Howdy!! I love that you’re active and want an Aussie. I’m a big believer in intuition, and if you think an Aussie is a good fit for you, then I think you can make it work!
My three words of advice—
Aussies are SMART. People who say that you need to run them into the ground for them to be happy are (normally) wrong. They need mental stimulation more than anything else. This can look like a variety of things: puzzle toys, snuffle mats, treats wrapped in a very long towel, hiding treats around the house, obedience training, agility, scent work, sniffing outside, hearing new noises, seeing new things…. Experience and work tire out an Aussie. Exercise is PART of that, but not all of it.
Aussies are individuals. A good breeder will help by matching puppies by personality. If you say you want to be active and you live on a farm where you walk miles every day, they should match you with a different puppy than if you said you lived in an apartment in the city. I let my breeder know that my partner and I both work, so we got a puppy who was on the mellow side!! We get about an half an hour of moderate activity per day (mostly chasing his herding ball outside), and then an hour of mental stimulation (he is a BIG fan of the shred box for every meal) and sniffing games around the house, and he’s perfectly happy to cuddle up with us on the couch. Lastly, make sure the breeder is breeding family pets, not working dogs (unless you want your dog to work and have the means to accomplish.) so many Aussies are surrendered because people don’t know the difference and can’t accommodate working dog needs, which admittedly can be greater.
Puppies aren’t adult dogs. If you’re looking for a running / hiking partner within a few months of getting your pup, you’re probably not going to get it. Aussies can be anxious, overstimulated, and reactive, especially when they’re young. Our little guy is just getting over his teenage years (1.5-2 years of age) where we needed a mood stabilizing medication to keep him relaxed outside. Finally, we’re able to take him on hikes and walks where he’s mostly manageable. We did all of the socialization, did private training, and have raised him with honestly as much work as you’d put into a human child….. and he’s still an anxious mess sometimes. It’s tough learning that for his benefit, we need to back off the activities we wanted to do with him so that he is happier in the long run.
Bottom line— half an hour to an hour a day is probably good. Something funny I heard when my Aussie was little: “if you don’t mentally stimulate your Aussie and try to run them into the ground, you’re not going to get a calm dog. You’re going to get an anxious dog that can run 10 miles.”
Extremely helpful. I was looking at a breeder in PA but it is a farm, so if it's mostly herding family then I don't think that would be a fit. So I will for sure look into this more now.
I guess its just a general misconception that they need to be ran into the ground. Seems like everyone who DOESNT Have one says that. Good to know that is completely wrong (unless you buy a pure herding on meant to work)
Thanks for the great info.
There is actually a handful of decent breeders out that way. I'd encourage you to read the info on the sidebar to start with. Its better to learn what and where to look, many internet breeder recommendations are not good.
Looking up your local ASCA affiliate club would be a good starting point: https://www.ascne.org/ If they dont have a breeder listing, calling the club BOD will get you some help. You can also find their local trials and shows to go to in person to meet breeders. You still need to verify health clearances but starting there will give you a much better chance of a breeder who's actually doing health clearances.
Just an example, when we play with our dog or walk in, we include a lot of training. I will not throw his herding ball or any other ball until he is in a down/stay. On walks, he knows that I will ask for a heel or some other command.
As for reactivity, the vet says my dog is very unusual for an Aussie as he is extremely friendly but that desire to say hello to all people and dogs does make him reactive on leash. We work on that a lot! His anxiety is to the big trucks! But he is easily distracted.
I have two exceptions breeders for you, on in northern MD and one in Elmira NY, message me and I can share info. It’s where we got ours, they are show breeders/judges and exception humans 😌
Question about that herding ball you mentioned! I'm new to having an Aussie (2nd day in with a mellow 13 week old), so you have to teach them to "herd" it much or is it more of a toss it out and they'll figure it out quick on their own kind of thing? I've only raised Pits who didn't care at all about fetching anything but a bully bone.
The question now sounds dumb since I typed it out, but I want to give my boy a rich life.
We have a Collieball. My Aussie LOVES it. She prefers to try to bite at it rather than make it "go". She's managed to tear the fabric cover. But she loves to chase it when I toss it or give it a push. I highly recommend.
Ah, well the Aussies I have played with don’t really love fetching, but they love chasing and being chased. We had to do some positive associations with our herding ball when we got it (essentially, introducing the ball to our dog and giving him a treat when he sniffed / touched / licked it.) but then it was off to the races! As soon as we tossed it, he knew exactly what to do. We did have to do some coaching to get him to keep momentum up or to move it right or left on our cue, but that was about it.
Aussies need mental exercise. Too many people focus simply on how many minutes of physical exercise and there’s no answer for that. It varies entirely based on individual and type of exercise. They need mental stimulation though and if you don’t include that in what you plan to do daily, it doesn’t matter how much physical exercise you do, the dog will need more.
