The UB5 Dog Lover Thread

[LA Ute]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. My wife is pretty set on starting with a puppy right now (which eliminates Rocker's rescue suggestion) with the idea that down the road we may want to rescue a dog to provide a friend for this one.

My wife is a certified pet lover and my kids are young and energetic. My wife and I both run or walk almost daily. I think all of this will give the dog sufficient exercise and attention, although I'm sure there will still be the occasional day where we have to leave it alone for a good portion of the day. My biggest fear is that there will be too many of those days and the dog will turn destructive. Other than that everything sounds just about ideal.

If you have to leave the dog when it's young, it should be just fine if you leave it in a room with plenty of toys. Unsupervised, with the run of the yard or the house, is a recipe for trouble. So...don't worry! You can handle it!

"Loyal and obedient, Australian Shepherds will follow their pack leader (that's you!) to the end of the earth. They are highly skilled at herding and agility games. Unlike the Border Collie, the Australian Shepard has an 'Off Switch." Which means that they are just as happy to lay at your feet, as they are to play ball or any other 'job' you choose for them."

http://www.doodlesvilleva.com/aussiedoodle-info.php