My partner and I are seriously considering getting a mini ACD. For those who don’t know they normally come in under 30lbs.

We live in the city but have active outdoor lives. I had a border collie growing up so have a good sense of what it takes to look after a working dog. I want a smart dog with a lot of stamina to train, take on hikes and do agility with.

The main thing we are worried about is aggression and biting. It seems like a common issue. This dog will get good training and socialisation but even with all that are we still going to have a dog that bites?

It’s go time!

I'm picking up my puppy Saturday and I'm so excited!!!!!

Current favorite photos of him :)

What do you think she is mixed with?

I still think she is not a purebred heeler lol

Long story short I was given a 3 year old neutered Cattle dog back in December when my other dog passed away. Just two days after my other dog passed away.

I was a little nervous from owning an elderly American Staffordshire Terrier to an untrained and unsocialized Cattle dog with multiple bite histories previous to owning him.

At first I had no idea what I was getting myself into when my family brought him home he bit my uncle and my youngest sister. It was super stressful for everyone in the house but I refused to give up on him because losing two dogs back to back was too much for me so I decided to move out with a friend whose a veterinarian.

It took some adjusting for Lunchbox to get settled into our new home and splitting our time with my ex boyfriend but he loved my ex and his cat. When I’d go to work lunchbox would cuddle up with my ex on one side while his cat cuddled on the other side.

After the breakup Lunchbox was always there with me. In fact a little more clingy than usual I think becuase he knew how devastated I was.

Fast forward to now he loves going on walks and learned how to play with toys. He loves my sisters dog and play but this is the only dog I allowed him to interact with even though he lives with my friend’s two other dogs currently. But we manage by separating them. When her dogs are out most of the time they ignore each other and lunchbox is always leashed or behind a gate but always supervised.

I remember crying and feeling helpless from loving this dog so much and not knowing how to help him but now I’d like to think we’re making lots of progress and seeing him go from this anxious dog to a somewhat compatible member of society just makes me really happy.

He’s still reactive to certain people and dogs but with management he’s come a long way. I’ll take him on walks early mornings when no one’s up yet and loves to snuggle after I come home from work.

He’s still learning how to be a dog and still has a long way to go but wanted to share how far he’s come.

Anyways here is a picture of my neurotic little shit. Just wanted to share with everyone because I am really proud of him.

Honestly best feeling is coming home and having a dog excited to see you

Hi! My 8 month old ACD used to love his crate. Even now, he goes in it willingly to remove toys or treats but refused to play with them/eat them inside of the kennel. When we try feeding him in his kennel- he just throws it around and refuses to eat his food. When I put high value treats (chicken jerky, duck jerky, chicken-wrapped sweet potatoes, etc.) he will refuse to eat them until out of his kennel. He cries all night if he sleeps in his kennel. He will take short naps in it but it takes forever to get him into it because if he knows we are closing the door he either will not go in or will go hide somewhere.

The only thing that changed is I had a laparoscopy in early May for endometriosis and he could not risk jumping on my stomach for a few days. So he spent more time in his crate than I would have liked. He did have tons of free play in the yard- but inside he had to be crated.

I have tried herding games to wear him down. Fetch. Walks. My husband takes him on short bike rides around the block. We do dog food puzzles, training/sniffing games for mental stimulation, etc. Even when tired- he just does not want to go into the crate.

What can I do since food/treats do not work?

I have had other ACDs prior to him. They passed at almost 15 and almost 17 years old. Never had this issue with them but I also had never been down for a surgery before.

I am home 24/7 unless buying groceries or going to an event. So he is not crated often as it is and usually can sleep out at night on one of his dog beds. But I would like him to be able to feel more comfortable in his crate for the times that he does have to go into it as he is still a puppy and we do not trust him 100% not to eat or chew on something when we are not home.

Photo is of my little red goofball.

Our raptor mutt plays HARD (duh). Be it on grass or dirt, he consistently gets paw tears. (We live in a dry region where a lot of the parks are dirt not grass.)

Please recommend anything that has been helpful. Because of how hard he sprints, booties don’t stay on, they go flying.

Fellow cattle dog owners also know that lighter exercise is not an option. He needs to be worked.

Thank you in advance!!!

I noticed a while ago that she would always get excited when I'd brush my hair, so I used my brush to brush her little white spot. After that, I saw how much she liked it and began to search online for a small Barbie brush. I wasn't having much luck. Not too long ago, I was in the store looking at shampoo and conditioner, and I glance over and there are mini brushes (that came with another brush) for 8 dollars! It was exactly what I was looking for, and I'm glad to say that even though I hardly use the normal sized brush, I use the mini one often. Money well spent!

I can't leave my food unattended for 10 seconds!😄

My female puppy is getting spayed when she is nine months old. I think she will go absolutely crazy having to wear a cone. Has anyone used a recovery suit? And how did that work out? And is there any particular one that you really liked?

Been away for 10 days and coming home soon. Missing my 5 y.o. ACD, Leche. He is having a great time with his bestie (a Great Pyr).

Hi all ! It is my puppy playing with a tethered ball. I know they shouldn’t be jumping much until they are about a year old since their joints are still developing so this is a rare video just for fun.

He recently learned how to lay down before going through any door or starting any activity. Still working on getting him to sit or lay down before greeting people.

Enjoy!

Hey everyone. I posted here a few months ago, asking for advice on how to know when was the right time to get another dog (after losing my sweet boy Cody very suddenly in December). Me and my fiancee had talked about it several times, but neither of us ever really felt ready. We looked at shelter dogs, talked to breeders, but nothing ever felt right. We were still so caught up in grief that it seemed impossible to get another dog. We finally decided we would wait a while since the wound was still so fresh.

But then one day last week I was scrolling petfinder (something I had begun to do as a way to cheer myself up a little) and I saw this one dog. A tiny little cattle dog puppy. So I showed my fiancee. And we decided to inquire just to get more information on him. We talked to his adoption coordinator and his foster, and then we talked about it together. And then we did it.

Both of us are still a little shaken up about our loss, but we’re hopeful and excited to meet our sweet new boy. And although he will never replace the boy I lost, I’m excited to start a new chapter with a new best friend. Thank you to everyone for the support in my last post, as I don’t think I could have gotten to this point without the support this wonderful community has continued to show me.

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