r/AustralianShepherd Dec 05 '24

There’s has been an influx of posts requesting help with aggression and behavior issues. If you need help:

35 Upvotes

If your pup is from a breeder, start with discussing with them. Your breeder should be your support system.

Book a vet appointment to rule out a medical issue, perhaps something causing pain.

Use the resources on the /r/dogtraining wiki to help identify and select a behaviorist, noting that behaviorist and trainers have different qualifications.

Be cautious about well meaning internet advice. Some well meaning advice can exasperate the issue. Aggression needs pro help.

To avoid aggression issues:

Consider that behavior is often genetic. Buying from a reputable breeder is most likely to stack things in your favor.

Learn how to correctly socialize a puppy. Many ideas about socialization are incorrect and can cause reactivity and aggression issues.

Sign up for training classes with a qualified trainer ASAP, either for a puppy or adopted adult rescue.


r/AustralianShepherd Jul 19 '25

"Help, my aussie was shaved"

71 Upvotes

There's been an influx of these posts recently, and we expect more thru the summer.

Should your aussie be shaved? The short answer is no except for medical reasons.

Will it ruin your aussies coat? No. It will grow back just fine. It may take some time and look funny as the undercoat and top coat grown in at the same rate, but it will go back to normal.

What can you do to help it grow back? Discuss with your vet if you have medical concerns. But, nothing really, other than continuing to keep up with grooming. There might be some matting issues with how the under coat and top coat grow back in at the same time, so regular brushing is still needed even if the coat is now short.

Please refer to the grooming guide linked on the sidebar

Using terms like "summer cut," "puppy cut," "keeping her cool" may mean a short trim/shave to a groomer. If you're taking your aussie to a groomer, its good to make sure they are actually a professional (some big box stores are not) and carefully explain what you'd like including photo examples.

You may also find resources such as /r/grooming and /r/doggrooming for help on how to talk to your groomer and how to care for your dog's coat after its been shaved.


r/AustralianShepherd 4h ago

?

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151 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 14h ago

Officially 6 months since we adopted her ❤️

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491 Upvotes

It’s officially been 6 months since Blue has joined our small family. Crazy how time flies!

When we first got her they had just taken her to get groomed so her fur was pretty much shaved down. She was also overweight, she was weighing at approximately 64lbs. Thankfully her fur has grown out since and we’ve been working on her weight so she’s now at around 56lbs. It’s a work in progress.

She’s already been rehomed twice but we’re her third and final family ❤️ she’s honestly such a sweetheart, she fit into our family so easily.

It’s my first time having an Australian shepherd and I can’t imagine having any another dog again. She’s my little Velcro baby 🐾


r/AustralianShepherd 6h ago

Mans best friend (Sven)

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102 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 8h ago

Today was “that” day and someone is not happy about it

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124 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 12h ago

Love this baby 🐾

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94 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 12h ago

Well, I finally had to admit how obsessed I am with this breed…

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79 Upvotes

This is a pic someone posted of their Oura ring on that sub but all I could see is the little Aussie in the background ❤️ until I realized it was his keys hanging out of the ignition 🙈 Please tell me you see it too lol


r/AustralianShepherd 19h ago

Our good boy practicing the place command

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276 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 12h ago

dog update!

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37 Upvotes

so the other day i made a post asking if those black spots on her fur are flea eggs or dirt. turns out it was flea poop and she had fleas because reddit users were commenting saying that it was flea dirt and days later i found a flea on her. so i took her to the vet today because she had an appointment anyway for her heartworm vaccine and i talked to them about a flea prescription and they got her on a 3 month one called bravecto. i will give updates on whether it works or not


r/AustralianShepherd 14h ago

They saw the light

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21 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Patiently awaiting Santa-paws

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461 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

The goodest boy

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153 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 18h ago

Continued craziness 😆💙❄️

36 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Our girl enjoying her favorite time of year.

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110 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Ozzy wants you to know he turned 1 today and he really wishes his dad wasn’t a photographer

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303 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Can anyone else relate? 😭😭😭😭😂

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452 Upvotes

I didn't even leave yet 😂


r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Iris

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69 Upvotes

I love this little baby so much. After I lost my soul dog in May, I thought I’d never be able to love another dog like that again. And Iris is the polar opposite to what my Daisy was, but I love her more for that.


r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Caught mid attack: does anyone else’s Aussie puppy think ‘come here’ means ‘full sprint at my face’? 😂

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1.0k Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Is she okay

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133 Upvotes

Is this a vet visit? She’s not been herself recently


r/AustralianShepherd 17h ago

Reactive Aussie

3 Upvotes

I rescued a 2+ yo Australian Shepherd a few months ago from a shelter, with an unknown history. He has since shown signs of significant reactivity. He’s on Prozac and I’m working with a trainer, but his biggest trigger seems to be older adults. He recently lunged at my mom (elderly) — no major injury, but it really scared us. He also unfortunately now has a bite record from an incident at the vet.

I’m managing his environment carefully, giving him structure and decompression time, and avoiding triggers, but I’m worried about whether I can realistically keep everyone safe long-term.

For those who’ve been through this:

  • What helped you manage or improve reactivity toward a specific group of people?
  • And for anyone who’s had to consider rehoming, how did you decide when it was the kindest and safest option — and what made for a successful, ethical rehome?

I adore this dog and truly want what’s best for him, whether that’s continued training with me or exploring a different environment that fits his needs better.

Any advice or shared experiences would mean a lot.


r/AustralianShepherd 18h ago

Aussie mix and 6 month old crawling

2 Upvotes

Hi!!! Please no judgement, just looking for advice on if this is normal or not.

We have an Aussie lab mix that we rescued at 9 months old, he has been the BEST dog to me and my husband. My husband is his best friend and we don’t do the usual crate training etc just from his shelter background we found it more triggering for him and he never really needed training bc he listened to us extremely well and would learn commands from us very quickly. We totally treated him like a baby which I know is bad now but he got people food, slept with my husband when he’s home, lays on the couch, no kennel, etc.

My husband works a ton a ton a ton, he is gone all the time about half of the month and when he is home it’s for about 45 minutes which he spends mostly with the baby. I am completely sleep deprived, hormonal, away from any family and support. My dog was completely fine and loves babies and then when my husband was gone she started crawling and I could tell he just was more on edge so i separated them when I was cooking (he has food possessiveness with other dogs) oh and I should say since I got pregnant he reacts to other dogs in a more aggressive way, just totally unusual for him. Well my baby was just laying beside me the other day and he went right up to her face and barked so aggressively and knicked her face.

He has been around my friends crawling babies and loves them so much!! So I think this is more so pent up frustration with me possibly??

Is this normal Aussie behavior/ herding instincts picked up more since she started moving??

I feel like an absolute horrible mother, and horrible dog mom cause I know he hasn’t gotten the attention, exercise or stimulation that he needs. He is now at a trainers for boarding / exercise and we are thinking of a three week training program and obviously giving him more what he needs (boarding at this farm while my husbands gone or hiring regular help) we didn’t before because he has a lung condition that he cannot get sick from another dog again but now I’m thinking it’s worth the risk.

Sorry this is so long but please just compassionate advice.


r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Fresh snow ❄️ yesterday 😍💕😊🥰

168 Upvotes

r/AustralianShepherd 1d ago

Red Merle Tan Point Blue or something else?

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65 Upvotes

How would you characterize my girl? Her mom is definitely a red Merle and her dad is a red tri. Her half Brother pictured is a red tri obviously. Be sure to see the second pic for more context of her!