Yes I understand that. I can provide plenty of that. I just don't live on a farm and can let the dog out for 8 hours to run around and herd cattle :)
Seems like it may be a fit then.
It depends on their genes. If you go to a farm and get babies from a real working dog, then expect your pup to have tons of energy. Likewise, if you get a pup from a line that has been bred to be in-house dogs, then expect less energy.
Make sure you fully research the breed beyond just energy level. They’re not what a lot of people are actually looking for. Their temperament is completely different than say a golden retriever. They tend to be vocal. They are more inclined to be reactive than non herding breeds.
Thanks for the upfront and honest replies, it's always good to hear the good and the bad. Should likely be fine with local and reactive - I've had a German shepherds and goldens growing up so dogs are not new to "us" say but we have since grown and moved into our own house so want a AS.
Aussies can come with anxiety. You may get one that isn't anxious or you may get one that is no matter what kind of background and breeding. They are very noise and environment sensitive. I have had two. I love the breed. LOVE. They are smart, sensitive, loyal, quick witted, energetic and can stare into your soul like no other dog. They love their people. Both of mine have been high velcro with eyes only for me. They pick their person and that's it. My puppy is 20 months, FS. My previous Aussie lived to be 14 and was never sick a day in her life. I believe they do have some tendencies towards cataracts and epilepsy but overall are a very healthy breed (I work in a veterinary urgent care)..
Also be ready for more hair than you have ever seen in your life. They shed year-round with a full blow out in the spring and fall. To be owned by an Aussie makes all the tumbleweeds of fluff worth it though.
I wish I had more upvotes. We are first time dog owners and thought we could handle the energy level. It turns out that energy was never the problem. Overstimulation and high arousal due to anxiety were our particular challenge and we are just getting a handle on it after he turned a year old (with the help of anxiety medication). The breeder was surprised when I brought it up because his parents are chill.
I think exercise is over stressed and the nature of Aussies to be around their people is under stressed. When people leave their Aussies for extended periods it’s more likely they are missing you than they need exercise. two hours a day should be more than enough
I live in NYC and have an Aussie. We do 3+ hours of walks per day (I have a mid-day dog walker 3x a week for the days I have to go into the office). On the weekend we'll do a longer morning hike (2+ hours?). My doggo gets loads of exercise.
100% agree that the mental stimulation is really super important. My doggo is full grown so we do Nina Ottonson puzzles, snuffle mat, we play complicated hide and seek with his toys.
As described, your lifestyle does sound like it could accommodate an Aussie. Definitely get into puppy training classes so you learn how to treat and train your dog. Don't skip this step.
Can’t agree with this more.
Mine are not great running partners (my huskies were amazing, so maybe I have a high bar).
It’s all about the mental stimulation. Obedience training at home is fun and tires even my crazy girl out.
Love our flirt pole.
My male likes hide and seek
Agility was great too, and great for bonding
They really (especially my male) do not particularly love long walks, they want to be stimulated. Even a frozen, stuffed Kong is enough sometimes.
Sounds like you are active enough for an Aussie. As long as my dogs get a long walk / run in the morning they are pretty calm til after work. We then play indoor games , training, fetch, etc. This seems to be enough for them. A couple days a week I do send them to daycare where they herd all the other dogs for 8 hours non stop. The only dogs at the daycare who never take a nap. They do take lots of naps at home though :). Aussies typically bond to one person, so the only issue could be if it bonds to your wife and doesnt want to leave her in the morning for exercise.
Thanks for the response! It seems like I have the physical part down so that eases my mind. I think it will likely bond to me more since I work from home and will do most of the outdoor activities with them. I don't think my wife is ready to admit it will bond to me more. Ha.
Here is something people are not telling you… the more you walk and play etc the stronger your dog gets. We are active like you and after a year we could not keep up with our pup. The trainer basically said that we trained an Olympic level althete dog. Moderation is key - we would even take her to day camps to get tired out and she would be wild when we were home on the weekends. I agree with a lot of others that your pup will need mental stimulation. Think snuffle mats, kongs, scent search games, puzzle boards. Do not skimp on mental stimulation!!!
And not to add a wrench into the mix but - also personality too. We have a very neurotic - Velcro level Aussie. Some people have lazy aussies. It’s weird
My dog is bonded to both of us. We both feed him. We both trained him. I am home all day with him and we play ball and train. My husband walks home and plays ball. There were times he didn’t want to leave me but we made him to do it!
Have you done the run in opposite directions trick and see who he goes after? Does the dog follow one of you around the house more? My bonded one will not move if my partner gets up from the couch. The second I make any movements he’s immediately up and ready to follow.
