(Part 2) Top products from r/AustralianShepherd

Oh wow! That's a big decision to make on an impulse. If you've never owned a puppy totally on your own before, check out r/puppy101. There's a lot to learn about when and how to socialize a puppy (there is a right way and a wrong way, not all socialization is good socialization). The book "Social, Civil, and Savvy" is a fantastic resource.

Take your puppy to a vet ASAP to have it looked at. Not to be hyper critical, but my guess is that you may not have gone through a super reputable source to get this puppy. Most reputable Aussie breeders I know wouldn't sell to an impulse buyer. Getting it taken to a vet will be doubly important if that's the case. You should know what diseases they are at high risk for and what to look out for in your pup. Here is a list of recommended health screenings reputable breeders should do to give you some background info.

Aside from that, as others have said, they're a smart and high energy breed. They'll need a lot of training and activities to burn off mental and physical steam every day. Getting your puppy enrolled in a puppy class is a great place to start. A lot of young herding breeds will also go through a reactivity phase, meaning they will bark and lunge at things like people, other dogs, cars, bikes, etc. It is really important you set your puppy up for success with these things and know how to handle it before it happens so you are ready when it does.

Good luck!

Well, I can provide a bit of info but also hope to get a few answers myself.

I have a 4(ish) year old, 50lb aussie/bc mix. I bought a walky dog system this spring:

http://www.amazon.com/Petego-Walky-Hands-Free-Bicycle-Leash/dp/B003OYIAW4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374676694&sr=8-1&keywords=walky+dog

and I am quite happy with it.

It is quite an advantage to have dog/leash tethered to your seat. Last weekend we were out for a ride/run and a fawn jumped out of the trees. Instead of having my arm ripped off or the bike pulled off the road, the combination of your weight on the seat and the good sized spring in the bar that allows the leash to flex kept us both under control. It is also good that the dog can't cut in front of the bike with this setup. The bar is a quick detach from the bracket so it is easy to deal with as well. Thumbs up on the product.

Now my related question. I have been unsure how far is too far for my Aussie to run. We were out for a couple of miles on the weekend and I think that is about the max without a good break at this point. I don't know know if more trips will increase range or not. So anyone been doing this long enough or have some data on how far a fit Aussie should be able to run? I would love to get up to 6-10 miles but heck, the dog has to run alongside. I am not sure that is reasonable?

There is already a lot of good advice in this thread. Don't give in, feed her meals in her crate, etc. But here is something else you can try as well.

Before I got my puppy, I was browsing this sub and someone recommended this behavioral aid toy.

I ordered it and I think it worked great. At the very least, it made me feel better about tearing her away from her mom and litter mates! I used the heart ticker for a long time afterwards too just to calm her down for sleep time.

I have a similar problem that I am just starting to work on. It's called "leash reactivity" because - just as you said - when the dog is off leash, he is fine with other dogs. I just read a very short book called Feisty Fido that gives a training plan for reducing this. Basically you teach your dog to "watch" you when he sees a dog/cyclist/whatever passing by, instead of reacting to it. My trainer recommended it highly but I'm just starting out so I can't say whether it works.

In the book, they do talk about different types of walking equipment. They suggest an easy-walk harness that clips in the front (at the chest), because a normal harness makes it very easy for your dog to pull you. I haven't tried that yet but something to think about. Good luck!

One last thing, I would try speaking to the trainer about obedience classes. My dog didn't used to be this way, but we had a different dog in our classes that was leash reactive and the trainer did a good job of managing it. I don't think it means you can't go to class.

Unless the coat is matted beyond repair I wouldn't shave an aussie. If your dog has an unusually dense undercoat you may need to bring in more than a normal slicker brush to complete your grooming routine. A high velocity dryer does wonders to force out dead undercoat. A mars type stripper like this one: www.amazon.ca/Mars-Stainless-10-Blade-Stripper-Wooden/dp/B00061MPL0 will also help you.

I groom my aussies totally at least once a month when it's not show season, but I am a groomer. Ideally your dog should be bathed/dried/trimmed at least every 8 weeks and brushed in between. If you haven't taken your dog to a groomer before, I would strongly consider it. An aussie in good shape shouldn't cost more than $45-60 bucks to have done and sometimes you just need professional help!

