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[Anneke]

Hi everyone! My name is Anneke. I live in the Netherlands. I am a professional dogwalker, so I work with dogs a lot. I have two Australian Shepherds.
Cooper is a black-tri male, 5 years old. He is not your regular Aussie. He is way to big and his favorite thing is just to hang out on the couch. Working makes you tired But he does know a couple of tricks, like back up, high five, high ten, roll over, weave, figure 8, bow, etc.

Jinx is my youngest. She is a blue eyed, blue merle. She is one year old. I haven't been teaching her a lot of tricks yet, i have been focusing on her to control herself, in stead of hopping all over the place, and basic training, like sit, down, heel etc. But she knows high five, high ten, weave, figure 8 and the latest, jump in my arms. We have just started agility training and frisbee. For the frisbee training we need new tricks, so I thought it would be fun to subscribe here and maybe find some new tricks and ideas.

Well that's enough about us! I'm going to snoop around here!
Bye!!

 

[Lexy88]

Welcome to the DTA! Your dogs are lovely I am doing similar with my GSD as you with your Jinx - trying to teach Blade to control himself and not be such a looney He knows a few tricks like roll, shake, high five, spin around, learning beg. Enjoy the site!

 

[Jean Cote]

Hi! Welcome to the site, beautiful dogs!

 

[Isi Havanese]

I am new here as well your dogs are georgeous. They are workers right? My German Shepherd backs up all the time I never thought of that as a trick but I suppose it is isn't it. Afterall it is not in their nature to walk backwards. I am looking for new tricks too for my 4 year old GSD and my 13 week Havanese. The Havanese is a cuban breed known as a circus dog, she is teaching me her tricks actually she seems to have come with tricks built in.

 

[bekah1001]

ugh i wrote something earlier but |i must've forgot to post it .
Welcome, and I thought cooper was a bernese mountain dog at first and I love blue merles.... my favourite colour in a dog

 

[Lexy88]

and I thought cooper was a bernese mountain dog at first

Me too

 

[Anneke]

Thank you for the warm welcome
Yes, most people think he is a bernese mix, because his head is so big. But he is not so heavily build as a bernese.
Here is a pic of him doing his favorite thing, playing in the mud he stands 24.8 inches tall. That's probably why he is not so active, his body is too big

 

[sara]

It's odd seeing Aussies with their tails! LOL I LOVE THEM! What stunning dogs!

I am also partial to Merle in dogs, but I hate it when people dont know enough about breeding and breed 2 merles together!!!

I have 2 deaf and sight impaired Black and Tan Double Dapples (or Blue Double Merle in any other breed but Dachshunds) because people who dont know enough breed 2 merles together! But then I adore my dogs, and LOVE their unique look.

 

[Lexy88]

Aww he is just beautiful. My dog enjoys the mud too He will lie in it and eat it

 

[bekah1001]

Why do they crop the tails..... I love them with them

 

[abby_someone]

What gorgeous dogs!! I love them. I have a 10 week old mini Aussie. His tail was docked long before I even had a chance to see him. I think that Aussies have beautiful tails, though, it is probably for the best that his is docked. I live in the west (Wyoming) and pulling/brushing out cockle-burrs out of his tail would be really hard and would probably hurt him too!

Bekah, I looked up an article of why the dock the Aussie tail and here is what it said:
Why Dock Tails?
1. To avoid tail damage - This is the most important reason for docking a tail. Australian Shepherds were raised in the rought Western areas of the United States, which, if you have never visited, have tough weeds, tall grasses, and plenty of other hazards. Working in this condition will easily lead to torn and bleedin tails, which, of course are very painful and hard to treat. If the tail is docked, it eliminates the rist of injury. it also lessens chances of matting.
2. For reasons of hygiene
Dogs with thick hair have a good chance of getting feces on themselves and caught in the tail. Docking can greatly reduce the hygiene problems.
3. To maintain breed standards
Should the docking of tails be eliminated, hundreds of otherwise good breeding animals wouuld be removed from gene pools and this could be a huge downfall for the breed.
There are numerous other minor reasons, but these are the BIG THREE.
From: http://www.theaustralianshepherd.net/info/docking.shtml

 

[bekah1001]

Thanks

 

[Anneke]

Well I can understand the docking when you really work with your dog, but I really don't understand the part about getting feces on their tails... I have always had longhaired dogs and the only time they got themselves dirty with feces is when they are sick and have diarrhea.
Here in the Netherlands docking is forbidden, only allowed on medical grounds. You can't enter any show or competition with a docked dog, unless you have proof that he wasn't bred in holland.
I love my dogs tails, but it does change the appearance of the breed. And since our aussies aren't "working" aussies, there is no need for docking.

 

[abby_someone]

I really didn't understand the feces either after thinking about it. Border Collies have long thick tails, and I have heard no complaints.

I didn't crop my Great Dane's ears when she was a pup, but she did lose the last 5-6 inches of her tail (oops!). My aussie will not be a working dog either, but, then again, his tail was docked long before I even found him, or I probably would have asked that they leave it on. I am not really sure. Both your dogs have the most beautiful tails! I like how your pics of your dogs show them playing and filthy! They look so very happy.

One question though, if your dog IS docked (bred in America) and you show him there, does he score less? Because it does change the "look" of the breed. I am obviously NOT a dog show judge, but I suspect that a judge already has a pretty good idea of the winner when they walk into the ring.

