[Countrylady1071]

I've been having a really hard time deciding between a Doberman and Aussie. I really like both breeds, and I think they both suit me pretty well. I'm a pretty active person, I spend a lot of time outside. Hiking, camping, fishing, etc. I'm also very involved with horses. I own a horse, work at a barn, travel to shows around the US in summer, and take lessons. Oh, and my parents live on a small farm, with horses, chickens, waterfowl. I want a smart, trainable dog that will be a great companion, I'd like to be able to take my dog everywhere with me. I love that both dobes and Aussies are "Velcro" dogs. I have no experience or interest in showing my dog, but I'd love to take fun classes like agility.
Anybody have experience with both?
Opinions? Big differences between the breeds?
Thanks so much!

 

[o0 sHaDoWoLf 0o]

I know a lot of horse people own a Dobe. I haven't owned a aussie but know that an aussie might want to herd your horses. Aussie's in my opinion have a little more energy than a dobe. Dobermans will obviously have the protection instinct and the aussie will have the herding instinct. They are both an intelligent breed, and I guess it will depend on what you want to work with. Horse people own a Doberman because the way the doberman moves and just how much the Doberman reminds them of their horses or horses in general.

I think Dobermans have a goofier personality than an aussie, both want to please. Aussies have longer hair and you will see it more around the house and car compared to a Dobe. Aussie's can be prone to matting of the fur if you don't take care of their coat. With a Dobe they can be a little easier to clean. I think the aussie would be a little better in agility. Both breeds need exercise but I think the aussie needs more.

Doberman
Dogs 101 - Doberman (full) - YouTube

Australian Shepard
Dogs 101 - Australian Shepherd - YouTube

 

[Nubis'sDad]

If I owned a horse, I would definitely have a Dobe. When I was really young, I always wanted a horse but quickly realized it wasn't going to happen.
Nubis'sMom is a pretty smart cookie and listens to my boring stories, hehehe and this past Xmas she got me a print with a horse and two dobes on it.
I remember the first time i saw a dobe in person, i thought man, its a little horse. LOL

 

[o0 sHaDoWoLf 0o]

If I owned a horse, I would definitely have a Dobe. When I was really young, I always wanted a horse but quickly realized it wasn't going to happen.
Nubis'sMom is a pretty smart cookie and listens to my boring stories, hehehe and this past Xmas she got me a print with a horse and two dobes on it.
I remember the first time i saw a dobe in person, i thought man, its a little horse. LOL

there are so many times that Odin and my last dobe reminded me of horses, just there whole I love life prance and throwing their head around bit that they do. I as well wanted a horse growing up to but I learned that I wouldn't be getting one either lol.

 

[BPB]

I love Aussies! The last 2 obedience classes my dobe and I attended had an Aussie in there- turned out to be my girls best friend in the class BOTH times (different Aussies)

However, I prefer dobes. Aussie's are very smart but not as smart as dobes. Longer hair... more energy...IMO Dobes are better companions.. for me at least!

 

[ZeldaRules]

If it were me in your shoes doing a lot of hiking and camping and outdoor activity, I'd go with a Dobe for the extra sense of protection and alertness/intimidating presence. I do love Aussies and have met some really charming and goofy ones, but the dobe is the total package to me

 

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

To be honest, I don't know that you really can compare on Aussie to a Doberman completely. They're two vastly different breeds. That said, I love them both and Aussies were one breed that I really, really wanted before I got Tango (Toller/Border Collie mix) and then Dance. They're still a breed I'd love to have at some point one day. I think a member here (DoberKim I believe is her username) lives with an Aussie called Bunny, along with her Dobermans. I haven't seen her around very much in a while, but it might be worthwhile to shoot her a private message and see if she has any insight as far as comparisons.

