Dog Breed Australian Shepherd Review

Overall 4.86 of 5 view all 7 reviews

nysemt
Inlet, NY

Aussies make the BEST companions!

selective about pet food, a dog lover, a pet pamperer, animal lover, dog lover, very attached to my dog, a dog owner, an aquarium owner

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Pros

Loyal, Intelligent, Workers, Low Maintenance Coats, Won Best In Show at Eukanuba Dog Show 07

Cons

Need plenty of exercise, Somewhat costly if purebred, Not the best dog for small apartments, Probably wouldn't love city life

MAY

2008

Australian Shepherds (Aussies) are fantastic dogs. They are energetic, loyal, brilliant, and make great working dogs and/or pets. My Aussie is the (pet) love of my life! She is almost a year old and weighs about 45 pounds. They are a great medium sized dog. She is such a perfect companion too... she is very loyal and just loves to be in the same room as me. When my fiance and daughter return from being out, she will almost knock them both down to get to me!

Aussies have a lot of energy and need daily exercise. I wouldn't recommend an Aussie for someone who cannot take the dog for regular exercise or who works long hours. These dogs need lots of attention. They are very smart dogs and can perform a large range of tasks and tricks. Infact, we have taught our Aussie "shake", "other paw" (shake with the other paw), "high-five", "huggles" (front paws on our shoulders to give a hug), "kiss kiss" (put her nose to our mouth for a little peck), and of course the standard "heel", "sit", "stay", "down", etc. We have also taught her to drop whatever is in her mouth instantly by using the word "Pitooy" (pronounce pit-too-ee- imagine spitting something out!) So as you can tell, they are very smart dogs! We have a number of other things to work with her, but she is still young!

Aussies are also working dogs. As the name implies, they are in the herding group. They also make excellent Search and Rescue dogs, Cadaver dogs, and medical dogs. I know an Aussie who knows approximately 15 minutes in advance of her owner having a seizure and alerts the owner who can prepare herself so she will not fall. This dog also helps this owner when she is weak and needs to be in her wheelchair by perfoming various tasks!

So if you want, in my opinion, a perfect dog, then an Aussie is for you. As long as you have a lot of love in your heart for this breed, you can't go wrong!