vanillalove

That's really helpful. I wasn't sure if that was truly the case or not so thanks for clearing that up!

I actually thought BCs were as susceptible to Ivermectin reactions as Aussies, with or without being declared MDR1. I've read that regardless of being MDR1, many collie breeds are still prone to reactions. I still hear a lot of "white feet, don't treat". But if this is just an Aussie thing, I'll stop bothering you guys with it haha Ivermectin aside, I will be trying Revolution for h/w, but need to find something that covers deer ticks since it's the only tick we care about in my area and the only one Rev doesn't cover Hesitant about double preventatives though.

We're about to go into our first flea/tick/heart worm season with Indie and our breeder recommended Revolution. Any thoughts? My vet pushes Heartguard but I keep reading conflicting information on Ivermectin and collie breeds so I stayed away. My other options through my vet was Revolution or Trifexis (open to ordering online though). In speaking with my breeder, we felt Revolution was best. My research I've seen suggests that while what was said above is potentially true - with MDR1 positive dogs and the Ivermectin levels in h/w medication being too low to affect them - there have been cases of MDR1 negative dogs not doing well on the Ivermectin, as well as MDR1 positive dogs being unaffected by the drug. I'm not sure being m/m or m/n or even n/n tells the whole story. Thoughts? My only qualm is that Revolution doesn't protect against Deer Ticks which is the main one I'm concerned about (Lyme Disease) - is there one med that can do it all or is it pretty much the norm to have your dog on a combo of two to cover both h/w and deer ticks?

Thanks everyone. He may just be a low keep kinda dog and that is fine with me. As long as our vet sees that he is in good shape and mind/energy, then I'll continue to just do what we're doing.

Definitely not emaciated but could stand to gain a couple pounds. I'd rather dogs on the thin side anyways but think he could put on a couple if I'm being picky haha. I'm not at the point of worry, it's more just about efficiency. But I suspect that as long as it is clear that he gets a limited time to eat, he'll start to hurry up.

So, Indie is proving to be a picky eater. He's 9 months now and was a good eater at first, but since around the 4-5 month mark, it's been a challenge to get food into him. He's fed twice a day (Acana) and will often grab a couple bites before wandering off. As a result, we'd often train him in order to feed his meals since he would eat that way and it was a good way to bond when he was young but we don't always have the time to train and feed each piece of kibble to him in the morning. I'd like him to eat what I put down and efficiently. Upfront, he's been cleared by the vet multiple times - no parasites, worms, nothing. His coat is soft and shiny, and his poops are decent (I'd like them to be firmer, but they aren't worrisome) They are firm when he eats both breakfast and dinner. So, we've started to food rotate (not just as a result of pickiness, but also because I think variety is good for dogs) and be stricter with meal times. He now has 10 minutes to eat his meal. If he doesn't finish or walks away, up goes his bowl. If he finishes, he gets a treat. He's now on Acana Chicken and Potato (before was Duck and Pear). We don't fancy up his kibble other than the occasional fish oil because we don't want to make him pickier. The strict timelines are helping it seems already. I'd like to hear if there is anything else you think we can do, and what you guys do with picky dogs. I'd also like to hear about anyone's experience with rotating foods. Edited to add: We feed one cup in the morning, one cup at night (or at least, we want to, if he eats it haha) I'd like him to put on some weight.

There are a ton of other house breaking threads and nipping threads here if you do a search but real quickly. She will need to go potty A LOT at that age. You will need to take her outside at the following times: - She wakes up - After she eats or drinks - After there is any excitement - After there is play - After a walk - After a nap - Before bed - Every 20 minutes in between (if you want to be efficient and essentially prevent any accidents inside) - If you cannot watch her like a hawk, she is crated in a crate only big enough for her to lie down, stand up and turn around. The more you set her up for success outdoors, the less she goes indoors and the more she connects bathroom with outside. For the first few weeks of bringing Indie home, we set an alarm clock as well for us to get up at 1am and again at 3am. Then it was extended slowly to only one midnight outing, then none. He quickly slept through the night. Hope this helps! I know I didn't provide much detail but that's potty training for me in a nutshell.