With my very limited hands on experience with Aussies, I don't know everything there is to know about them, but I have done quite a bit of research and talked to quite a number of owners of the breed over the last few years. They remind me quite a bit of Tollers (of which I do have a lot of experience with) in a lot of ways, except in herding dog form and they're more protective. They seem like a nice balance of serious working dog mixed with a good bit of humour. Dobermans can be funny too, but I find their humour is a little bit different. Aussies are very into their people, and while they are friendly, they do seem to have a protective streak (as I've been told by Aussie owners). They sound like they're shadow dogs (like to be close and near but not on top of you constantly), as opposed to complete velcro dogs like the Doberman who think they should be attached to you and touching at all times. Part of that could just be that Aussies are hairy, and hairy dogs sometimes get too hot snuggling. Aussies seem less distracted and "ooh, shiny!" than Dobermans can be when training (or maybe that's just my Dobermans, haha.). I know of all the dogs I've owned and trained, I've had to work far more on focus and attention with them than I have my Rottweilers or my Toller/Toller mix. Heck, even my Dachshunds had a better attention span sometimes! That's not to say that Dobermans are overly difficult or impossible, but it is a difference I've noticed. I've taken classes with a lot of Aussies, and one of my Obedience instructors had a pair, and they (while sometimes distracted) seemed more willing and able to pay attention and follow direction.

They're a high energy breed, but given proper stimulation and exercise, seem able to settle in a house relatively easily. I would not say that an Aussie necessarily has more energy than a Doberman. I've met a lot of pretty full on Dobermans, and I find Doberman energy to be a little more scattered than herding dog energy. Harder to channel, if that makes sense.

One main difference also is that if you don't like barking, you might not like an Aussie. While I would not consider them the most vocal of dogs, they're definitely more barky than a Doberman. And bouncy, too.

Aussies are highly intelligent and pleasing (with a bit of a headstrong streak) and pick up on new tasks quickly. If they're anything like my Border Collie mix was, they should be a lot of fun to train. I love a dog who can grasp new concepts in such a short time period. My Dobermans are intelligent, but they're not the most intelligent dog I've ever owned and they're quite manipulative.

I do know that Aussies require a lot of socialization, much like a Doberman. I know a couple of Aussies who are dog reactive and also will bite people if they feel threatened/fearful. This appears to be common in a lot of herding breeds (shyness and reactivity). But a nice Aussie is a beautiful, well-rounded, do anything sort of a dog. As is a nice Doberman.

Aussies do have somewhat of a breed split. The dogs bred mainly for show and performance (Obedience, Agility, etc.) seem a little easier to live with, have heavier coats and heavier bone. Dogs that are bred for both show and working are more moderate in coat and bone, are a little more drivey and energetic. And dogs bred solely for working seem a little tougher in temperament, are busier, and again are built a little differently. This is just a generalization of course, and dogs are dogs and will vary. But this is common in a lot of breeds, so just be sure to choose the type of dog and breeder you like carefully so you end up with a dog that best matches you.

Also keep in mind the shedding and grooming requirements between the two breeds. Dobermans shed quite a bit, and the hairs are quite pokey (and itchy) and weave into things. But you don't need to do any trimming or brushing really. Speaking from my Toller experience, and with Aussies having a similar double coat, long hair sheds a little bit more and is fluffy and floats and leaves tumbleweeds in corners. It clings to everything, but can be vacuumed up easily. Aussies also should have their feet and ears tidied (less matting, cleaner appearance, less ice or mud in toes) regularly, and probably need to be brushed at least a couple times per month depending on the coat.

I personally don't think Dobermans make very good outdoorsy dogs if you live in a climate than can get a bit chilly. They manage and adapt for sure, but hairy dogs generally seem to fair better. Says I with the Toller who needs boots in the winter so she doesn't complain, haha. But generally speaking, dogs with a longer coat seem to be more able to handle different temperatures.

Anyhow, I won't pretend to know more than I do, so I'll stop there. But I hope that was somewhat helpful. Hopefully somebody who has actually owned an Aussie can chime in, as I'm only going on what I've read, been told, and have seen. Not actually lived with.