Look into some throwing/fetch toys like the Chuck It Launcher. My little guy will literally fetch all day long if I let him.

Something that bounces randomly when it hits the ground is also great, he goes crazy trying to catch toys like that. We have the Chuck It Evader and the Kong Ring Zinger. I spent some time training him to bring the toy closer to me, having him lay down or do a trick before I'll throw it again. He prefers a game of fetch to treats any day and is highly motivated to learn new tricks/behaviours if he knows the reward is a round of ball chasing.

Overstimulating sounds right to me. It’s almost like a human, if you run 3 miles every day, you’re going to be a bit stir crazy if you don’t get your 3 mile run in for a day. Your Aussie is dependent on that stimulation everyday because he’s been so active.

Try rotating between focus training and problem solving some nights and exercise other night. Aussie will literally never tire if she’s playing with a dog or chasing a frisbee. She does get drained from activities like hide and seek because its mentally draining. We’ve started to hide a toy and while she’s looking hide another toy, then give her commands like “warm, hot, cold” based on proximity to the toy and when she find Squishy we tell her “Good job, now find Bear” and she goes searching for her bear.

Instead of toys that will just get destroyed, look into toys that promote problem solving.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0798K86LR/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1536457543&sr=8-3&keywords=Pupper+Pamper&dpPl=1&dpID=51HL1EmZOoL&ref=plSrch <— You can make these with 2 liter bottles but this is a good way to switch up dinner time. Don’t let your pup chew through these, he has to solve the puzzle. No brute forcing.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0711Y9XTF/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1536457614&sr=8-5&keywords=dog%2Bpuzzle%2Btoys&dpPl=1&dpID=41uG8OG2guL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1 <— Same sort of thing, just changes it up so it’s a different puzzle.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0038WP1YC/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1536457667&sr=8-15&keywords=dog+puzzle+toys <— I have a friend that ditched the food bowl and went with this for feeding. Just don’t let them brute force his way through it, keep your dog focused on the puzzle.

https://www.amazon.com/ZippyPaws-Woodland-Friends-Interactive-Chipmunks/dp/B008PFB3HG <— Toys like this are great for “Find the toy, then go put it in a bucket” then when the bucket is full, give a sign and you set the toy back up for him.

You might get one of the treat dispensing balls like this one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JQLNB4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001JQLNB4&linkCode=as2&tag=k9ofmine-20&linkId=I6W6RIYKDEMUWFI6
The dog really has to work at it, gives the brain a workout too, and that might divert her for one meal. And the antler is a good alternative because it takes awhile and gives teeth and tummy a workout too.

Somebody else mentioned treat balls, here's the one we have. I think my dog like the rubbery texture of it, and can pick it up when she wants to.

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Tricky-Treat-Large/dp/B0002DK26M/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1454166849&sr=1-1&keywords=treat+ball

Salmon oil works wonders!
I put a squirt of this on my Aussie's dry food and his coat is beautiful.
http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-All-Natural-Supplement-Pump-Bottle-Dispenser/dp/B0002ABR6E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382825307&sr=8-1&keywords=grizzly+salmon+oil

This is a great book for puppy owners, by Sophia Yin.

http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Puppy-Days-Start-Right/dp/0964151871

Here it is:

https://www.amazon.de/Hunter-Verstellbare-Hundeführleine-Elchleder-cognac/dp/B001PTK7OE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526736454&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=hunter+leash+elk

It's a solid feeling leash, but still soft and supple. I've only used it with her for a couple weeks, so we'll see how well it holds up.

Here's a couple books you might find helpful:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1592533256/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1377746354&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0764552872/ref=mp_s_a_1_18?qid=1377746490&sr=1-18&pi=SL75

I've used just a slicker brush before which worked. Mylo's coat isn't very thick though

Edit to add: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YIWVA0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_djV0CbHEQV583

Furminator or any other brushes that actually cut the undercoat are terrible for aussies or any other dog with an undercoat. It often causes the topcoat to grow back weirdly which will result in undercoat burn.

We use a rake such as: https://www.amazon.com/rake-deshedding-dematting-brush-comb/dp/B01M14GWS2 It works great and will pull out loose undercoat. You should use it more regularly when the pup is blowing coat.