Thank you! I do usually try to tell myself that these people were either exaggerating, had jerks of dogs, or didn't ever expect manners from their dogs, but I can't deny it started to scare me. We've always expected and demanded Indie to be a well-behaved member of both human and dog society, and he does his best to live up to that. We will continue to hold him to these standards and think we'll be a-ok.

Very helpful everyone - thanks! I feel better about the upcoming period. Other dog owners made it sound like NO dog would ever like him again and I should expect male dogs to attack him anytime we went to the park, but glad to know this isn't the case. Like I said, he really enjoy other dogs right now and I would hate for him to dog to suddenly have no friends - is that a ridiculous concern? I do not intend on neutering him until at least 18 months but will keep keep intact for as long as life with him is manageable. I would like for him to fill out as much as possible.

I've been reading up a lot on adolescence and am largely prepared for the age related behaviour that can occur. I am most concerned with how other dogs will treat him while he's intact, as you've mentioned. He's such a social butterfly, and I don't want his "wings squished" so to speak if a dog doesn't like him while he's intact haha, or confused as to why dogs suddenly don't want to play with him like they used to. I figured things wouldn't start changing for a few months but just been thinking about recently as he's really starting to be less of my little puppy and looking more like an adult every day

Indie is 6.5 months now - time flies - and we're bracing ourselves for adolescence. He's still a gem and compliant with our rules/commands, has yet to really blow us off or test his bounds. He's very sweet with other dogs and submissive without being the least bit shy/nervous. We've been doing classes with him since day one (now in very beginner agility) and think it's been the most helpful in developing and maintaining his focus. Now that he's past the "mark" of when some folks dive in to alter their dogs, we're being told all KINDS of things about having an intact male past 6 months old - ranging from their dog's own behaviour to how other dogs treat them. We will be waiting until 18 months, at least and perhaps never if he stays a good boy, but would love to hear your experiences as far as what to expect in the coming year from both Indie and other dogs. Thanks everyone!

Then he is just a small Aussie, feel free to just call him an Australian Shepherd haha. There is no variation in size in the breed, two small purebred Aussies who produce other small Aussies are just regular old Aussies Your other sounds like a "mini" in the sense of a MAS - which you already said. This ^

I feel like I can usually tell, but the parents do offer a lot of insight.

I second this! I feel like in general female are more serious, smart as all else and just stellar, but they are more sporadic with their performance which I can see being frustrating/challening. Males I know tend to be more even in their performance, along with a more laid back attitude. I just like living with males so I got a male, agility and sports out of the way, this dog still has to be a part of my family .

Not surprised by this list! I've seen some fast Aussies but when compared to a lighter boned BC, they just don't compare. Unless you find a nice working breed Aussie, then things can get more interesting

Not related, but sort of related; mostly just saw this quote while perusing some working Aussie articles and thought I would share with ya'll. "Pedigree indicates what the animal should be. Conformation indicates what the animal appears to be. But Performance indicates what the animal actually is." No matter how confusing and aggravating the name game plays out with the AKC and in the BC/Aussie, we'll know what our "animal actually is" and what the show-bred dogs only "appear to be" .

I definitely didn't take that into consideration, but you're absolutely right. It's a sad situation for all working breeds involved in the whole mess and I wish we could find some sort of answer. My Aussie is likely to going mature quite small, so I'm likely never going to hear the end of my dog being a "mini Aussie". So, knowing that the AKC will never be on the working dog's side - in the way that would separate it from the show ring "varieties" - what do we imagine would be the solution, or at least, the middle ground between the AKC and the working bred folks? Do we assume there will never be one?

This is true, I guess I more mean with at least ensuring breeds and the awful off-shoots are registered as separate entities. I know their view of working dogs is very skewed but at the least, if the AKC stood up and took an active roll in the separation of BCs and the barbies, or Aussies and MASs, then the general public would maybe be more knowledgeable. I don't know if I'm making sense haha!