 

[Anneke]

I don't think they lose points. Because there are a lot af aussie being born without a tail. So it's quite normal to see natural bob and undocked dogs in the showring together. And also imported docked dogs.
You are right about the look of the dog with the tail, but with or without tail, they should be build as discribed in the breed standard. So judging is the same. I haven't noticed a big preference for docked dogs. In the end the judge has a taste for a specific type. Usually the show types, lots of hair Working lines have less hair. If I bring Jinx out in to the showring, she might not score to well, because she has a lot of workinglines in her. And she is a little long in her back. Her breeder is very pleased with her and has asked if I would show her. But I'm not the showing kind. I think it is boring and not always good for the breed.
I'm more the kind to step into an agilityring and do fun stuff.

 

[abby_someone]

That's interesting, thanks. I am not into showing either, which is good because I bought a "pet" dog. I love the more "doggy" sports rather than a formal type human thing.

 

[Dodge]

hi and welcome,I love tails (lethal weapons,but hey) have fun on the forum,looking forward to a chat
(your doglets are stunning!!!)

 

[brody_smom]

Hello, Anneke. I joined a year ago, but thought I would catch up on some intros of members who joined before I did. I didn't know you were a professional dog walker. That must be a lot of fun when the weather is good. How many dogs do you walk at one time?
It's interesting to read about the tail docking issue. abby_someone mentioned that Border Collies don't have their tails docked, but I believe they have just recently become an AKC show breed and will be judged on certain standards. I could be wrong about the exact terms, etc. , but I did read something about this recently. I did read into this a while ago as I was interested in where Brody got the big curl in his tail. He is a BC mix, but I had never seen a BC with a tail like that. Several people had told me he looked more like an Aussie (I think because he is a tri, and you don't see many tri BCs in our area), so I looked up their breed standard for tails, and found that there really wasn't one in North America because of docking. In Europe, as you know, there are many different types, including the full curl, like Brody's.

 

[Anneke]

Hi Brodys_mom. Yes being a dogwalker is an absolute joy when the weather is good!
Unfortunately I have had to make the decision to stop doing this, a few weeks ago. My way of working with the dogs, isn't very profitable. It payed for my expences, but not for much else, so it was more like a hobby I am not one of those persons, who takes 6 or more dogs out in one run. I wanted to keep my packs small, no more than 4 dogs. But somehow I ended up with a few problem dogs, so I had a few I couldn't put with other dogs. These "problems" ranged from not being a "social" dog, to a dog with epilepsie. On one day I would walk 5 dogs, in 3 or 4 runs. I guess I look too much at what the dog is comfortable with, more than what would make me money. I also had my dogs live far apart, so I had to drive quite a bit to collect them.
There were more reasons to stop, though. Because the dogwalking didn't make me enough money, I have another job. I clean officebuildings. Last year I found myself working 10 hours a day, leaving me no time and energy at all to spend with my own dogs. So three weeks ago I quit my dagwalkbusiness. Now I work 14 hours a week(might become 20 hours later this year, when I get a certificate I need) leaving me with loads of time and more income.
It does feel strange not to go out and walk the dogs any more. I have had most of them for 6 to 8 years and the ones who came later, I have known since they were pups.
But, my gosh, I have all this free time!!! I have only now realised how exhausted I was, from working so much. It has taken me these three weeks to get my energylevels back to normal. For the first time in almost a year, I have started a new trick! All I have been doing for the past year, was repeat the old ones and agilitytraining once a week. Did run some trials and went up a level.
So overall I am happy with the changes I have made. And so are my dogs

As for the taildocking... Borders are not docked. That is because they herd in a different way. They mostly keep distance, while an aussie is more up close. Borders stare, Aussies nip heels. Also, Aussies where used for cattle, they are harder to herd and will challenge a dog more than sheep will. During this work on the ranch, the tail is vulnerable to injury, which is why they started docking them. A dog with an injured tail could not work and potentially could die. In many docked breeds this was the reason for docking ears and tails.
Over here in parts of Europe(not all of it, unfortunately) docking was banned. Not only because of the way it was done(cruel to pups, done by breeder, not by vets.) but also because mst dogs have lost their original jobs. Most "working" breeds don't do the job they were made for anymore.
Over here, if you want to show your Aussie, you have to have proof that your dag is a natural bob. This is registered in his pedigreepapers.
I must say, though, it is tough to distiguish borderpups from aussiepups, these days. Because of the tail, but also because of the many similar colorings. Merle borders are popular, and I see more and more tri borders. Aussies are getting less compact. As you can see with my Jinx. She does look a bit like a border, as she has a long back.
I am trying to find a picture of Jinx with her tail, but I can't find a good one, When held up high it will curl, but not all the way.
Looking at pictures of Brody, I think there could well be a little aussie in there. The shape of the head, the ears, the bodytype. It all seems at least part aussie, to me.

 

[brody_smom]

Thanks for the update! I can see how it would be difficult to walk so many dogs at one time. You can't just lump a bunch of dogs together just because it is convenient for you. In the end, the whole exercise is about the well-being of the dog.

The only tri-color Border Collie I have ever met in our area was a miniature. I didn't know they existed! I was sure it was a Sheltie, but the owner was adamant that she was a purebred Border Collie.

I have a hunch that Brody could be BC/Golden Retriever. This would explain the tail and the ears, as well as the excessive fringes. Apparently this is a mix that is becoming quite popular in an attempt to tone down the Border Collie, while injecting some of that Golden Retriever friendliness. Who knows?