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Hey i want to get a dog, but i really want to find the right breed for me aswell, i want a dog i can do training with and have a run about with as well, and one i can do agility with as well.
I have been thinking about getting either a Australian shepherd Border collie or a toller.
Please help, i really want to find the write dog for me and i dont mind if its not one of the above, i just thought they might be good, but i dunt no :)
Thanks xx
I have an Aussie, and I couldn't imagine anything else! they are quite HIGH energy dogs though. We joh a mile in the morning and walk 3 at night, plus we have about an acre that he has free run of for about 4 hours a day, and he still can be a handful. Now, as far as training and agility, he is 6 months old and we just graduate beginner obedience and start the next level up in 2 weeks. We have also started agility, which he loves.
The biggest problem with the aussie is the herding insctinct. He likes to heard the kids into one spot and the horses as well. Some people can be annoyed by this behavior, but that is what Aussies know. If you have a lot of time you know you can devote to training and exercise of your dog, they are wonderful. They are very smart dogs who just want to please.
As for the other breeds, I couldn't tell you.
Good luck! :)
Just remember that these breeds need a great deal of physical and mental stimulation. :) All of these breeds have their quirks -- if you are looking for a purebred puppy, make sure you go to a reputable breeder -- all three of these breeds can have a great deal of temperment problems if you aren't careful.
Another Jessica that also owns/loves Aussies?? lol :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Sweet Sixy
Anyway, of course I am partial to Aussies, but Tollers have been a secret love of mine as well (I do plan on owning one... someday...). I can speak with experience about Aussies, however, owning two myself. I will use Jamie as reference though since Charlie isn't a "normal" dog :o
They do require LOTS!!!!!! of attention (when I say lots, I mean if they want attention and you do not give it to them they will FORCE you to. I will be on the laptop and Jamie will crawl into my lap and lay on me. Charlie will whine lol but Jamie forces her way up!). They are also very HIGH energy dogs who need LOTS of exercise. My two LOVE being outdoors. Well, Jamie loves being with me, Charlie does too but he loves cooler weather so since it's fall now I can never get him to come inside!
They are very tricky dogs, the second you think you've outwitted them is when you really haven't at all. They are always one step ahead of you ;) I can't count how many times I have come home and Jamie was out of her crate. The tray pushed all the way out, the latches undone and the door wide open (but I think she had an accomplice...).
They also require training as early as possble. I can not stress this enough. AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. And stick with it, don't slack, because when you do they know it and they will exploit the opportunity for their benefit!
They are very trainable dogs though, you can teach them any trick in the book easily and within days. I had Jamie bowing after only a few hours (ok, she knew how to do it, she was just stubborn and didn't want to until dad came home from work, then she wanted to show off and be like "see Mom was lying to you on the phone, I do too know how to do it!")
If you are not an active person, I do not recommend the Aussie. Also if you have irritable cats in the house... I do not recommend an Aussie. Because their herding instinct is high and they will attempt to herd anything that moves... children, cats, even you just trying to walk downt he hallway!!
Also they are nicknamed "velcro dogs" because they ae just that. They will follow you from room to room and sit outside the bathroom door. Even if you just get up to grab something and sit back down again they will follow you. If you get annoyed easily by animals being underfoot... then an Aussie is not for you.
Also if there are any kids in the house who will be frightened by them trying to herd them (they can and will nip sometimes, too. Charlie does this, Jamie has never tried herding us, but Charlie will nip at the inseams of my jeans and try pulling me around haha), then I don't recommend them either, HOWEVER, it can be trained out.
Anyway I can never see myself without an Aussie in my life, if not two, or three, or five. ;) They are my breed and they really are a joy to have, if they are right for you.
Aussie's and BC's are pretty similar, I'm not sure if Tollers are similar to them in personality.
But before you get any one of these breeds, make sure to do your homework!It will help prepare you for the amount of physical and mental excersise they all need.
Tollers are extremely active dogs, but not quite as active as a Border Collie. They're more comparable to an Aussie as far as energy and activity goes, though that also depends on the dog. I know Tollers who can easily keep up with a Border Collie and often the Borders get worn out gicker, and then I kow Tollers who tire easily while a Border Collie can keep going and going. Tollers, unlike the Aussie and the BC are obviously in the sporting group as opposed to the herding group obviously so they will have differences. They do stare, but it it isn't as intense as a Border or an Aussie.
Tollers do tend to be fairly vocal dogs, some worse than others. The ones I know aren't really barky, but they do whine quite a bit and tend to make sort of moaning noises often when they're bored or frustrated. Some/a lot also scream. It is an extremely unpleasant noise and they do it when they're excited and/or anxious. Here is a link to one variation of the scream.
The Toller is my breed of choice, and truly the only breed I will own at all times in my life. I love absolutely everything about them (well, except for their scream...lol). I'll try to share as much as I can about them with you, and I'm sure I'll end up saying some stuff you already know but I hope I can help.
The Toller is a medium sized breed. Females are between 18-20" tall, and weigh between 37-43lbs. Males are between 19-21" and weigh between 45-51lbs.