Having fallen (never planned on a non-BC breed) into the Aussie world recently, the mini Aussie "thing" just irritates me like nothing else. I tried my darndest to find a working bred Aussie when we were looking for a pup and it was difficult to say the least. Even today's working bred Aussies are more bred for "versatility", rather than full-on work, but it is a start. The breed club is also stepping up its game recently. I do feel confident that my guy is as close to a "real" Aussie as you're going to find nowadays. In having him, the breed has really become a passion of mine and I have found people out there who are also trying to preserve the true Australian Shepherd. I hope we are able to, and I hope we are able to hold tight to what we have been able to preserve in the Border Collie - it is in better shape than the Aussie I am asked frequently if Indie is a mini Aussie - I simply say that he is an Australian Shepherd, not a MAS. If they care to discuss, I try to educate on how they are two separate breeds - breeding for size alone has created an entirely different (and may I add, creepy looking dog) with no real working ability. The Aussie breed standard does not sacrifice quality for size - a small Aussie is just a small Aussie, they come in many different packages the way working dogs often do. The parent breed club does not recognize size variations in the breed and it is even DNA testing lines to ensure that there is no further cross over between the MAS and Aussie before they can be registered. I really hope the Border Collie doesn't need to change it's name to disassociate with the barbie collies and/or "mini BC", as I have experienced first hand how aggravating it is to be associated with another breed. There is a MAS in Indie's puppy agility class. Indie is three times the size and the MAS is one month older - that is just not right, and the owner is left to believe that her dog is just a small version of mine? No thank you. Even the "full size" Aussies we've seen at the dog park are a far cry from the dog Indie is. Anyways, it's a shame and I really hope the AKC and the breed clubs can educate people on both BCs and Aussie - and the new breeds that people are trying to pass off as variations. Unfortunately, bybs will continue to fool the average dog owner into thinking they are really buying the breed but only smaller, or candy coloured.

Interesting! Thanks.

Want to get clarification on something I've been wondering. If a pup had a combo/killed vaccine for one round of shots, then the owner decided to minimally vaccinate with MLV from then for the last two rounds, would the first still "count"? Do killed/MLV vaccines conflict or no "work" with eachother? In my mind, it should be fine but I spoke to a somewhat confused young vet who seemed to think otherwise. My in-law's have switched over to Dr. Dodd's protocol for their pup and I went with them, but they have been told by their vet just now that since they "changed" vaccine type, they need to essentially ignore the killed vaccines and do three rounds of just the MLV. Anyone help?

Thanks all! I knew about the ears - his are doing all kinds of crazy things right now. Fun to watch. Other than the sluggishness the past few days, he seems to be well. He's trying his hardest not to chew on me or things he isn't supposed to. He redirects himself quite nicely. I think the worst of it is over. I think losing 3 canines in 48 hours was a little painful for him, but he seems to be in better spirits!

Oh I know he'll live, I'm not going to go crazy doing anything but just wanted to make sure his sleepiness/slightly off his food was related to teething and nothing to be excessively concerned about. On the flip side, I am soaking up this cuddly puppy behaviour while we have it. He's normally raring to go at all times.

Hi all, Indie is almost 5 months right now and is really teething. He's already lost his puppy incisors and has his adults and now we are onto canines. In the past 2 days he has lost 3 canine teeth (only one left!) and I am noticing some slight discomfort. He showed some reluctance to eat his breakfast this morning and has been more cuddly/sleepy. Is this typical/related to teething? Let us know what you expect from this stage and what we can do to alleviate any pain he might be feeling. He seems like a big suck!

I'm also a big fan of putting smellier treats, like dehydrated tripe/liver or cubed chicken, in with his regular kibble to rub off on them. We also like the "treat trail mix" where we mix a bunch of lowers and higher value treats. Indie doesn't seem to care then when a regular ol' kibble comes out of the treat pouch. But I empathize for you, hkwm, I also live in a big city with a ton of distractions and with a young pup (Ind's only 4 months), attention can be hard to come by We definitely have to bump up the treat value when we are in busy environments, although, he is getting better as he ages. Other high value favourites are cheese, Zukes and canned tuna (you can also put this in the kibble in a ziploc baggy) That said, we stick to kibble at home.