I personally, as much as I love my Dobes, think I might be a herding breed person at heart. Most of the dogs that I'm attracted to are herders, and I adored my Toller/Border Collie mix (who acted more BC than anything). I just find them so much fun.

 

[lestat1978]

I used to own a Cocker and getting burs out of his fur was an undertaking. With Ivan (Dobe) I can just run my hand down his back and all the burs fall off. LOVELY! I imagine an Aussie will be more like the Cocker. Obviously I'm not a fan of grooming beyond the occassional bath.

 

[ShelianDobe]

I bred Aussies for many years. Long before they were AKC recognized and in fact got away from the Aussies shortly after they were accepted into the AKC Misc. group. Not because AKC recognized them, but rather due to divorce. My last Aussie died in 2000 at the age of 14.

When I first began with the Aussies there wasn't really much differentiation between working and show Aussies. The working dogs were showing in conformation and the show dogs were competing in Stock Trials.

I do watch the Aussies from time to time at the AKC shows and see much more coat then days past and the dogs seem (to me anyway) to be getting a bit bigger. They also seem to have gone in the same direction as the dobes have as far as angles as well. I recently attended an Aussie Specialty in Kalamazoo, as the judged were a father/daughter team that were friend of mine in California. In fact they bred one of my bitches. I saw more Aussies over driving in the rear than I ever remember seeing before. In fact, it was rare to see an Aussie with so much rear angulation that they would overdrive their front. But, I have seen the same in the Dobes, including my own... much more rear angulation. Better fronts, but overdone rears.

Anyway -- one of the things that attracted me to Aussies is their intelligence and temperaments that IMO were/are very much like a Doberman. I grew up with Dobermans, so the Aussie was an easy addition for me. They were fabulous family dogs and I didn't find them to be anymore drivey or active than my Dobes. Easily as intelligent as Dobes, but in my experience, less manipulative and less apt to take advantage. Example: every Dobe I have ever owned was not only smart enough to learn whatever I chose to teach them, but was also smart enough to know when I couldn't enforce it. Used to be I never allowed dogs on my furniture, never, ever, not once. But, leave the Dobes home alone and you would come home to everybody greeting you at the door and it would be obvious that they were sleeping on the couch and/or loveseat. Warm cushions and little black hairs are a dead giveaway! NEVER had that with the Aussies.

The last Dobe I had before Wheeler, would lay down during the long sit in the Open Obed class -- because after all, I wasn't there and couldn't "get" him. But, I would return and he would be as I left him. Then, of course I learned that he had layed down and was this DQ'd. NEVER had that happen with an Aussie.

My Aussies were just as easy to train, but actually listened better than my Dobes and there was much less trying to get away with stuff.

Yes Aussies shed, but it is, again IMO, much easier to deal with than Dobe hair. Dobe hair weaves itself into everything -- Aussie hair doesn't -- it just vacuums up. As far as grooming, a bath now and then and a weekly brushing was all it took to keep them looking spiffy. Brambles, stickers and such weren't really an issue. Aussies don't have a soft coat, their outer coat is rather coarse (or should be) and sheds brush and brambles as well as water quite well. I honestly don't ever remember having issues with burrs and such.

For the show ring there is some trimming, but relatively minimal. Feet, a bit around the ears and a tiny on the back legs, but that is about it. Whiskers aren't normally trimmed on these guys and many compete as stock dogs, or actually work as stock dogs at home.

My Aussies were great with kids, great with people -- although several were a bit reserved with strangers initially, but much like Wheeler would warm up after a few minutes. I had 2 intact male Aussies and a neutered Male Dobe, and never had a hint of a problem (we did keep the boys separate when one of the girls was in heat). In general I didn't find Aussies to be dog aggressive. We also had Cats, birds, a pet rat, rabbits and horses .... No issues.

I love Aussies and I had a real difficult time deciding whether it was going to be Aussies or Dobes this time around and I will definitely have another Aussie one day.

Here's a few old photos for you.

