Animal Stories - People Talking About Herding Dogs



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Latest Animal Stories on Herding Dogs (64)

jackiek - 2013-04-08
Hi, I'm considering adopting an ACD puppy (cross between ACD & ASD)- 6 weeks - and we're pretty certain he's deaf. We already have a 3 year old Sharpei-pug cross and we're a family of myself and my two kids, 10 & 12. For sometime I've been considering getting a second dog. Company for our dog Honey, because she's alone in the house for the larger part of the day while we're at work or school. And we've just been offered this ACD puppy so I've been doing a lot of reading. I'm a little concerned about how the two dogs will interact, but I'll suggest a trial weekend before committing. Does anyone have any stories or suggestions for integrating an ACD puppy into a household that already has a dog? Some stories I read seem to suggest they can be a little aloof. I also want to be sure that we're the right family for him. We love dogs, but this breed seems to demand a lot of attention and I don't want him to be bored - I'm thinking my two kids will help with that. Are these 'one person' dogs or will they follow commands from multiple household members? Honey is very active, and protective of us and our home - she goes crazy if she sees someone passing the house. She is ok in general with other dogs, but has been known to be aggressive when she meets strange dogs when we're out for a walk. She does have issues with separation anxiety, which seems to have improved over time as she realizes we always come back. I am also worried that if we don't take this puppy he will be put to sleep. Thanks in advance for your comments, advice!

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Clarice Brough - 2013-04-09
It's really great for you to consider adopting this very special puppy. I very much like both the Australian Cattle Dog and the Australian Shepherd, and the mix could be a real interesting pet with a blend of the characteristics. My take from the behaviors and temperament of these two is that the puppy would be an active herding dog that is also a good family dog, and could probably be integrated into a home with another pet. Though the ACD part is less likely to want another dog around, the ASD part is more adaptable to other dogs. The Pug/Shar Pei mix should be tolerant, if socialized properly with the new puppy. And because it is a puppy ('baby'), the chances of socialization are even better. Puppies are usually most adaptable. Honey is older, but is also a smart dog. She will most likely not only recognize it as a 'baby', but will also recognize the disability... and so may become a caretaker in a sense. At least... that would be ideal and in my opinion the chances of acceptance are good. Also Honey does need some exercise, and though not as active as the puppy will be, this new friend could help with her activity needs and offset boredom. Good luck!

AP - 2013-02-08
I have had two ACD's and they have been such wonderful pets that I don't think that I will ever feel right if my home is without one. We are a multi-dog household and my Heelers are friendly with the other dogs, children in the house and with us. One of my heelers was so friendly once that he sat down in the 'Pet me' position in front of a guest at my home, was patient but finally licked him in a friendly gesture to say, Hey! Pet ME! Unfortunatly, the guest was not a dog person so this was a bit disconcerting. However, the Heeler just took this all in stride.

They are very active, highly intelligent, confident dogs. The Frisbee idea is a good one as are nice walks. This is a friendly, happy fellow. I am surprised to see the comments about nipping kids or not liking other dogs. That has not been my experience with either of my Blue Heelers. In fact, when we take our current one out, particularly to the pet store for treats, people ask us if we don't adopt him, can they? Well.....he still comes home with us.

lauren - 2013-01-23
I love animals.

Anonymous - 2013-01-11
How about a pyrelli name for the collie-pyrenees mix?

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Anonymous - 2013-01-11
Great idea!

Tristan - 2012-12-29
I bought my 3rd german shepherd.His mom was quite small about 17-18 inches but the dad was 24-26 inches,how big would the puupy be?

Anonymous - 2011-04-27
I adopted a puppy almost 3 months ago. Her mother was a blue heeler and the vet thinks her father to have been an australian shepherd. This dog is very sweet and loving and loves my family. I have two small children, ages 2 1/2 and 5 and she is great with them except when she sees them running and decides to run after them and "herd" and nip them. This dog is very bright and learns tricks very quickly. But she is extremely energetic. She must be crated while I work for about 4 1/2 hours a day. I exercise her for 30 min. 1 hour in the afternoon, which is all I can do. Before she gets her exercise she is digging my yard, grabbing things off counters and tables, and chewing anything she can get. I can't leave her unsupervised for more than a few minutes at a time. She has tons of chew toys and my older Golden Retriever to play with, but gets into constant trouble. When I crate her to keep her out of trouble for a few minutes she makes so much noise that she wakes up my children and drives everyone nuts. So my question is when-if ever-is this dog going to calm down? I don't think I can take a full year of this behavior and I already give her all the time I have to exercise her and train her. My husband is done with her and wants her to go. Should I find her a home in the country or wait it out and risk losing my sanity?
Thanks for any advice.

