they are almost human. I currently have a mini Aussie and he is my shadow. He goes on the road with me to barrel racings and rodeos, and I have a Barred Rock hen that chases him. Lol. I would strongly recommend them however, I have seen ill bred ones that are just not teachable. Make sure the lights are on and someone IS home. You won't go wrong.

 

[DelcoChix]

I've had Aussies for over 25 years, chickens the last five...and, yes, as most of the prior posters have said, you can definitely have them live together with chickens. They are very smart and given the training (ESPECIALLY consistent training!) will understand what is and is not permitted. My two Aussies don't have any interest whatsoever in our flock of 15 when they are free ranging in the backyard...as a matter of fact I about died laughing last fall when my younger Aussie's tennis ball rolled near my Buckeye, Patty....Patty sort of jumped as the ball rolled near her, then poor Macy ran to get her ball and Patty jumped her, fluffed her feathers up and dared the dog to come on closer...Macy backed off and was pretty surprised, and intimidated too! Certainly caught her off guard. Anyways, Macy is 4, has been raised with the birds, could not care less (unless one of her toys in involved!), and yes, she does have a fairly high herding drive--is always willing to help herd the cats or horses if asked. She just knows that chasing the chickens is not an option.

The color of their eyes has nothing to do with eye problems, as previous posters mentioned...they come in four coat colors, blue merle, red merle, red and black (and sometimes with copper colored trim,.i.e."black tri." As Jenny/naturalfedogs said, it's poor breeding that is the cause of those problems. A merle to merle breeding will create a lot more of the more desirable merle colored pups, but approx. 50% of the litter should be euthanized because of the resulting health issues which can include blindness, deafness, and even internal issues with their organs..all because the breeder is trying to have more marketable puppies, and people buy them.

There are different levels of herding instinct but with consistent training they should have no trouble learning what is ok to herd and what isn't, no matter how strong that instinct is. I wouldn't think you'd be leaving them outside with chickens unattended. I have always gotten my dogs from family breeders only because I wanted to be assured that the puppy would grow up to be like the parents. I have known quite a few Aussies that although purebred, were poorly bred and had poor temperaments (very reserved, some aggressive)--would not risk my young children. The ones we have gotten through the years were not top show or herding bloodlines, just healthy, pretty dogs with fantastic temperaments...my goal.
I do not doubt an Aussie mix could be fantastic also, and have known quite a few...just do not have personal experience with them.
In my opinion, the most important thing to remember is to plan on spending the time with them to do consistent training especially the first year, make them a part of your family, socialize them early and give them a job, even if it's only to fetch the tennis ball or frisbee. They do not do well left out in a fenced in yard or chained to a tree--they are family.
They are velcro dogs--will follow you to the bathroom, in if you let them...and don't expect to go outside alone--they will always be standing there with a hopeful look in their eyes.
Aussies rule.
Best of luck with whatever you decide--what a fun decision to have to make!
(My avatar is Macy....waiting for me to throw her rubber duck, which she'd left in the pony stall as I was cleaning)