Pioneer Chicken
True BYH Addict
I have been reading promiseacres's thread family dog and had a few questions in addition to all the great information and advice given on her thread!
I have started looking around for an Australian Shepherd female. I would prefer one that is one or two years old. I would love to do agility, go on walks, have her as a companion, and be good with livestock (chickens, rabbits, goats).
I have applied to two rescues and one recently sent me a reply saying that none of their dogs would be a good fit for my lifestyle because none of the dogs' foster homes have livestock. That makes sense but I am a little perplexed because Aussies are herding dogs and meant to be great with other critters. I've only had two Aussies and both were great with critters; however, they are not all or the majority of Aussies. Could it just be a liability to a rescue because it's an unknown?
Another thing I have noticed is that some rescues want their dogs to be indoor dogs and that would automatically disqualify me because I'm okay with a dog being kept outdoors with proper shelter and care. I'm not sure what y'all's preferences are but our first Aussie lived indoor/outdoor and our second lived outdoors because she loved and preferred being outside. It really just depends on the dog to me.
I really don't want a puppy since I know how much more work they will be! My family's first dog was a male Aussie pup from a breeder on a farm (they had horses & cats- don't remember what else). He got into so much trouble and I ended up training him so we could keep him. LOL He was not able to be around anyone else due to being aggressive but he was a great dog,so smart, loved our critters when we got them, and protected my brothers and I.
My family's second dog was a two year old female Aussie off Craigslist (her first owner was a breeder & her second owner only had her for a month or two in the city before we brought her home). She was super shy but with an obedience class, she did really well and learned lots of tricks. She was also great with our livestock (no idea what animals, if any, she had been around); there was one time she chased one of my chickens and I yelled at her and she never did it again. And the first time I had her in with my goats, she herded them into a perfect circle. Super smart girl.
Anyway, is it possible to get an Aussie with my expectations from a reputable breeder? I've always thought I could only get a puppy from a breeder. What would be a good price if so? I'm not interested in breeding, herding, or papers. What kind of questions should I ask a breeder?
I realize now that I should have asked a lot more questions about my 'rescue' dog. If I were to find one on Craigslist, what would be important questions to ask? Or what are your thoughts in general on this? What kind of health questions or diseases should I ask about? How would I go about getting a vet check up on a potential dog?
I'm in no rush. I want to take my time and do careful research for a dog I can have for a long time.
I have started looking around for an Australian Shepherd female. I would prefer one that is one or two years old. I would love to do agility, go on walks, have her as a companion, and be good with livestock (chickens, rabbits, goats).
I have applied to two rescues and one recently sent me a reply saying that none of their dogs would be a good fit for my lifestyle because none of the dogs' foster homes have livestock. That makes sense but I am a little perplexed because Aussies are herding dogs and meant to be great with other critters. I've only had two Aussies and both were great with critters; however, they are not all or the majority of Aussies. Could it just be a liability to a rescue because it's an unknown?
Another thing I have noticed is that some rescues want their dogs to be indoor dogs and that would automatically disqualify me because I'm okay with a dog being kept outdoors with proper shelter and care. I'm not sure what y'all's preferences are but our first Aussie lived indoor/outdoor and our second lived outdoors because she loved and preferred being outside. It really just depends on the dog to me.
I really don't want a puppy since I know how much more work they will be! My family's first dog was a male Aussie pup from a breeder on a farm (they had horses & cats- don't remember what else). He got into so much trouble and I ended up training him so we could keep him. LOL He was not able to be around anyone else due to being aggressive but he was a great dog,so smart, loved our critters when we got them, and protected my brothers and I.
My family's second dog was a two year old female Aussie off Craigslist (her first owner was a breeder & her second owner only had her for a month or two in the city before we brought her home). She was super shy but with an obedience class, she did really well and learned lots of tricks. She was also great with our livestock (no idea what animals, if any, she had been around); there was one time she chased one of my chickens and I yelled at her and she never did it again. And the first time I had her in with my goats, she herded them into a perfect circle. Super smart girl.
Anyway, is it possible to get an Aussie with my expectations from a reputable breeder? I've always thought I could only get a puppy from a breeder. What would be a good price if so? I'm not interested in breeding, herding, or papers. What kind of questions should I ask a breeder?
I realize now that I should have asked a lot more questions about my 'rescue' dog. If I were to find one on Craigslist, what would be important questions to ask? Or what are your thoughts in general on this? What kind of health questions or diseases should I ask about? How would I go about getting a vet check up on a potential dog?
I'm in no rush. I want to take my time and do careful research for a dog I can have for a long time.
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