I cant decide !!
- Thread starter babymomma
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Can't be helpful without pictures of your crew. Sorry. 
I Dont mind barking, we own our own home so we dont have to worry about getting in any kind of trouble from barking.
I love both types of dogs. I currently have a yorkie, which is a more serious dog and we also have a Lab which is definatly a Fun/Play type dog. If i had to choose though i think i would lean more towards a serious dog. My all time favorite breed of dog is a german shepherd, unfortunatly a GSD will not fit into our lives right now or any time in the near future, And really its only because of a gsds size.
I include haley the GSD as my own as i raised her but when i moved out she wasnt "mine" to take
shes my brothers dog .
Start with what traits you like/dislike, what you hope to do with a future dog, what you like dog personality wise, size wise... and we can help you go from there
I personally went through the australian sheperd vs. border collie debate myself, and what swayed me toward aussies was (a lot of reading lol) but also, how their owners describe their personalities and what I LIKE to see in dogs.
Things like playful, bouncy, funny, silly.. tended to pop up when I thought of personalities in dogs I like to see, and being traits more common in aussies, that's the breed I went with (there were so many other factors of course lol but that is an example)
Sheltie.. you've got the size thing. Do you like more smaller/medium dogs?
What are you hoping to do with this dog? agility? rally? hiking partner? companion? therapy dog?
Also, someone once told me "Don't focus too hard on breeds.. start with breeders" and doing that it was REALLY GOT ME.
I looked at each breeds club.. and went through their breeders lists one by one (just..this took FOREVER) and one day, BAM I found a breeder with aussies that I LOVED (personality/temperament/health etc.. wise) I knew that more than being the right breed for me, these were the right DOGS for me and what I wanted in a future puppy
I personally went through the australian sheperd vs. border collie debate myself, and what swayed me toward aussies was (a lot of reading lol) but also, how their owners describe their personalities and what I LIKE to see in dogs.
Things like playful, bouncy, funny, silly.. tended to pop up when I thought of personalities in dogs I like to see, and being traits more common in aussies, that's the breed I went with (there were so many other factors of course lol but that is an example)
Sheltie.. you've got the size thing. Do you like more smaller/medium dogs?
What are you hoping to do with this dog? agility? rally? hiking partner? companion? therapy dog?
Also, someone once told me "Don't focus too hard on breeds.. start with breeders" and doing that it was REALLY GOT ME.
I looked at each breeds club.. and went through their breeders lists one by one (just..this took FOREVER) and one day, BAM I found a breeder with aussies that I LOVED (personality/temperament/health etc.. wise) I knew that more than being the right breed for me, these were the right DOGS for me and what I wanted in a future puppy
I have met, and reserarched and talked to breeders on all of three of the breeds (plus more breeds but i managed to reduce it to just these three)
At the moment I am leading more towards either the Sheltie (Found a wonderful breeder close to home) or the Aussie. But then i always come back to the BC too.
The dog will first and foremost be a companian dog, But i want a dog that can keep up. I love keely but in the last year her energy level has decreased immensly and doesnt enjoy doing much anymore. shes turned into a lap dog and casey is more then willing to keep up but due to her hip problem we have to leave her out of alot.
I plan on doing some agility. I've dabbled in it with keely but she doesnt enjoy it anymore. I dont plan on doing it to compete or anything as I dont have anywhere in my area to do such a thing . I definatly want a dog that will keep up on hikes and such. And i love a dog that is intelligent and catches onto things pretty quickly.
At the moment I am leading more towards either the Sheltie (Found a wonderful breeder close to home) or the Aussie. But then i always come back to the BC too.
The dog will first and foremost be a companian dog, But i want a dog that can keep up. I love keely but in the last year her energy level has decreased immensly and doesnt enjoy doing much anymore. shes turned into a lap dog and casey is more then willing to keep up but due to her hip problem we have to leave her out of alot.
I plan on doing some agility. I've dabbled in it with keely but she doesnt enjoy it anymore. I dont plan on doing it to compete or anything as I dont have anywhere in my area to do such a thing . I definatly want a dog that will keep up on hikes and such. And i love a dog that is intelligent and catches onto things pretty quickly.
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I find shelties are MUCH barkier than BCs and aussies. I considered them for a while but ultimately wanted a quieter dog and preferred the sleeker more athletic look of BCs. That's just my own preferences though
Are you wanting to compete in anything or will this dog be just a pet?
Aussies tend to be a little 'goofier' than BCs and a bit barkier. If you compare their herding styles, they are VERY different dogs (aussies are upright, use their voices, etc.). BCs you are looking at a dog who is probably more on the serious side. My BC Spy, for example... When him and I play fetch, agility, rally-o, whatever, it is SERIOUS. He is intense, nothing is a game... All work lol. I love it though, and it works because we are both competitive and mesh well
If it comes down to aussie vs, BC, my suggestion would be to go out and meet a few of each to really get a feel for the 'type' of dog you are most attracted to. If possible, visit your potential breeders or their offspring if any are local and see which dogs you click with. The thing with BCs and aussies is that there is a lot of variation in the breed in terms of temperament and structure so the best way to really discern which you prefer is to meet the ones you are considering.