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Charlie Roche - 2011-04-27
I have included an article on the Australian Cattle Dog for you to read. Just click on it. It doesn't sound like this pup will calm down. It is a herding dog and high energy. It is the nature of the dog. It is a hard decision to make but you have to look at what you believe to be best for the children, the pup and you and hubby.
Clarice Brough - 2011-04-30
What a darling pup! You got a high energy breed topped with being still a puppy. Just like a litte 2 year old always on the go. Even as she gets older she'll still be an active dog, but I think that puppy behavior should calm down.
Ann - 2011-05-29
Try teaching the pup how to chase a frisbee. I too have a high energy herding dog and just adopted a cattle dog. Frisbee really helps take the energy out of them. I believe they claim that playing frisbee for 20 minutes burns the about the same as an hour of walking. You can download a free book from Hyperflite that tells about getting your dog started playing frisbee. http://skyhoundz.com/discdogsrock.html
lauren - 2011-07-05
Find a dog trainer.
Bridget - 2012-12-12
We have a Corgi/Blue Heeler mix who is very energetic. I have taken her on a 6 mile run, and 30 minutes later she is up wanting to play again. The quickest way to tire her out is to do mental tasks with her. She loves to play hide and seek with her toys. We also do lots of training with her, and will go lay down and sleep for several hours after a hard 15 minute training session. You have to understand the task-oriented mentality of the herding dog. As well, our dog is crated when we are gone (she is 1 year old, and eventually will have the run of the house), but when we first started crating her, we had a lot of issues with her anxiety. We used positive reinforcement with her to correct this issue. So we put her in the kennel, and used a clicker. Every time she calmed down, even if it was for a split second, we clicked and treated her. After 4 sessions, she learned that she was required to be quiet in her kennel. If your dog is very food motivated, clicker training and reward are a very effective method with very smart dogs like the heeler.

Chris - 2012-11-21
We recently adopted a 5-6 year old red heeler who we adore! He is loving and active, but he doesn't play with toys at all. He doesn't even seem to recognize what they are for! I have read that these dogs love to play, but he would rather just be loved. We think it may be that he was abused somewhat before we got him as he is skittish. Any thoughts?

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Clarice Brough - 2012-11-21
He sounds like a really nice dog. You're right, these dogs usually love to romp and are actually bred to herd. It could very well be that he had a rough first few years in his life, making him skittish and just wanting to be loved. But he sounds like a really nice dog, and it sounds like he has a great home now.
Bridget - 2012-12-12
I have a friend with a dog that they adopted that was the same way, and had not interest in playing with toys. This summer they watched a friends puppy while they were out of town. Surprisingly, their dog learned to play from the puppy. You may want to take the dog around puppies playing to teach the dog to play. My friends dog now loves stuffed dogs toys and gets very excited when he gets a new one.

FRANKLIN - 2012-12-03
Sorry i live in belgium. I would like to know where i can get a german shepherd? A puppy please ty

jaime bihasa - 2010-07-09
Is it fine that I mate my pure belgian malinois to labrador crossbreed? By the way I already mate them, I have already 9 puppies, and it is more on belgian looklike.

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Abbas - 2012-02-02
Hi I am from Pakistan. Any one tell me how to care of belgian dog. I have one belgiam dog. Conntect with me plz Abbas2661@yahoo.com
GANSHAYSINH - 2012-06-30
I am from india. i am also a one lover of Belgian Shepherd. Sir, I want to know from where did you buy Belgian Shepherd? I send you the link of Belgian Shepherd in which they wrote about what to feed the puppy. You can contact me on 09724711010
Anonymous - 2012-12-02
Hey how you doing my name is ashwin very interested of finding a mate for my dog his name is AJ. He is a male he about two years old

Lee - 2012-10-29
I want to know if the Snow Shepherd and White German Shepherd is the same breed?

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Charlie Roche - 2012-10-29
Yes, they are the same breed and frequently called a white snow german shepherd. It is a reference to the color - not the breed. Actually white was one of the orignal colors of the breed. They are gorgeous.

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