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Author Topic:   new aussie need help please
jazmyns_daddy
unregistered
posted 10-30-2003 03:15 PM           Edit/Delete Message
i just purchased the love of my life jazmyn. she is a 6 week old tri-color austrailian shepherd. i was just curious if anybody had any advice for me on raising this pup. i have done some extensive reading but human experiences seem to be the most helpfull ive found. thanks to all. new by the way and love the forum. thank you.

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tuttifrutti
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Posts: 478
From:Dallas, Texas
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 10-30-2003 03:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for tuttifrutti     Edit/Delete Message
I don't have any advice about it, but i do know that aussies are GREAT dogs and you will NEVER regret this choice of dog! I don't have any advice on traiting since I didn't really appreciate and understand the dog until she was about 12, a little late, I know, but oh well. You won't regret this choice! Please give it a hug for me, since I miss mine! It got put to sleep in April , O well, you have have fun with yours!

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puttin510
Member

Posts: 1179
From:,Calif. U.S.A.
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 10-30-2003 04:44 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for puttin510     Edit/Delete Message
What I do know is that they are extrememly smart. Starting her out with basic obediance would be a place to start. These dogs love to work. Take her jogging or have her put into agility classes. There is a lady a few blocks from with that has a beut. He's been thru obiedience and always listens to his owner. not once has he ever looked like he wanted to ack like a crazed barking dog. He was trained very well. I just wish I could get mine to stop going balistic whenever they see a new dog.

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debslegacyofgold
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Posts: 56
From:Post Falls,Idaho
Registered: Oct 2003

posted 10-30-2003 08:39 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for debslegacyofgold     Edit/Delete Message
I have an aussie she is 11mo old i just love her ..she is extremley smart..and silly at the same time..lol...i did not take her to obedience training but i did go and watch for a session just to watch and take notes and i did alot of reading ...one very important thing abt aussies is they as a breed can be very aggressive so its very important to socialize them , and never play bit games with them..ya know how some will play roughly with thier hand and so the pup is biting thier hand in a playful manner well really you should never play that way with a dog but especially with an aussie and its not a good idea to wrestle on the ground with them as you would other dogs and if you do dont let them get above you it is a sign of aggression in these dogs. It usually takes very little correction for these dogs as most are sensitive.treat them as thier mother would treat them when you have to correct them...and i was told if you want to teach them something it usually takes 3 times of them doing it and they have it..they r sharp! almost as sharp as border collie.my pup knows..come here,sit,off,down,stay,stay out(dont go in with horses),wait,shake,show me your belly(taught her that so i could take out her stitches took me 5 min. to teach her,kennel(go to your kennel), go potty,load up,and when the phone rings bring it to me,..and soon were gonna work on back..meaning stay behind me until i call you..
She is also a very funny pup...everything you give her she doesnt want to share..lol..she takes to her kennel and hides it under her blanky..lol..the biggest thing is if you have time take your aussie with you as much as you can as with any dog...they have great personalities and love to work and have a job...even if its to just be your companion..good luck!!oh yeah...
Heres a site that has a trainer with lots of great info. from training to when to make the decision to put and animal down..... www.terriarnold.com

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Cowgirls live hard, ride hard,and love forever!!

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tuttifrutti
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Posts: 478
From:Dallas, Texas
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 10-31-2003 05:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for tuttifrutti     Edit/Delete Message
Yes, my aussie was aggresive towards other dogs, unless you dropped the leash, or she wasn't on one. My mom had kind've taught her 2 protect her when she was on a leash, since mom saw a very unpleasent sight involving two dogs when she was little, so once my aussie was off the leash, the two dogs got along really well!

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Jamiya
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Posts: 1392
From:
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 10-31-2003 07:35 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jamiya     Edit/Delete Message
Read as much as you can, and a lot about aussie's in particular. Did you get your pup from a breeder? If it's a good breeder, they should be able to recommend a good trainer and also give advice on how to raise your pup.

This is an excellent article on teaching bite inhibition: http://www.jersey.net/%7Emountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

It's VERY important to teach this, especially since your pup is quite young. I believe there is still learning the pup receives from mother and littermates between 6-8 weeks, so you have to teach him that stuff.

When your vet says it is safe to take him out, start taking him everywhere you can. Expose him to new situations - other dogs, lots of different types of people, different places, different noises, etc. Puppy classes are good socialization as well.

You can start on very simple obedience, but make everything positive. With such a young puppy, you don't want any negative experiences with training. Use food rewards, guide the pup into what you want him to do, reward him for doing it. Don't expect too much - they have a very short attention span.

The most important lesson to learn first is housetraining. I highly recommend crate training. It is not mean in the least and can be a life saver later on. Do not let him out of the crate when he is whining or crying - always wait until he is quiet for at least a few seconds (longer when he gets older) before letting him out. Take him immediately from the crate to his potty spot. Use a word like "go potty" or "hurry up" and say it EXACTLY when he is going potty - "Good Potty!" or "Good Hurry Up!" and do this EVERY time. He will soon learn what the words mean.

Take him outside after he eats, sleeps, and plays. Confine him to the crate when you can't watch him, and at night. Be aware he will need to go out at least once or twice at night - puppies can't hold it all night long at that age.

Many people have had success with tethering the dog to you when you are going about your business in the house. That way you can watch him and keep him out of trouble. Talk to him, teach him things constantly as part of your daily routine.

Agility and such comes later - most trainers will take them at around 9 months - 1 year old. Young pups should not go on long walks and you should not take them running. Jumping is hard on their little joints, so no agility jumping until later on.

