aussie, bc, toller

[BC_MoM]

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-n-Dobes]

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.

[Jessika]

Wow I'd never heard a Toller scream before. It was actually kind of creepy.

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.

[BC_MoM]

LMAO!

That Toller scream is cool! How did they get their 'screams'?