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Miniature or standard, they are a great dog, as mine reminds me this moment. But they have particular issues that don't make them great indoor pets, or urban or suburban pets, unless you have them out for extended exercise and stimulation every single day.
Their coats are beautiful. That undercoat sheds, copiously, all year long. Daily outside brushings are needed, or they will leave enough hair behind to clog the vacuum. That thick double coat makes them comfortable in cold weather, and miserable in hot. I clip my aussie in the summer, which is a lot harder than you'd think. She burns up my horse clippers. That undercoat is so thick it's really hard to clip through. Then she looks silly, but she's more comfortable, and therefore, happier. I keep thinking I ought to get some sheep shears for her.
Socialization is key; your aussie won't be going along on jogs or bike rides if you haven't spent some intense time socializing him to the outside world. An aussie is a herding dog. You are the head of his pack, and everyone else is an outsider. Excess stimulation in the form of strange people and dogs can make anxiety, and outbursts, an issue. My aussie has never bitten anyone but me. On the ankle, when I restrained her on leash because she wanted to push another dog away from me. She was a puppy, and never did it again. She does get upset, though, and tries to keep all people, even family, at least 10 feet away from me. She'll wiggle and smile, and PRESS into them until they move back.
Position in the pack is important. Mine obeys me without a problem, unless it involves someone invading my space, and then I sometimes have to take ahold of her collar, even here at home. She doesn't recognize anyone else's authority, though, and will ignore anything they try to get her to do. She likes them, she just doesn't listen to them.
An aussie needs a job. Without a clear job, she'll invent one. Mine considers guarding our home from intruders to be paramount; 2nd only to going with me to guard me when I leave home. She will never leave home. Never run away. Which is good, since she regularly figures out how to compromise gates and fences.
Only to meet people as soon as they hit the driveway, instead of waiting for them to get to the gate to the house.
She joyfully disperses the quail, the rabbits, and the deer. She doesn't touch the free-ranging chickens, the horses, or the sheep. She bathes the cat, but also defers to her when the cat says "enough."
Finding something to chase and bark at gives her a purpose. I keep a pasture between my only neighbor and I fenced off; their home is close to the fence, and she will spend all day barking at their dogs if I give her access to the property line.
Out on the trail, she insists on leading, to scout for anyone on "our" trail. If I'm riding with a group of people, she will scout out ahead, then sit and "count" all the horses going by, and take up tail guard for awhile. Until it's time to scout ahead again.
She's done 15 miles without sore paws, and still had energy left, as long as I take water along for her.
What do people DO with dogs like these, when they are too small to herd things?
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