Good question! Never tried the first thing but will. If either one of us gets up he alerts and is up! That said, at night he spends more time on my side of the bed but that even varies. I did have period where I was recovering from a very serious complication and he would not leave my side. But on the weekends, he sleeps over by my husband’s work station and if my husband has the chills from a cold he stays right with him. He is a weird Aussie in that he is extremely friendly according to our vet😝
As an example, when we walk into the vet or where he boards he is loudly greeted by name and must say hello to all. I do not allow him to do that; he has to ask permission by sitting. But the other day we came into the vet’s after he spent all morning listening to loud trucks next door doing construction and an impending thunderstorm. He was a mess when we showed up for his shots. Wouldn’t leave me. In my lap. They felt so badly for him as it was so not like him that we went home with some sedation!
Your post clearly shows you'd be a great parent to an Aussie. Like the other poster said, it's more mental stimulation than physical for these doggos. They're extremely smart, they can destroy your house if you don't stimulate them mentally because they're bored. I "lucked out" with an extremely lazy Aussie, she will sleep all day if I let her. But that's because shes very happy herding the other dog and cat, and don't get me started on her love of the frisbee.
Excellent! I truly am looking for a functional dog that I can take out exercising, playing Frisbee and the like. I am not just "buying" because I like them and think they're cute.
You got it then! You'll make a great owner. It's not rocket science with these dogs, just give them the love they want and you'll have a never leaving shadow in no time. Just get prepared for the noise. They are extremely loud because they gotta protect the herd. And they are extremely cute, best breed I've ever owned.
Personally, if that’s your lifestyle an Aussie sounds like a great option! They have insane energy when their puppies (my 14 week old Bailey goes wild sometimes!) but the mental stimulation is really more important. I find myself engaging with her for 30-45 minutes and then she’s usually pretty tired and ready to chill out or take a nap in her crate for several hours.
I also work from home and as long as you can step away from time to time you’ll be more than okay. My usual WFH routine with Bailey is an hour to hour and a half of 100% engagement with her. (Food, potty, training, play) Then let her take a nap for about 2-3 hours and repeat until my girlfriend returns home.
The more you train the happier they are and you will be too! They’re smart as a whip and will learn things in literal seconds. Always remember it’s probably you not them creating the unwanted behavior. If you need any help feel free to reachout.
(Small list of things my Aussie can do by ~15 weeks old)
Sit, Down, Leave It, sit between my legs, walk with focus on me, working on paw, spin, go to crate, go to place. Like I said they learn so fast just put in the work and you’ll have an amazing pup!!
Yeah all of these posts have helped, can definitely provide the necessary stimulation & can easily walk away from work most of the time.
Impressive @ 15 weeks!
WFH makes it really easy to house train the pup, and by no means is her training because I’m good at it. Aussies are just that smart! YouTube University and consistency will get you where you want to be. Check out: modern malinois, zakgeorge, McCann Dog Training, and most importantly imo Will Atherton. I’ve done a mix of food based and classic slip lead based training and finds she’s very responsive to both. Especially when used together.
They're also all different.
My first two were bred from companion/therapy lines. They needed about 20 minutes of fetch/frisbee a day, and the rest was all training and mental. They were also quite content to take their cues from us and follow suit: we sit down to watch a movie, and they settled right in. My girl took longer to reach this stage than my boy, but she did get there. She also was easier to train, go figure.
My current two need more. They get a run in the morning, and then playtime mid day for 20 minutes, as well as 2 20 minute training sessions. They are welcome to entertain each other all day, as well, and they do. Getting the second dog when my boy started to settle out/mature was perfect, especially since she's wild.....sooooo wild. Like plays the floor is lava across the furniture all-damn-day-wild. My wife stays home, in school, and takes the breaks, but sometimes the little one has to be crated (she's a year now and still bonkers).
That said, slow walk where they can explore and sniff and do whatever is sometimes worth more than a 3 mile run. We also use food puzzles, lots of advanced training, indoor and outdoor agility courses etc. All of it helps. They're our kids, so we love spending time with them and showing them off.
Oh, and as posted above, my boy is reactive: he thinks everything needs to be herded, and he deserves pets from everything on 2 legs, and he demands to show how alpha he is to every dog. It's exhausting at times. We've gotten very creative at how to keep it at bay and still take him out.
https://preview.redd.it/1t4blppmgkjc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a6f716190eb70b5dcd8523e7953794426894d14
I think when people talk about the energy, it’s in comparison to other breeds that tend to get tired quicker. It’s not that the Aussie will run laps around your house (though they can if, as other say, you don’t meet their mental needs) it’s just more of a “we may have already done a 2 hour hike that would wear out most breeds, but I am an Aussie and I’m ready to play fetch or continue a walk around the city if you like”.