ASCA CH Hisaw's Hunnie Bear, CD,CDX, ATD-d,s (aka Honey)

AKC/ASCA CH Gingerbred's Felony Blackmale (aka Romeo), going BOB and his daughter, going BOBP and went on to become ASCA CH Divinity's Call Me the Breeze (aka Breezy). Oh and that is Me with the puppy.

AKC/ASCA CH Gingerbred's Felony Blackmale (aka Romeo)

ASCA CH Divinity's Promises for Devynne (aka Bailey. A Romeo x Hunnie daughter)

AKC/ASCA CH Divinity's Three Cheers for Gingerbred (aka Copper. Copper is Bailey's son)

 

[Lori Z]

I have lived with and loved 3 aussies. I currently have a 3 yr old male doberman and a 14 1/2 year old female aussie.

Aussies are MUCH easier to train. Aussies have a willingness to please that most dobermans do not have. Aussies are agile, gentle and fabulous with children. My doberman loves kids but he wasn't naturally gentle with kids like the aussies, I had to teach him to be careful and it took almost 2 years.

After having both breeds personally I think I am better suited to the herding dog temperament. I do like the size of the doberman, I like big dogs and I enjoy my doberman very much but he was a LOT of work to get him to where he is today. My aussies were excellent with other dogs, cats, parrots, my doberman had to be trained to be gentle or ignore others.

My doberman is very good off leash, like that aussie but he doesn't take hand signal direction like they did. Here is an example of a difference. The dog is crowding me so with Eli I have to say a command, "back" then he will get back. The aussies will get back if you say, "back, go, away, go on, go on with you." and respond to the wave of a hand or an eyebrow raise. LOL. With Eli I must say "back" or he won't. He just doesn't have the desire to please that the aussie do. He loves me and is a fun companion but not easy.

 

[Juicec6]

I've had an aussie chase two horses through fences, Wouldn't take one even if it was free.

 

[TxDobieLady]

Aussies are great my mother used to breed and show them i grew up with them they are very smart but more active than dobe and they def need a job but you better be ready to take care of that coat. both dogs are wonderful dobes seem to be more needy but aussies are very high maintenance that hair is a handful when i was working as a groomer i spent many hours coming threw them

 

[Countrylady1071]

Thanks everyone so much. Especially tollersndobes and avianantics, that was SO helpful and exactly what I was hoping to hear, detailed info/experience with both breeds! I've been wanting an Aussie for a couple years now, they are everywhere at Arabian horse shows. BUT I've never known one personally, whereas I've grown up around a couple of dobermans, so it's really great to hear others experiences. Thanks again!

 

[Lori Z]

All three of my aussies were great with livestock. Mine were well trained though, a down around livestock is essential. I had all three of mine down with a hand signal deep in the forest when we came upon a herd of burros, yes we had wild burros. All dogs downed and then came. They were fairly far from me too.

I've had an aussie chase two horses through fences, Wouldn't take one even if it was free.

 

[ShelianDobe]

Aussies as do most breeds.... do have some health issues. You positively want to purchase from a reputable breeder -- if you want a referral PM me, I will be happy to provide you with a list of breeders I know personally and can recommend.

Eyes (CEA and Cataracts). You want the parents CERF'd annually
Hip Dysplasia - Be certain both parents are OFA or Penn Hip Certified free of HD
Epilepsy - Quiz the breeder about Epilepsy in his/her lines. Avoid puppies with parents or grandparents with a history of epilepsy.
Pelger-Huet Anamoly - Not generally a problem unless you will be breeding. If you are looking for a show, possible breeding prospect then both parents should have had a negative PHA test.
Color - You do NOT want a White Aussie, or a mostly White Aussie. Regardless of the dogs color it is imperative that the ears be colored and that the eye rim be colored. See the first photo of the blue-merle bitch CH. Hisaw's Hunnie Bear, I posted. The ONLY way you want this much White on an Aussie is if the ears are colored and note the dark pigmentation on the eye lid. Hearing and Vision problems are a well known problem in Aussies. Mostly associated with the Merle gene, however, it has also been found to be prevalent in dogs with white or mostly white ears (hearing) and pink or non-pigmented eye rims/lids (vision).

