Hope for New Australian Shepherd Owners

I wanted to give hope to new Australian Shepherd owners, who are like I was when mine was a pup and up to the age of 1 year to a year and 6 months. She was never a cuddly puppy! She was a scratching nipping little machine. It was not in my experience of dog ownership. I thought I had done my due diligence in research, talked to a friend who had them, even had a rescue for a few months. I couldn't keep her she was dog aggressive and would have killed our other dog.

But still, I got an Australian Shepherd puppy. I worked with her all the time. It was very frustrating and difficult, because of my mindset, not hers. I had to come to understand her from her point of view. They are working dogs. They need jobs! She is 3 now and still can be difficult, but it isn't her I know that now, it is me. She can learn a complicated trick in a day! She knows everything that is going on in our household. She needs exercise, but not the ton I was told I had to do. She needs mental stimulation far more and she needs to be with me, most of the day.

She is completely food driven which makes training easy. She can be off-leash in the woods, she would never leave me. She loves her kennel. I let her sleep where she wants during the day, but she wants her kennel at night, most nights. I think crate training helps them so much, lets them calm down. She never sleeps in my bed, we have far too many ticks in our area.

Every new event has to be taken slowly, she is very skittish. She is a beautiful smart dog and we are a couple. She is a one person dog, though she loves everyone.

If it is rough right now, it will get better.

I love my Lorca.

Zanna

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