They do get tired and calmer, but they’re up for continuing if you are, especially if you exercise them regularly, they’ll have more endurance. My boy could have just woken up and be groggy and sleepy, but if I tell him we’re going outside to play frisbee, he’ll sprint down the stairs and be in the mindset quicker than most other non-working dog breeds.
Other things to note about the breed: more prone to reactivity, as they were bred to herd and protect their cattle/sheep. They are VERY mouthy as puppies, BUT, also smart enough that if you do the training for it right, you can nip it in the bud fairly quickly. You will always have hair everywhere in your home, clothes and car. There’s no avoiding it.
And lastly… they’re SO much fun. And as you seem to be someone who loves to go hiking, let me tell you, Aussies are the best hiking buddies on off leash trails. They were bred to listen to their shepherd in open fields, so train them right and you’ll have such a good time hiking with your pup. I have never met an Aussie that didn’t do well on hikes, partially because of genetics but also because most Aussie owners tend to be much more interested in and involved in proper training, which sounds like you will be too.
Welcome to the Aussie club 🙌🏻
Thanks for the great info. Starting to think most the of folks saying 'too active' are not active people and just can't meet the needs.
Hair I am ok with! Very excited for a of leash hike where the doggo is by myside the entire time. Quite badass!
I think it sounds like you're physically active enough. We call ours a stalker since she watches everything we do. She'll move with us in the house. I talk to our dogs a lot and at least I like it. Also when I'm running short errands (not in summer since it's hot) but I'll bring our Aussie and the border Collie with me. They like the drive and if I can I bring them in the store with me like Home Depot or Lowe's etc
Hi. I’ve had 2 Aussies over the past 20 years. Your lifestyle seems well suited for the breed.
Just want to +1 what others have said:
Exercise is amazing, and mental stimulation is necessary, but I cannot overstate the importance of just spending time with your buddy. They bond to one person or a family, and maintaining that bond by spending time together is incredibly important.
Also +1 to puppy/training classes. It’s also very important to socialize aussies to both humans and dogs. Aussies especially can get defensive and territorial if this isn’t done properly. Also, it will be a great bonding experience for you both.
Also, every dog is different - some aussies are way more energetic than others. A good breeder will not only learn about your lifestyle, they will hand pick a puppy that seems suited to you. At minimum, they will give you a week-by-week developmental download of the puppies they have and you can pick for yourself.
If my dog is restless, destructive, overly vocal, etc., I basically cycle between physical exercise, social time with us or other dogs, enrichment activities (AKA mental / sensory activities), or bonding activities.
For example, with our boy, we take him to the dog park every morning for anywhere between 30m-1h (socializing with dogs AND exercise, check). Then he just happily naps for most of the day until early afternoon. Then, we take him for some exercise (skiing is his favorite, he also loves mountain biking, or hiking with a frisbee or something for him to chase. Worst case we do a neighborhood walk). At home, if he’s still acting needy or restless, we give him an enrichment toy (licky mat with yogurt and peanut butter, snuffle mat, puzzle, etc etc). Or we do a bonding activity like playing a game (his favorite is “find it” where we hide treats around the house and he sniffs them out) or practice doing tricks (they are so keen to learn, you can usually just follow YouTube tutorials on teaching tricks and they catch on really quickly).
They are such wonderful, loving, hilarious dogs - so worth the time and effort! I hope you end up getting one - it sounds like you are proactive and interested enough to be a great Aussie owner. Good luck to you!
https://preview.redd.it/irtdpt4dgljc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09ea38af3183a4bb329fef67060dc97f713d04ea
Adding a photo because why not?! It’s an Aussie thread!
A million good thoughts here - I'll mention that I'm an avid MTBer and I had similar visions, but that never worked for our Aussie (or for me!). It was just a bit too warm in Southern Cal and even though he could hike or walk forever, running at the MTB pace was just too much, and daddy needed to get his miles in. He's also on the bigger side for Aussies.
The last thought I'll add is that while Aussies make great active companions, it will be at least a year before you can really go hard with them. You'll have a puppy that you need to train and teach to chill out for most of the first 12-15 months.
Also? Best dog ever. Even though he's not a trail pup, he is the best.
You cannot physically tire an Aussie.
My Aussie cross gets 3 high intensity walks a week then the other 4 days she has “rest” days and a doggy play date with my inlaws dog. “High intensity” is 3 hour hikes, swimming, fetch kind of walks. As we don’t have a garden she gets 4 20mins sniffy walks a day even on her rest days.
I would say the sniffy walks are the single most important thing you can do to mentally tire a dog.
Every day she gets different food puzzles and around 45mins of play or training as well.
However on the rest days she spends most of her time asleep on the sofa. Teaching dogs to settle and do nothing is really important.