Basic manners can be worked on from the start. Ignore puppy when jumping on you, lavish attention when sitting or standing. Try to "catch" him being good, even for an instant, and reward him for it. Rewards aren't always food - attention, petting, a happy upbeat "Good puppy!" are also rewards.

Make sure he has lots to chew on and remove things from the room that he cannot chew on. Teach him which objects are okay and which are not.

Never scold him for accidents or destroyed items you may find in the house. Dogs don't associate a scolding with something they did an hour ago or 2 minutes ago. If you catch him in the act, you can tell him NO! and take the item away or take him outside to potty.

I always try to associate another word with "No" - such as "no bite" or "no chase" so that it's not just a generic NO that is heard so often it can be ignored.

I talk to my animals all the time. Try to associate a word or two with everything you do with the dog - walk, park, ride, outside, all done, etc. The bigger the vocabulary the dog has, the better you can communicate your desires to him.

Good luck with your pup and enjoy him! The time goes by so fast.


Jamiya

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Maisey
Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 10-31-2003 10:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maisey     Edit/Delete Message
I have an Aussie mix that I do flyball with. At flyball events there are tons of dogs and a great many of them are Aussies and BC's, I spend alot of time around these dogs and I would NOT classify an Aussie(the whole as a breed) as "aggressive", of course that is my personal opinion. Too many people use that word without understanding what true aggression is in a dog. I would say they are incredibly focussed dogs in whatever they do, sometimes a a bit stranger wary, but usually warm up quickly. They are working dogs and bred to be thinkers, if you don't give them a job to do they will make one up on their own, sometimes that can be destructive. I would say Aussies are assertive about work and protecting their family and property is work to them. My Aussie mix is very much the Aussie part in character, he is not dog aggressive, not people aggressive, but he does take his jobs seriously. He will make decsions on his own if alone, when we are there he looks to us for what to do. If a stranger approaches me while I am on horseback...he has usually alerted me to the fact that "someone is out there" before I ever see or hear them. (his job)As the person approaches, it is very obvious that my dog is accessing this person, if he is not sure, he makes a quiet huffing noise and his hackles go up, but he remains next to me(his job), what his next move will be depends on me...what feeling about that person do I put off?. If I am nervous..my dog is nervous, if I am scared my dog goes into protection mode(his job), if I seem perfectly at ease my dog usually reflects that as well. There have been times when he did NOT like a person(maybe three), and he made it obvious, but respectfully so. He did not attack or bark uncontrollably. He behaves this way because we have given him guidance and trained him to know what his job is and how we want him to do it. All Aussies or dogs within any breed are not exactly the same, you may find an aussie thats not interested in anything but the couch and a remote control. Socializing your dog no matter the breed is so incredibly important and certainly true with an Aussie.
The link you got above for 'bite inhabition' will prove to be important as well since your pup was removed from mom and the litter so early. They learn alot from mom and their littermates in those two weeks that you will now have to teach. However I did want to say that in regards to the rough play with your dog...I know that many trainers say you shouldn't play with your dogs in that way and if you have small children you may consider following that advice. I do however play with my dogs on the floor and we play rough. My husband does as well. My dogs have easily learned the difference between my husband and I. They know how far or how rough they can play with who. My Aussie mix plays with his mouth while wrestling with my hubby, mouthing etc., he does it only a little when playing with me, and never with my two children. He understands what "easy" means and he knows "enough". When we say game over, he stops. My Catahoula pup came to us a very mouthy dog and is not quite as adept at being able to gauge play yet, but he is only 11 months old, we are still teaching him when it is appropriate to play with his mouth and when it is not okay to put his mouth on us, he is a rougher dog by personality so we are very careful about making the rules clear for him. Some people would rather not play with their dogs that way at all, some dogs would not be a good candidate for allowing play like this, it's all about what works for you and your dog.
This got long(lol, how unusual for me!) but I just wanted to put in my two cents about the difference between "aggressive" and "assertive", there is a world of difference in my eyes. Jazmyns daddy....you said you purchased your pup...do you know what the breeder is breeding for? Is she/he breeding for work ability(herding)? Show conformation? both or neither? That can make a difference in how much work ethic or drive your dog will have. Good luck with your puppy and welcome to the board. If you got pictures...we love to share!
Maisey

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jeminn
Member

Posts: 166
From:Colorado, USA
Registered: Jul 2003

posted 10-31-2003 11:50 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for jeminn     Edit/Delete Message
Hi Jazmyns daddy-
I have a tricolored aussie that will be 7 months old next week. She is the love of my life, too. Australian Shepherds are a wonderful breed- I absolutely love them. Jules has been the easiest pup to train, although I did have my work cut out for me in the beginning with socialization skills, but she has come out of that nicely. I got her at 11 weeks. She has been so easy to train, sleeps in our room at night (although we crate trained until 5 months), has tons of energy to play but is calm too, loves my kids, and our cats. I can't say enough good things about this dog- I hope you enjoy this special breed as much as we do. Good luck and have fun.

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puttin510
Member

Posts: 1179
From:,Calif. U.S.A.
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 10-31-2003 01:07 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for puttin510     Edit/Delete Message
Hey deb, I guess the only thing letf to teach you aussie is Cook me some dinner.LOL Wouldn't that be funny.

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Maisey
Member

Posts: 1387
From:Portland, Oregon US
Registered: Sep 2003

posted 10-31-2003 01:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Maisey     Edit/Delete Message
Dooley has learned to bring me my "pills" over the last month. My back is out and getting up is pretty much an ordeal. Now if he will just learn to make me a grilled cheese!

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