# Australiand Shepherd Dog "Bumping" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380 "2003-09-13T12:41:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/1 "2003-09-13T12:41:40Z")
My friends aussy shepherd dog (a 12-month old female names “Sasha”) does something very weird. She will come up toyou, turn around, and push her ass into you! (While turning her head towards you)-sort ofgrinning while doing this. I understand that this breed exhibits this behavior-it’s called"bumping". Does anybody know why these dogs do it? Is it something to do with herding sheep? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/2 "2003-09-13T16:42:05Z")
Aussies are aggressive dogs, but not vicious. They will generally bump you rather than bite. She is probably trying to “herd” you in some fashion. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/3 "2003-09-13T16:46:42Z")
Dogs of all breeds do that. They want their butts scratched, usually, although other forms of attention are acceptable. It’s a personality thing, not a breed thing. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/4 "2003-09-13T19:18:41Z")
Hey, owner of another Aussie named “Sasha” checking in! My Sasha is a 9 year old black tri sweet baby dog. When my Sasha does this, she wants her butt scratched. I don’t think it’s herding behavior. Aussies are fairly forceful when they’re herding, but they don’t herd butt first. And **Chefguy** , Aussies aren’t usually aggressive. Many have strong personalities, and they’re good watchdogs. But aggressive? Nah… Archergal, owner of 2 purebred Aussies and 2 Aussie-?? mixes. ---
**Author:** ![dr\_hermes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@dr\_hermes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dr_hermes)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/5 "2003-09-13T20:16:41Z")
My friend Carole had a loveable Australian Shepherd named Adrian. Among his eccentricities was ‘rock gathering’. He would wade out onto the river and come back with good-sized rocks in his mouth, which he would drop into a pile on the bank. I can’t explain this behaviour or what he got out of it, but it certainly was startling to see this large dog standing in the Hudson, his head underwater for quite a stretch at a time, an ocassional large bubble popping at the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/6 "2003-09-13T20:41:29Z")
My Sasha likes to put her head underwater too. She doesn’t pick up rocks, though, just likes to get her face wet. She did eat one rock when she was a pup. Fortunately, it didn’t stay down too long. I still have it… ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/7 "2003-09-13T21:16:49Z")
I also had an aussie when I was a teenager. His name was “Taco”, because my neighbor, a Basque shepherd, said he was useless as a herding dog, and that the only thing he was good for was lunch. Instead, he gave the dog to me. Thanks, Peeto. Taco was a “bumper”, with his shoulder not his butt. He’d push all us kids into a little group, especially if we were running around. He was also a tree climber, and could work his way onto the roof until we cut the branch off. He also chased trucks (never cars). He got ran over by a cement truck early one morning while following me on my paper route. He probably tried to herd it. ☹ Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/8 "2003-09-13T21:52:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Archergal \* > \*\*Hey, owner of another Aussie named “Sasha” checking in! My Sasha is a 9 year old black tri sweet baby dog. > > When my Sasha does this, she wants her butt scratched. > > I don’t think it’s herding behavior. Aussies are fairly forceful when they’re herding, but they don’t herd butt first. > > And **Chefguy** , Aussies aren’t usually aggressive. Many have strong personalities, and they’re good watchdogs. But aggressive? Nah… > > Archergal, owner of 2 purebred Aussies and 2 Aussie-?? mixes. \*\* I meant ‘aggressive’ in a good way. I had two Aussies and loved them both. Perhaps ‘high energy’ would have been a better choice of words. They’re aggressive in that they initiate play and are always up for ‘doing’ something. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/9 "2003-09-14T18:29:06Z")
My brother told me of a couple he knew. She had Aussie shepherds, he had border collies. When they got married, they had a big outdoor reception, under a huge tent in a light rain. After an hour or so, all the guests were gathered closely in one corner of the tent. The dogs had gently, quietly herded them there. * * * “I heard ‘em speakin’ Arabic in their tiny voices. I guess they were West Nile mosquitoes.” ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/10 "2003-09-14T18:43:32Z")
Ach! Taco was _not_ an aussie. He was a border collie. Black and white, one blue eye. Thanks for the brain bump, **AskNott**. 🙂 Why do I get those two mixed up??? ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/11 "2003-09-14T23:31:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chefguy \* > \*\*I meant ‘aggressive’ in a good way. I had two Aussies and loved them both. Perhaps ‘high energy’ would have been a better choice of words. They’re aggressive in that they initiate play and are always up for ‘doing’ something. \*\* Well, ok then, **Chefguy**! I’m with you all the way on the “high energy” bit. That describes (most) Aussies pretty well! And **mangeorge** , people get Aussies and Border Collies confused all the time. I’m always being asked if my Aussie is a Border Collie. I love herding dogs. Dogs that herd, that is. I don’t personally herd dogs, myself. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/12 "2003-09-14T23:55:19Z")
In my mum’s village, there was a cattleman and sheep farmer who was famous for beling polite to his dogs when working them. It was quite funny: “Hup! Hup! Get around (please)! Come around (please)! Get back get back (please)! Thank you!” Smart dogs. I used to live by the ocean (miles away from any farm), and there was a poor, bored dog who’d herd the seagulls in the tennis courts. To anybody who has one of these as a pet - please, please give them lots of mental and physical stimulus. They want to work. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/13 "2003-09-14T23:58:17Z")
My Shar-pei does this because he wants a good butt scratch, nothing more 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/14 "2003-09-15T04:12:42Z")
Is the “Australian Shepherd dog” known by another name outside of the US? I’m Australian and I’ve never heard of the breed. ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/15 "2003-09-15T04:29:56Z")
Are we talking about Blue Heelers here? AFAIK they are the best of the Australian herding breeds. We had one that would herd cattle, pigs, other dogs, anything. I wouldn’t call them agressive, they just never take no for an answer. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/16 "2003-09-15T05:21:16Z")
**KenGr** : I just looked up some pictures and the breed in question doesn’t look anything like a Blue Heeler (which was also my first guess) – in fact, I’ve never seen a dog like it. Looks a bit like a splotchy border collie, for want of a better description. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/17 "2003-09-15T05:46:48Z")
Australian shepherds are indeed an American breed. I have no clue what they call them anywhere else. They’re terribly cute, though. And they’re very intelligent and energetic, like most herding breeds. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/18 "2003-09-15T06:10:01Z")
A female dog bumping you with her rear, while looking 'round at you? I’m afraid she wants to have your puppies, as you are the head of the flock. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/19 "2003-09-15T06:11:54Z")
I BUMPING YOUR DOG! I don’t have a herding dog, but I think these stories are staggeringly cute. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380/20 "2003-09-15T06:14:36Z")
Flock? Pack, dammit, pack! Where the flock did that come from? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australiand-shepherd-dog-bumping/201380.md?page=2)