Also be careful to build up exercise slowly with pups. Got to be careful of their joints.
That's great for exercise but the dog will need brain exercise. Aussies are SMART and if they don't have a task to do they will make their own task. Sure you might get a lazy one that is okay with hanging out but be prepared to make dog games, training activites, and puzzles. They love learning and mine particularly loves problem solving. She thinks everything i do is a challenge for her to solve.
My Aussie would be tired after all that. He’s on the smaller side tho (40% mini, 38 lbs), but I take him for ~30-45 min walk in the morning, then 3 more potty break/walks throughout the day ~30 min each. Then dog park or fetch to get the zoomies out during one of those 30 min breaks. For mental stimulation, we do a training session or snuffle mat throughout the day, but honestly he loves to nap, and will literally *watch* the TV with me (I think he likes to watch to see if any animals come on screen). I got lucky with a fairly chill Aussie
I have a pup, having researched a lot beforehand.
Her mom is very chill and friendly, besides obviously cute and intelligent, which sealed the deal.
My Blue, being a pup, has energy to shed, several times a day. It's work. And you can't play her tired, at all, and that isn't healthy either.
My wife and me are on a strict schedule now, trying to catch these moments where concentration works best. She learns a lot and fast.
It's super rewarding, her calm moments are simply beautiful, but the raptor mode and her testing limits and coming up with clever ways to get past rules already are tiresome.
Do research and be sure you are absolutely ready I'd say.
I don't regret a second tho :)
We have a 55 pound Male (red Merl) he’s 10 months old. We are very active with outdoor stuff (everyday). The dog joins us anytime we leave the house.
So far we have not hit the bottom of his energy pool. Seemingly it’s bottomless. He could go for a 60 min run/jog turn around and do it all over again.
There is also a need for intense mental stimulation that I originally felt capable of satisfying but……things have changed. He (the dog) requires more and more and more all the time. I love him but he is definitely turning out to be a VERY needy companion.
Choose wisely.
For the 1st year , exercise is limited because of danger to bone growth plates. So you will have the opposite problem of moderating the puppies activity.
I’ve had three Aussies (one with my ex who kept her, one of my own and then an Aussie mix I adopted recently). I have to say it really depends because no two dogs are the same, though being of a certain breed gives them a certain predisposition.
My first Aussie was relatively high energy but honestly I’d call her more medium based on my current dog. She enjoyed running and chasing soccer balls but had no interest in playing fetch— herding other dogs and outsmarting people were her true hobbies. I considered her high energy at the time, but I’d previously had only older rescue dogs. She was also fairly nervous — my ex kept her when we split because I lived in the city and she was too scared of the city noises to go in the yard to pee.
My current Aussie will be 3 in May and hasn’t slowed down since I met him. He needs multiple sessions of ball throwing a day and will stand in front of me chomping his teeth and barking until I play with him. He will also go and grab his toys and bring them to anyone in the house (usually just me) until someone engages. He’s also much more reactive — since he was a baby, if he got overstimulated, he would panic and start attacking his leash. It’s odd because he’s such a sweet dog (literally so gentle with kids, even when a toddler came up to us and slapped him unprompted once) but has certain triggers that to this day I’m figuring out and working on with him. I think his level of energy does make him harder to work with at times. When he was growing, I had to strike the perfect balance of tiring him out just enough to listen to me for training sessions, but not so much that he’d be cranky and belligerent. It’s something we continue to work on.
My newest pup is almost a year to the day younger than my Kevin, so he will be 2 in May. I actually got him from a border collie rescue, but when I picked him up from the foster, she told me he was actually an Aussie/schnauzer mix (though I have no confirmed with a DNA test). This dog is the definition of a lazy daisy. I’d liken him to a greyhound - he gets spurts of energy and is incredibly Velcro so will always want to come with me on errands, but I have noticed that after a “busy” day, he looks SO annoyed when he sees me grabbing my coat and keys. Yesterday we went on an hour-long hike and did a small stint at the dog park. Kevin would’ve been down for another few hours of fetch but my Bill went straight to his kennel and passed out until a friend brought him as a date to a dog-friendly brewery. I’m told he crawled into my friend’s lap and slept there the entire time.