Note about grooming -- if you take a slicker brush to an Aussie once or twice a week, you will pretty much take care of the grooming needs. When the dog begins to blow coat (lose its undercoat) - give a warm bath and then while still wet comb them out thoroughly and blow dry. You will remove most of the undercoat and not have to go weeks with huge clumps of hair all over the place.

 

[Asmit]

I have not myself 'owned' an Aussie, but as a kid, my family owned two. The first was a rescue, and he was fabulous. He was not an "inside dog" per say because he honestly did not like it. He had free roam of the neighborhood, but usually just stayed sunning in the driveway etc. (He had a doggie door to go inside whenever he wanted but he loved being outside). When we were home, he was of course right behind us. I loved avianantics comparison of the two breeds as far as training goes... Perfect description! Zeus is also the only dog I've had who sneaks on the furniture when I'm gone and acts like I have no clue that the couches are warm, pillows thrown off and black hairs attached. Anyways, the rescued aussie was great with everyone, absolutely everyone, and protective as well. My mom was always comforted taking him on late night strolls.

After having this rescued Aussie, my mom later purchased an Aussie from working/herding bloodlines. This was a mistake. He was a beautiful, wonderful dog. Whenever we came inside, he would 'smile' (showing his teeth, both of our aussies did this), and melt into non stop booty dancing. He was very smart, although a quite destructive puppy. While potty training, he realized if he pooped inside, then ate it, we "wouldn't know" he had gone in the house. He did not enjoy eating the poop but he thought as long as there was no poop in the house when we returned that it 'didn't count' per say. He also had way too much drive for our family. My mom was very busy, did not have a professional trainer, and my sister and I did most of the trouble with him. We would 'let him out' in the neighborhood and he would proceed to try and 'heel' everything that moved. I had TONS of bloody heels from it. Ultimately, my mom knew she did not have the time to give him what he deserved, and found him a wonderful working home, where he still herds recreationally on a 50 acre farm. I was young then, but I remember crying nonstop for days, because he really was possibly the most devoted and loving dog I've ever seen as far as his devotion to his family.

Being a horse person, I completely agree that dobes remind me of my horses. I feel like Zeus is simply a food-motivated version of my Thoroughbred Cassie. I rarely think of Zeus as a dog per say. They have a very unique temperament and disposition. For instance, he gets very excited when I come home, but its more like a 'run around like crazy, expect to be fed and taken out, give a couple kisses, then run around', where as the aussie's were always 100% focused on you returning home, and instead of running around with dober-zoomies.

I agree completely that they are very very different breeds, although they are both highly intelligent and trainable. I honestly think you should try spending more time with the breeds. One option to do so (and really get a feel for it), is being a foster home for a local doberman rescue, then an aussie rescue, vice versa. Although every dog is different, and you never know what your gonna get with a rescue, its very helpful to actually see how the breed fits in with your lifestyle for a certain period of time rather than just watching/observing.

Good luck! Beautiful Aussie's by the way avian!

 

[dobebug]

Aussies as do most breeds.... do have some health issues. You positively want to purchase from a reputable breeder -- if you want a referral PM me, I will be happy to provide you with a list of breeders I know personally and can recommend.

Eyes (CEA and Cataracts). You want the parents CERF'd annually
Hip Dysplasia - Be certain both parents are OFA or Penn Hip Certified free of HD
Epilepsy - Quiz the breeder about Epilepsy in his/her lines. Avoid puppies with parents or grandparents with a history of epilepsy.
Pelger-Huet Anamoly - Not generally a problem unless you will be breeding. If you are looking for a show, possible breeding prospect then both parents should have had a negative PHA test.
Color - You do NOT want a White Aussie, or a mostly White Aussie. Regardless of the dogs color it is imperative that the ears be colored and that the eye rim be colored. See the first photo of the blue-merle bitch CH. Hisaw's Hunnie Bear, I posted. The ONLY way you want this much White on an Aussie is if the ears are colored and note the dark pigmentation on the eye lid. Hearing and Vision problems are a well known problem in Aussies. Mostly associated with the Merle gene, however, it has also been found to be prevalent in dogs with white or mostly white ears (hearing) and pink or non-pigmented eye rims/lids (vision).

