Who the flock knows? But you can be shear we won’t be sheeping til we find out!
If a dog wants its arse scratched, or keeps dragging it against the floor, it can mean its got worms.
Narrad, I’m assuming Blue Heelers and Kelpies as the working cattle and sheep dogs which were getting a high price exported to the States a few years ago.
Or impacted anal sacks, apparently. Gah.
Nope, Blue Heelers (also known in the US as Australian Cattle Dogs) are a different breed. They have shorter coats, prick ears, and their tales aren’t (usually) docked. They’re powerful herding dogs with a “take no prisoners” attitude.
Australian Shepherds are an American breed, with coats that are usually somewhat longer and softer than an Australian Cattle Dog’s coat. They’re built a lot like Border Collies. Australian Shepherds are typically built a little heavier than Border Collies, and the Australian Shepherds’ tails are normally docked (in the US.) And no, I don’t know why they called the Australian shepherds, since there’s no real evidence that I’m aware of that they came from Australia.
And then there are the Australian Kelpies (not an AKC recognized breed at this time), who are probably a bit more like the Australian Cattle Dogs. But I’ve never personally met a Kelpie, so I can’t verify that.
All these breeds are active, intelligent dogs that need activities to engage their brains and bodies. They are NOT the dog for people who want a laid-back couch potato. My Australian Shepherds demand a lot of attention, and they get it.
I love, love, love, love herding breeds. Can you tell???
From what I understand, Australian Shepherds got their name because they were originally used to herd Australian cattle imported to the US. I have an Australian Shepherd/Border Collie mix, and he is the cutest, sweetest dog in the world. And also the laziest. He seems to have the herding instinct but absolutely no desire to act on it unless required by the situation. And when he backs that thang up, it just means his tail itches.
Same with my Border Collie. He’ll often groan in the morning (I hear it as do I haaave to?) when it’s time for a walk. Cold mornings have him especially reluctant. I recently switched him to the diet dog food, because he was getting fat (A fat Border Collie!) I tell people he’s a mixed breed. part Border Collie, and part cheese.
The only thing he’s ever tempted to herd is the lawn mower. He doesn’t butt bump, but he’ll head butt you.
Want to talk to a glutton for punshment? I have three of the critters. Yep! I took in a mama Aussie with 7 pups and ended up keeping her and two of her pups. They are TOTALLY high engergie but loyal and smart as a whip. RIght now we are engaged ina battle to rid the neighborhood (a neighborhood covered in old groeth oaks) of squirrels…comical but spirited on both sides as you would imagine.
They do engage in herding behaviors and occasionally nip or bump playfully. I have seen my mama dog bump me with her butt to get me to pet her, when she is directing me in a herding fashion it is generally more with her shoulder or believe it or not with her nose. You’d be surprised how hard they will hit with their head - I understand completely why the sheep and cattle move!
It’s not the anus area we’re talking about them wanting scratched, more the hips and the back above the tail.
Yup, CCL, all my dogs like to be scratched just above where their tails (if they had them) would start.
Archergal, thanks for the links, that explains a lot. A guy I work with has a border collie and he says he got into a big argument with his vet because the vet insisted that it was an Australian shepherd. Which my co-worker was obviously interpreting as “blue heeler”, and thought the vet was nuts.
Years ago my wife and I were babysitting a neighbor’s young son, who was hell on wheels. We told him he wasn’t allowed in the kitchen (which had two entrances, and where the dog’s food was). We only had to chase him out of there once; after that, Shad took over, cutting the kid off when he tried to get through the door. The kid, frustrated, ran through the living room to get to the other entrance and the dog anticipated the move, running through the kitchen and cutting him off again and bumping him.
The kid was enraged at this and winged a kick at the dog, who easily ducked the foot, bumped the kid off his feet, and then sat on his chest while the kid screamed and thrashed. I swear that Shad was laughing as he looked at us from his perch. God, I still grieve for that dog after 30 years.
I have a dog who is some kind of shepherd mix. A few months ago I took her to the park where she played with a border collie. After a while a pair of women showed up with four of those white fluffy little dogs, maybe yorkies or some kind of terriers. They let them go and they quickly scattered around the park. My dog and the collie went to work and rounded them all up under a picnic table, neat as you please. They proceeded to guard them until we left, when one little one tried to escape, they worked together to bring him back to the ‘herd.’ It was really amazing how strong that instict is, how they just do it so well with no training at all. The yorkie owners thought this was just hilarious, but the yorkies looked none too pleased to be confined under the table.
Shoeless, if an Australian Shepherd doesn’t have its tail docked and is kinda lightly built,* it would be easy to mistake for Border Collies.
Chefguy, Shad sounds like a dog in a million.
Velma, when my Sasha was a young dog, we lived in an apartment. One day I opened the door to let her go out (into a nice, safe non-traffic area.)
There was a group of kids playing on the lawn. When they saw the dog run out (she always leaves any building at full speed), they jumped up and took off running.
Sasha was ready to run circles around them to keep them herded together till I called her off.
After all, aren’t kids just another kind of young wild animal?? (Just kidding.)
I think that every breed of dog has an “off switch”. In some breeds, it’s just above the tail, and in some, it’s sort of on the flank, above a rear leg. I call it an “off switch” because in every dog I’ve met, once you find that spot and scratch there, the dog likes it so much that he’ll just sit there and be scratched, without running around or jumping or doing any other doggy things.
Where they have some trouble reaching themselves. Same as between the shoulderblades for us.
Velma’s story reminded me of how very dog friendly my Taco was, as were the few other sheep dogs (as we called them) in the 'hood. He’s bring strangers home to play in his yard with his kids. He loved other dogs, and cats too. Scared the hell outta some cats, though.
I also still grieve, Chefguy.