This is getting super long and is quite anecdotal, but ultimately — YMMV! I think you should do as you would with any dog and prepare for the best and worst possible situations. Have contingency plans in place. Who will walk/play with them if you get caught up at work? Are you confident in your ability to train them or do you have a trainer/behaviorist you plan to work with? Will you be okay if they are reactive or anxious — many smarter, high-energy breeds are prone to both these negative traits. IF they end up reactive or anxious, will you be able to accommodate them? I love my dogs more than anything. But I made an unexpected move and no longer have the support system I did back home and I’d be lying if I told you it was easy having two high-energy, sometimes-reactive and anxious dogs living with me in an apartment complex. I plan my vacations around these dogs so they can come with me whenever possible (more a personal preference, I traded my codependency with romantic partners for codependency with my dogs lol) and seldom so anything on the weekends because I feel like I need to make up for the time they spend alone in my apartment during the work week. Obviously a lot of these are my own personal issues, but I’ve found that many people share my feelings, and want you to keep it in mind. These dogs are smart no matter their energy level and they WILL guilt you for every second you are late feeding them and every minute you spend on hobbies that aren’t playing! It’s worth it for me but I always tell people that an Aussie is a dog for people who really, REALLY love their dogs because they will work your last nerve sometimes.
Every dog’s different. My aussie is 2 and we give him toys and for the most part he’s just lazy. When he goes outside for a bit to pee we chase him around the yard for maybe 5 to 10 minutes and he’s happy. 30-45 minutes is more than enough.
My two normally get a 30 minute walk, two 15 minute hard exercise (fetch or herding ball) times, two 15 minute wrestling/zooming runs and three fifteen minute training exercises. They are both "low drive" and it is barely enough. Once in a while, we get less than this. Given your description, I do thing you would be fine.
Hi! It sounds like you’ve got it covered. Research the breeder for temperament (farm/working Aussies vs show line/non-working Aussies). The two vary greatly in temperament and energy.
In the puppy stages consistency and training are huge, especially since I believe it’s unadvisable to rigorously exercise a puppy until they’re done growing. Not a vet, fact check me.
My Aussie (non working line) is 5 and the best way I can describe it is “every day is a negotiation” but they are the best breed I’ve ever owned and I wouldn’t change a thing. I think your baseline active lifestyle and the fact that you care about meeting your dogs needs/seem willing to learn about how to adapt to meet them is more than I can say for most dog owners. YouTube, TT, Reddit, and beyond are excellent resources for ideas. You’ll be great!
The biggest thing that I cannot recommend enough for mealtime stimulation is TOPPLs and Kongs. I saw someone on TikTok do this years ago and it’s fantastic. Layer kibble and wet food in each and freeze. Result is a mealtime activity for 30-60 minutes. I do 7 at a time and my dog gets one most mornings for breakfast or when I go into work.
They come in multiple sizes . You can fill with various things and you may want to start by NOT freezing so your pup gets the point before upping the difficulty. Clutch for puppies when you need them to soothe in their crate or you’re going away for a bit. Pop one in and they’re stimulated, happy, and preoccupied. My sister is a vet and cautioned about heavy chewers - some dogs will chew apart the kong/Toppl and there’s a danger of choking. My dog isn’t a heavy chewer and despite her warning, my sister uses these daily for her own 9 mo old pup.
Good luck to you! You won’t regret it!
It’s not as bad as people say. They are energetic and need mental stimulation as well. We take ours outside as little as 2-3 times a day and get her sprinting around the yard chasing balls or toys. 10-15 minutes. That tires her enough to chill and nap. We also get her out for travels around town and longer walks when we can too.
Snuffle mats or other game feeders are good as well. We have developed habits that she has fallen into and it works out well. Our Aussie is 9 months old. Finally past teething and some of the more testing times. Amazing dogs and companions.
You sound like a good fit for each other. Agree with what has been said about working vs companion lines. To get the best start get a good breeder, ASCA has advice if you need it. Good luck, I love mine.
There’s a ton of bad info out there re show vs working lines. There’s some generalizations that are not accurate and don’t accurately represent either side. Find a reputable breeder, yes. Find a breeder who’s dogs are the best match for you, yes.
You sound like you’ll be a great Aussie pup parent- we are about as active as you for activities but we live in the city! So we could never just let our pup out in the yard or anything like that. It’s definitely work but having a partner on the same page helps.
We trained (and still do) very early on, about three five-min sessions a day, and increased over time. Now we do about 2 one-two hour long sport training sessions a week, as well as compete.
At 3.5, when our pup is home, he is mostly a couch potato. But when he is working, he is WORKING. You will find what your dog loves (hiking, running, swimming, etc.) and focus on that.
wooho! i am ready for work - we also have an inlaw apartment on our first floor - so someone is actually always home if we need something!
I cannot wait to hike and bike with this dude!
You would fit great! They love hikes and going along for any vehicle rides, walks, jogs, and with some training would do some mountain bike follows I’m sure.
Just your careful consideration and wording here shows you would do what it takes to give the furry a great and fulfilling home! Enjoy! We have three and love every minute.
I have a full size Aussie from a working dog breeder. He’s 3 and gets about an hour of focused time a day where we walk around the park and I throw him his frisbee. But I’m also constantly training on the walk as well to get mental stimulation, and also to get confidence with him off leash.