Note about grooming -- if you take a slicker brush to an Aussie once or twice a week, you will pretty much take care of the grooming needs. When the dog begins to blow coat (lose its undercoat) - give a warm bath and then while still wet comb them out thoroughly and blow dry. You will remove most of the undercoat and not have to go weeks with huge clumps of hair all over the place.

You got out of Aussies just about the time I bought my first (and perhaps my last) Aussie. I bought him the first year that Aussies were out of Misc in AKC and he was dual registered ASCA and AKC.

The other thing that I would add to the list of possible health issues is to check with the breeder about skin issues and allergies. These seem to becoming more and more common in the breed.

My dog was a top of the standard black tri from showlines on one side of his pedigree and primarily working lines on the other. Made him about the size of a Dobe bitch. He could match any of my many Dobes for native intellegence and was incredibly trainable--I trained him through Utility and never put a title on him. Along with being very bright he was also incredibly ADD--and this is fairly common in Aussies--his attention span in nosy, busy places was about a microsecond. But his temperament was rock solid which is also not always the case with Aussies.

I absolutely agree that if you run a slicker through an Aussie, even one with a heavy coat, you'll never have matts. The other nice thing was that even if I took him out into mucky fields as soon as he was dry all of the dirt fell off his coat. And he had exactly what the Aussie standard calls for--an all weather coat. We spent his first winter in Vermont. He regularly fell asleep outside and got snowed on often enough that he'd end up covered in snow--it never melted--that double coat was great insulation.

Yeah, the Aussies I see in the ring today generally have more rear angulation than they did when I got my dog. And it's afected their movement--not for the better.

I think the Aussie and Dobes are very energetic dogs--their saving grace is that they are both very trainable although I'd say that Aussies in general are more biddable.

My Aussie was intact--his whole long life. He was very healthy and he got along with kids, cats, Dobes, people and would be delighted to let anyone into the house--but he's the only dog I've ever had who tried to herd my cats. The cats didn't think much of that. He also herded the Dobes he lived with (two intact males) they got a lot of exercise that way--the Aussie trying to keep the Dobes off the fence and the Dobes trying to get the Aussie away from the fence--they definitely have different purposes in mind when they are doing things.

LOL...I got a good laugh about who was sneakier. The only dog that ever snuck up on furniture if I wasn't home was the Aussie--he couldn't do much about the black, white and copper hairs that stuck to the couch though.

And Dobe hair is prickly, and weaves itself into everything and never comes out. I used to take a greyhound comb to the Aussie when he was in full shed and every corner was a mass of undercoat. That cut down on the length of time the shedding process went on--the neighborhood birds loved it though--I'd find a nest that had blown out of a tree occasionally and they were always lined with Aussie coat.

I think they make a great match with Dobes--they are tough dogs and one of the few that can tolerated the way a Dobe plays without getting hurt or getting grumpy about it.

My Dobe breeder friends were as sorry as I was to see Henry go because while he was alive he acted as the trainer for Dobe puppies who'd never seen hairy dogs--convinced them that he was just another dog. I've got funny pictures of him with whole litters of Dobe pups trailing him around the yard like duckling who got imprinted on a chicken.

By the way--I agree your dogs were gorgeous.

 

[Lori Z]

Hey Shelly,

My sister had a Gingerbred dog. My male had some Gingerbred in his lines, his mom was a Gingerbred dog. He was my only aussie from show lines. He was a very handsome dog. I co owed him but he didn't turn out as we had hoped. Still old Gus was a good boy and lived until he was almost 14. I think finding an aussie with the old temperaments is harder now and wanted to mention cancer is becomming a problem with the breed.