Are you wanting to compete in anything or will this dog be just a pet?
Aussies tend to be a little 'goofier' than BCs and a bit barkier. If you compare their herding styles, they are VERY different dogs (aussies are upright, use their voices, etc.). BCs you are looking at a dog who is probably more on the serious side. My BC Spy, for example... When him and I play fetch, agility, rally-o, whatever, it is SERIOUS. He is intense, nothing is a game... All work
lol. I love it though, and it works because we are both competitive and mesh well If it comes down to aussie vs, BC, my suggestion would be to go out and meet a few of each to really get a feel for the 'type' of dog you are most attracted to. If possible, visit your potential breeders or their offspring if any are local and see which dogs you click with. The thing with BCs and aussies is that there is a lot of variation in the breed in terms of temperament and structure so the best way to really discern which you prefer is to meet the ones you are considering.
Sheltie!!!!!!
Just sayin'
:rofl1: really it's personal preference. A lot of people find typical sheltie behavior annoying, I find the monkey/wookey noises cute lol but I also work with Bailey (and we did Nikki, too) a lot with training (we both enjoy it!) and so she's very very fun, manageable, etc
I've been around BCs a lot more recently with the ladies at the training center, and I don't think I could live with them. Dont get me wrong i love them and hyre fun at class. Too 'intense' for me, I think it's annoying. Funny thing is, they say the same thing about shelties :rofl1: I do like the size, I can pick up and lug her around if I need too. And encourage her to be a lapdog... Though it works better when she's exhausted LOL
Just sayin'
:rofl1: really it's personal preference. A lot of people find typical sheltie behavior annoying, I find the monkey/wookey noises cute lol but I also work with Bailey (and we did Nikki, too) a lot with training (we both enjoy it!
) and so she's very very fun, manageable, etcI've been around BCs a lot more recently with the ladies at the training center, and I don't think I could live with them. Dont get me wrong i love them and hyre fun at class. Too 'intense' for me, I think it's annoying. Funny thing is, they say the same thing about shelties :rofl1: I do like the size, I can pick up and lug her around if I need too. And encourage her to be a lapdog... Though it works better when she's exhausted LOL
Maybe instead of trying to decide between breeds, now that you have it narrowed down to three, start trying to decide between breeders. Sounds like you already have a few breeders in mind, so maybe meet them in person and meet some of their dogs to really get a feel for not only the breed, but that particular line specifically. See if a preference comes out after doing that. If you're still having trouble deciding, maybe it'll come down to which one has the first available puppy.
I mean, if you're having this much trouble choosing between the three breeds, assuming you've done a lot of research and are well-educated on the breeds, then you'll probably be happy no matter which one you end up with.
I mean, if you're having this much trouble choosing between the three breeds, assuming you've done a lot of research and are well-educated on the breeds, then you'll probably be happy no matter which one you end up with.
Trust me i have done ALOT of research. I tend to not go into anything without educating myslef first. I wanna be sure im a good match for the breed and vice versa, i dont think i could handle having to give a dog up because i didnt research and spend enough time around them to make an informed decision and end up failing the dog.
I have to be honest after sitting down on the phone for 2 hours with the sheltie breeder i am interested in, i think shelties are the winner. Perfect fit for my family.
He has a 6 month old male available right now that was brought back to him because the owners had to unexpectedly leave the province. I asked if he would be a "clean slate" in terms of training and it turns out he was poorly socialized and is very skittish and fearful around new people. I told the breeder about the issues i had with my yorkie and how we over came them and he thinks we would be a good home for him. ... BUT that said, im not ready for one at this very moment. I was thinking more along the lines of getting one in a few months time, plus my bf wants a younger puppy. :/
And he is expecting a litter soon that will be available in june month so now i am conflicted about this as well :/
I have to be honest after sitting down on the phone for 2 hours with the sheltie breeder i am interested in, i think shelties are the winner. Perfect fit for my family.
He has a 6 month old male available right now that was brought back to him because the owners had to unexpectedly leave the province. I asked if he would be a "clean slate" in terms of training and it turns out he was poorly socialized and is very skittish and fearful around new people. I told the breeder about the issues i had with my yorkie and how we over came them and he thinks we would be a good home for him. ... BUT that said, im not ready for one at this very moment. I was thinking more along the lines of getting one in a few months time, plus my bf wants a younger puppy. :/
And he is expecting a litter soon that will be available in june month so now i am conflicted about this as well :/
Yep, stay away from the BCs and Aussies if the size of a GSD is the problem. Simi's 6 months old and about 21 1/2 inches, maybe 22inches tall and a good 45lbs. Psyche's full grown at 21 1/2 inches, and 43lbs. Crash is bigger in height and weight. So I recommend shelties. 'Specially if you have a breeder local you're talking to. Having Robin (Narnia) so close to me helped a LOT I knew the dogs that were the parents of Simi's litter very well before bringing a pup home, and that's nice.