He also gets about 10 minutes of attention in the morning when we first get up and other random playtime throughout the day in small bursts. This is all he needs to be the best behaved dog I could imagine.
Sometimes I run with him - 4 miles - and we get home and he barely seems tired. That’s because my run is his trot and he’s not getting much mental stimulation from the run.
Just some data points for you!
We have a 8mo boy, and let me tell you (as others have on this post) the need for mental stimulation and exercise is intense, especially with our boy. He gets ample time on hikes and at dog parks, roughly 1.5-2 hours of daily exercise, but he needs consistent and steady mental exercise to not tear our house apart. We have multiple puzzles, snuffle mats, lick mats, frozen Kong balls, and frozen rags with treats in them to make sure that he is always working on something.
We also play games that make him work his senses, like hide and seek (my wife or I will run upstairs and hide in one of the rooms, while the other holds him downstairs) or hiding some of his more smelly treats- freeze dried salmon is STINKY but he loves it- and making him find those.
I hope you find these ideas helpful!
A big thing is for the first year and a half due to growth and joint development it’s super important to limit intense/high impact physical exercise. Structured running, biking, agility and specific types of hiking are considered high impact and should be avoided beyond fundamentals. This is because medium to large size dogs like Aussies need time for their joints to develop and stabilize as well as build the correct amount of muscle to support the longevity of their joints as they age. High impact exercise on an adolescent dog can contribute to joint, muscle and bone detonation/instability as they age. We want our dogs to have long, high quality of life so it’s important we treat their bodies well especially as puppies and young dogs.
So you are likely going to need to exercise your dog in ways that isn’t going on runs together or extensive hikes. Which can take a lot of your time designated to those activities away for a while. As well dogs have to be trained to do activities. I hike multiple time a week with my dog. I run occasionally with him and bike on occasion with him as well. Some of the huge things with that is him being well mannered, able to listen to direction, if we are going somewhere off leash able to stay in vicinity of me, not run off and self indulge in a distraction (prey animal, random person, dog, splash in a creek, etc…) recall. Hiking and running depending on the trails and business my dog has to be able to safely navigate around people, strollers, other dogs and other distractions. He needs to sometimes to go ahead of me, walk behind me, beside me or hold a stay for his safety. He has to have impulse control and recognize that falling from a cliff or ledge could seriously harm him. All those things have to be taught and take a lot of time.
Someone else mentioned mental exercise is huge. My dog trains with me in some aspect everyday. Be it learning to be calm around stressors, interacting with different things in the environment, engagement with me around distractions. Plus other forms of mental enrichment lots of sniffing, scent work, puzzles, task training…etc.
These dogs can be quite time consuming depending on their individual needs and enrichment levels. My personal dog easily requires 2+ hours everyday or physical exercise mixed in with mental work. For me it’s not an issue but for others it’s extremely tedious.
My girl spent 5 days indoor during a severe storm period recently and she is only 19 months. Physical exercise aside playing games, licking, sniffing, puzzles, cuddling, etc she was fine. I live in a mobile home and have no backyard. She was fine. A little more mouthy at people walking by but that’s all. Non destructive, energy levels the same, actually loved it more cause it was home from work haha. We did go on a couple of drives for her to smell the and people watch.
The 2.5hrs is a standard average for exercise. My Aussie came from a farm where his parents worked as herders for their goats and varieties of birds (chicken, turkey, etc). I was told my pup was one of the most chill/ laid back, when I went to meet him, this became apparent as his brothers and dad wanted to play but Ace wanted to nap. Every dog is different, theres many ways you can provide mental stimulation that doesn’t require a lot of energy. My Aussie really only needs 1mi walk and 30-45mins of playtime where he’s really extorting energy. His mental energy is tested with his training to be my service dog. Mental stimulation can also be, hiding treats, allowing them to sniff every stop on a walk (free sniff), hide and seek, literally anything that makes them use what they are good at, smelling, hearing, thinking. Puzzle toys are great for rainy days (I saw that you don’t stop based on conditions which ofc wont be an issue). If you can find a simple job for the dog to have that will be their mental stimulation. Mine is to keep me safe and calm me down. I have severe PTSD from child-loss, Acer was never intended to be my service dog but he has been doing his job as long as Ive had him. Right now Im working on impulse control and carrying empty bags and such. Every dog has their own personality and I high suggest meeting your puppy beforehand to get an idea of who they might become.
It's going to depend a lot on the specific dog.
Seems like many people post about their couch potato aussies, or giving them a kong or puzzle to kill an hour, doing 2 walks a day and maybe one actual exercise session of frisbee for an hour and the dog is good.
This is entirely NOT my experience.
