Australian Cattle Dog owners.....?

[DragonSlayer]

...anyone else here got one, two....or several??

This is Sydney, she is 6 years old, but still acts 2!

Intensely loyal, brilliant family and guard dog..couldn't imagine life without her now..

Syd and Mary the chicken! They were best friends....but Mary died last year....:'(
The house is a mess as the kitchen was being redone at the time....!

Oh, Mary came in to check out the progress!

 

[CorvusCorax]

I thought I spied an ACD in Soapbox! Cool dogs.
KarynK has a couple but she hasn't been on here for a while and there is an Australian user who has some too

 

[Dobiegirl]

He is a lovely looking boy and intelligent too.

 

[soloabe]

Love them!
I would have one in a second if their teprement issues were brought more under control.

 

[DragonSlayer]

Love them!
I would have one in a second if their teprement issues were brought more under control.

What temperment issues have you come across?

None with Syd, and certainly none with her parents and siblings either....

 

[mollichop]

I think they're fab dogs - have admired them for some time. Lovely pics of Sydney - cool name too!

How is she around horses? I hear they are great hacking companions?

 

[galaxy]

What temperment issues have you come across?

I've only ever met Karyn K's. Lovely dogs, but hers came from a rescue where they had been badly treated so had behavioural issues. I remember her telling me you don't "tell" her dogs to do anything, you persuade them.


Karyn obviously would be the best person to tell you about them. But having met them, I would say they are only for a very experienced dog owner!

I call them tasmanian devil dogs!! they are so funny when they "rag" their toys!!

 

[DragonSlayer]

I think they're fab dogs - have admired them for some time. Lovely pics of Sydney - cool name too!

How is she around horses? I hear they are great hacking companions?

She is brill around the horses, doesn't come hacking as we are near too many roads, but certainly doesn't mind them, no barking etc etc!

I've only ever met Karyn K's. Lovely dogs, but hers came from a rescue where they had been badly treated so had behavioural issues. I remember her telling me you don't "tell" her dogs to do anything, you persuade them.


Karyn obviously would be the best person to tell you about them. But having met them, I would say they are only for a very experienced dog owner!

I call them tasmanian devil dogs!! they are so funny when they "rag" their toys!!

Ah, well, I brought Syd off an american friend who had bred her. So no abuse there......she is brill with kids too, when she was stolen, I didn't have to claim her back if I didn't want to, as 2 families both wanted to adopt her, she was the only dog in the kennels who had enjoyed the kids rolling her over and over and playing!

IMO, it's not the breed, mostly its the owners. Karyn K obviously got the poor bleeders with issues! Sure, a bad start in life can upset any animal, but of the ACD's I have known, and there have been a dozen or so....can honestly say never seen anything to give me cause for concern. She is the first dog I have owned, so can't compare her to another with regards to needing to be an experienced owner...

I'd have another one in a heartbeat.

 

[soloabe]

Because people are idiots and there is now a split between the working and showing group.

People interpret aloof with strangers as being shy which is exactly opposite of what a acd should be and you end up with a stubborn shy dog. Hello fear aggression.

 

[DragonSlayer]

Well, Syd is far from shy! BUT to people I introduce her to, I don't let her get 'all over' strangers, I would like her to eat burglars....

I have to say, she is trained to a certain degree to be a guard dog, and knows just what the catalyst is to trigger this, every so often, me and the OH remind her of this..

Hence we have a very balanced dog, who clearly knows her boundaries and what is and what is not acceptable in her life.

 

[soloabe]

Aussies both shepherd and cattle dogs are suppose to be aloof with strangers much like GSD. Fine for people to pet them or whatever but they don't seek it out and really don't care if you don't pet them. That is exactly what i like about those breeds.
I can't stand the retriever type "omg i love you i love you i love you" attitude.