I'm not sure if you have cats or other small animals, but Tollers do often have a strong prey drive and I'd never trust one alone with a cat or small animal (I'd never trust any breed alone with a smaller animal though). Just make sure you're watching the Toller at all times and don't leave it unattended with something they may consider as prey. I've loved Tollers all my life and have been researching them for atleast 10 years now...which is a long time considering I can't even have a purebred until 2008. Tollers are very high energy, high drive dogs. They need something to do, or else they will find a way to amuse/entertain themselves. They can and will become destructive if not stimulated enough each day. They require a lot of exercise, but they will lay down in the house while you want to watch TV or something. I have a Toller/Border Collie mix at the moment. She gets 2 jogs a day, aswell as a walk which ends up in a romp/play/run/obedience practice aswell in a nearby field. Now, they don't neccessarily need 2 jogs a day, that is just something I like to do. They do need atleast an hour (preferably more) of playing/retrieving each day aswell as mental stimulation. Tollers love to work, they love to please. However, that being said, they do get bored if you repeatedly do the same thing over and over again. They thrive on learning new things. Tollers can also be somewhat stubborn and if they don't see a point in whatever you're teaching them, they'd prefer not to learn it. Owning a Toller is like having a 2 year old child for 12-14 years. Tollers must be socialized tons and I think it is wise to take them to puppy classes and atleast one set of obedience classes simply for socializing if you don't live in an area where you frequently encounter other dogs. If they aren't socialized, they can become very fearful around new things and I've known a few to become fear biters and barkers due to lack of socialization as a young pup. Socializing has to continue for the rest of the dogs' life aswell, not just as a pup. Tollers love to be with their family. I find that they, in general, much prefer people over other dogs (they do get along with other dogs though). They don't like to be left alone for long periods of time, but a lot of breeds don't. I'm sure I missed something, but if you have an specific questions I'd be happy to try and answer them for you. Hopefully Cali will see this thread and give some input aswell, since she owns both a Toller and two Border Collies and her information may be a bit accurate since I don't actually own one as of yet...I'm just going on what I've experienced with the breed and what I've read.
Here's a link to the "Top 10 Reasons Not to Get a Toller"....they aren't bad things (in my opinion), but it is full of information and includes info about the breed that a lot of people prefer not to deal with in a dog.
Wow I'd never heard a Toller scream before. It was actually kind of creepy. :o
Ooh forgot to mention also Aussies are very vocal too... but (thankfully) my two are pretty quiet. Charlie has NEVER been a barker, Jamie is one to bark when she hears someone unfamiliar at the door, or someone is at the door she does not know (it's odd, too, she doesn't have to see them or hear them, if it is a friend of ours' she is fine even if she has never met them before, but say someone like the mailman or someone knocked she barks. It happens usually when we are asleep in the morning too if someone knocks, maybe because she knows we are not awake and alert in case something goes wrong?). there are times when they do get excited, like when their dad comes home from work, she'll start barking and then Charlie will start barking and there is no shutting them up until Dad gives them his full undivided attention and lots of belly rubs :)
So this is a big *knock on wood* for me, but my two are relatively quiet for Aussies, anyway. :o
LMAO! :eek:
That Toller scream is cool! How did they get their 'screams'?
:eek:Quote:
Originally posted by Orangutango Tollers do tend to be fairly vocal dogs, some worse than others. The ones I know aren't really barky, but they do whine quite a bit and tend to make sort of moaning noises often when they're bored or frustrated. Some/a lot also scream. It is an extremely unpleasant noise and they do it when they're excited and/or anxious. Here is a link to one variation of the scream.
Good news, Devon, I am no longer going to steal your dog. OMGoodness. What an unusual, um...vocalization. :D Good question, Jess, how does the scream come into play. I had read somewhere (since being on PT and seeing that pretty Tango) that they do this little dance to attract the ducks, but had never heard about that "scream."
Autumn's scream is very very high pitched compared with that one. I trust her completely around cats, but not any other small mammals.
lol those screams were very low compared to Electra, Electra has a high pitched almost human sounding scream lol
I have 2 BCs and a Toller
BC's vary a LOT keep that in mind, this breed is rarly intermixed, meaning that there are several "types" of BCs that are so differnt from one another that they mid as well be seperate breeds, so here is a break down:
"Barbie" Collie's- these are the dogs bred for the show ring, how much they differ from real BCs depends entirly on how far back the show breeding goes, for example is the dogs 3 generation pedigree is all Barbies, the the BC you get would be very calm, relaxed, they wont even be in the same ball park energy wise as a real BC, they slow down at an early age, they will be blockier, thicker boned and slower.
Border Collies- real working BCs bred from proper working breeders(IOW not just a random farm) these will be fast, high energy, they are generally lanky, and incredably smart, but overall looks will go from one extreme to the other as these dogs are bred soly for their working ability.
"Sport" Collies- BCs bred for sports, these dogs are bred from the highest drive and fastest BCs, they are EXTREMLY difficult to handle, however they are incredably fast and very very focased.
"Pet" BCs- these are the BYBs and PMs, the pet bred BCs are mixes of all three types above, so you really dont have any idea what you will get lol
Tollers- very active breed, but in my experince not near as active as BCs lol mine anyway is dead tired and can barly move when my BCs have barely gotten started lol however like BCs they are not for everyone, they are very good at things like agility, but as other mentioned there is the scream to contend with lol
Tango's scream is a lot higher pitched than that aswell, but it's the best video I could find of it. Jess, I have honestly no idea how they got their screams. I've had somebody else ask me the same thing once before, but have never been able to find out how they aquired it.