Personally I think aussies should be up there with cattle dogs and border collies on intelligence ranking. Mine were exceptionally intelligent.

 

[ShelianDobe]

Hey Shelly,

My sister had a Gingerbred dog. My male had some Gingerbred in his lines, his mom was a Gingerbred dog. He was my only aussie from show lines. He was a very handsome dog. I co owed him but he didn't turn out as we had hoped. Still old Gus was a good boy and lived until he was almost 14. I think finding an aussie with the old temperaments is harder now and wanted to mention cancer is becomming a problem with the breed.

Personally I think aussies should be up there with cattle dogs and border collies on intelligence ranking. Mine were exceptionally intelligent.

I am not surprised. Ginger has been around for a long, long time, so with you being in California I probably would be more surprised if you had an Aussie that didn't have any Gingerbred breeding. Ginger is now in Valley Springs, CA breeds an occasional litter and does a bit of judging as well.

She bred Romeo (AKC/ASCA CH Gingerbred's Felony Blackmale), had too many dogs at the time and couldn't keep him, but didn't want to let him go, he was an awesome puppy that grew to be an awesome dog. The best head I have *ever* seen on an Aussie and he produced it. Anyway, she called me one day and said come get this puppy. I told her I really didn't need to buy another dog, and she said who said buy -- just come get him! So, I did and never regretted it. I mostly showed him in ASCA and he finished quickly, once he got over the teenage stage, then when AKC accepted them Ginger showed him to his AKC Championship. By then I was in the midst of a divorce with 2 young children and I just couldn't afford it.

Here's a few more photos of Romeo.

Look at that boys head!

Romeo (BOBP) and his Sire; CH Hisaw's Meucci Original (BOB). Romeo was much better than his sire. But Meucci produced many, many Champions and always produced better than himself.

Romeo getting one of his AKC Majors. Handled by his breeder Ginger Abbot

Romeo and my Daughter, 1988 or so.

 

[ShelianDobe]

The other thing that I would add to the list of possible health issues is to check with the breeder about skin issues and allergies. These seem to becoming more and more common in the breed.

Interesting. Of course it has been about 12 years since I had Aussies, but have to say that I never had a single issue with allergies. So, that is good information.

Along with being very bright he was also incredibly ADD--and this is fairly common in Aussies--

Really? Again something I never experienced. Mine were all active and energetic, but very easy to live with as long as they got their daily dose of exercise.

his attention span in nosy, busy places was about a microsecond. But his temperament was rock solid which is also not always the case with Aussies.

Had no issues with this either. Mine were all very level headed, and once they left the puppy stage behind attention span was wonderful. In fact one of the things I really liked about them was their focus. Herding dogs do need to focus on their job, so they transferred that to me and would literally ignore everything else going on around them. But again, its been 12 years since I had one and when/if I do get another it will be from Regi at Catori. Her Mom bred my bitch Honey and Romeo's sire was Honey's litter brother. Regi is still breeding those same lines.

I think the Aussie and Dobes are very energetic dogs--their saving grace is that they are both very trainable although I'd say that Aussies in general are more biddable.

I agree!

LOL...I got a good laugh about who was sneakier. The only dog that ever snuck up on furniture if I wasn't home was the Aussie--he couldn't do much about the black, white and copper hairs that stuck to the couch though.

My dobes have always been sneaky and pretty much too smart for my own good. I had a heck of a time getting obedience titles on my last Male and we finally had to outsmart him and make him think that if he layed down on the long sit, or anything else for that matter, that the stewards were going to come *get* him. LOL!

Wheeler is just as bad. If he wants to do something he isn't supposed to, he will sneak off and just do it. The Dobes would always just blow me off if they knew I couldn't enforce it and Wheeler will do the same thing. They figure it out pretty quickly.