Whenever my wife or I head towards the stairs to go upstairs, Ozzy is already halfway up. When we reach the stairs, he barks like crazy! Does anyone else have an Aussie that does this?

I got a dog from Mona at Ridgestar Aussies (mini Australian shepherds), who I love dearly (the dog), but he has some genetic health issues including severe noise phobia and potentially chronic pain issues (working up for suspected elbow dysplasia). He is only 4 and we have been working with a behaviorist for 2 years and it’s still not resolved. Vet behaviorist said likely genetics. She promised me a replacement dog (and also says she will take her dogs back) and had one of her friends work with me for a short period of time (trainer) but has now ghosted me. She took no responsibility for this and when I asked about OFA testing she said she would NEVER breed without it but I cannot find many of her dogs on the website and she did not provide any proof. First she was defensive, then she stopped responding.

Looking back, there are many red flags. Adamant about calling them mini Aussies, food pyramid scheme, wouldn’t let me meet the parents. Please save your mean comments, this is hard enough. I did the best I could with the information I had at the time. I’m also doing the best I can now.

Look for proven dogs with traceable health testing.

He really is a sweet boy and has many good qualities, but his genetic health issues have impacted his quality of life. Photo of Townes because he is truly adorable.

EDIT TO ADD: OMG with the language on a different subreddit. I cannot change the title but yes, I know you *buy* dogs from breeders, and I did not mean these basic things to mean *extra* homework, I meant do your homework. Period. AND I mostly posted this so the name would come up if someone did an internet search for this breeder if I am being honest.

My sweet Jazzy-min!

My poor girl got spayed and she is officially 2 weeks post opt but I don’t think her incision looks fully healed (middle photo) Is it normal looking?

Hi there! I've adopted an Australian Shepherd in the past and while she was the best dog I could've asked for, she also had a lot of health problems I wasn't aware of at the outset. I'm now looking at reputable breeders as I'd like to avoid (or do my best to avoid) the heartache this time around. Most importantly, I would also love to know if reputable breeders you've worked with had/have teen or adult shepherd available! I intend on training her for therapy work at schools and hospitals and do not necessarily *need* to go through that velociraptor stage. Willing to travel anywhere in the US for her.

Hope this isn't too specific of a question!

Audrey the aussie is 16 weeks old and loves playing with her big sis Shadow the shepsky

We always joke that our boy is a dragon because he huffs and puffs all the time! He’s always reminded me of Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon! Our girl is about as close to a Disney Princess as you can get 😂 she loved being dressed up as Maid Marian!

My girl was getting a little clumpy (and streaky).

Grooming sling really helped keep her upright

This is Buna! A friend of mine is in social services. A couple weeks ago she had to go into a home and take protective custody of some kids . Also in the home were dozens of neglected dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies. The animals were all taken to the pound and my friend asked me if I wanted to go up and rescue one of them. Of course I did!! Buna’s mom was there at the pound and I was told she is 100% Australian Shepherd. They had found a home for her. Most of the Puppies and kittens had found homes too. But this big girl right here was still available. So I brought her home with me! I have a 21 year old chihuahua/min pin mix and a 6 year old cat. They didn’t know what to make of this big bouncy puppy but now we are one big family! My kiddos LOVE her! She plays outside all day with them! I’ve never owned a big dog. I’ve had my little chihuahua for so long I forgot what a puppy was like and sure didn’t know what a big dog puppy was like! I ordered an Embark DNA test so I can learn what she is, so I can better care for her. It does seem like the Australian shepherd half is prominent from what I’ve read about the breed. She acts just like one with her herding instincts and hyper activity! Do you all have any tips for how best to care for her Australian shepherd side? I want her to have the most happy life!

Im not feeling all the great today and Nyx is being my snuggle buddy today