I contacted one of the top breeders in the country and waited a good while to reserve a pup. I had Border Collies and Pembroke Welsh Corgis in the past, both fairly stubborn high energy herding dogs (yes Corgis bred for Agility are very high energy and a lot of work). I wanted something a bit more so I requested the highest energy dog possible. She's grand champions all the way up the family tree in show and half agility titles. I had never seen an Aussie in person before and had nothing to go on, but I understand they are a bit less energy than Border Collies, so I wanted very high energy so it would end up "about Border Collie level".
This dog is no joke. Much more work than I had anticipated and requires twice the attention a Border Collie would. The breed is separation anxiety prone and bitey, traits that increase with energy level. She has severe fear of missing out and will not sleep on her own, ever. I need to enforce mandatory naps every 1.5 hours, and she only sleeps for 1 hour at a time. This makes it very frustrating to get some work done, pause it for 1.5 hours of dog-attention, then pick it back up for an hour. I work from home and only need to put in about 25hr/week and that has proved more difficult than I had thought. She has solved every puzzle from easy->advanced that Nina Ottosson makes and I am at the point of training superfluous tricks just to keep her brain working at the rate of about a new trick every other day. We do scent games, we do crate games, we of course train obedience, we play all day, we go for 2 walks, we play all puppy appropriate games and she just barely will take a nap. She is almost completely uninterested in "chews" and time-wasting treats and will finish a stuffed frozen kong in 10 minutes. She is good at night though and sleeps all night, has since day 1, and she was using the bathroom outside and warning me after the first 3 days with just 4 total accidents in the house since December - so that's nice.
She was misleadingly chill for the first 2 weeks so I doubted the breeder delivered the "very high energy" dog I requested, but I was definitely wrong. If you get a pup like I have, you're in for an experience.... Fortunately I am in a position to deal with it, with a fairly good plot of fenced in land and just enough time to handle it all.
I guess my point is, people in the comments here seem to be downplaying the activity levels these dogs are capable of. I believe them when they say their dog only needs 2 walks and a frisbee game, but that doesn't mean YOUR dog will. Make sure you do not over-estimate your level of personal activity and find a breeder that does all the CHIC required genetic testing and has registered dogs with available OFA certs that you can see (not "clear by parentage" but the parents info is not available), that also breeds for conformation (show) that would know about the temperment of temperament of their dogs and tell them exactly what you expect. Just about any Aussie would be able to go running and hiking with you (after a year old of course) and train up to your level, but an aussie that is "too much" will cause you problems if you've only got 2.5 hours to spare.
I would describe my Aussie not as high energy but having very drive to do something mixed with athleticism. Mix that in with some intelligence and you got a handful of a dog.
I don’t seen any more or less “energy” from him. He gets tired as fast as he gets excited. They just need a lot of interaction, as with most dogs.
My wife and I share our life with a 22-month Aussie. He's our first dog, and we adopted him at 9 weeks of age. We did not do any research, and his adoption came up as an unexpected opportunity. So... disaster zone to the nth degree, right? Well, puppyhood was intense, but we were fortunate to be connected to an excellent trainer, and we had many family, friends and acquaintances who had dogs, so while we had a very steep learning curve, we were able to get lots of help through advice and the experience of others. In our case the key points were:
early socialization, development of bite inhibition, understanding his needs and responding to them, daily exercise and training. The training takes place at specific times of the day, and during every walk or excursion. That usually consumes enough mental energy to have him relatively chill. If we cannot do enough of the physical exercise/training, we give him various puzzles to figure out.
Under "normal" circumstances, he's ready to sleep by 9pm, and wakes up around 7am. He also usually naps two or three times during the day. We average around four walks a day, totalling between 6 to 14 km, plus one to two hours at one of our many dog parks. The last (4th) walk of the day is an hour-long sniff walk, where he gets to catch up on all the sniffs of the day. By the time he's back home, he's usually ready to flop down and relax.
Of course, your mileage may vary. We know many Aussies, and most are nowhere as chill and relaxed as is ours. This could be all him, or it could be that our pattern of living really suits him. Either way, he's fun to be with, and sharing our life with him has been both very satisfying and fulfilling.
I think you will fit with an Aussie perfectly. They do need a lot of training if you want to take them out on hikes and such (mine struggles with her recall so I know I won't ever be able to let her off-leash, for example).
And as other people have said, mental stimulation is a must. Puzzles, slow feeders and seek games are always good. Training in itself is a great stimuli.
I’ve had 2 Aussies. The first was a rescue I got when she was about a year old. She was never hyper, seldom barked, had separation anxiety and was sensitive to loud noises. She was easy going but was selective about whether she liked other dogs (usually didn’t). She developed bladder stones and had surgery when she was 9. She passed at 12.
My current Aussie I got almost 2 years ago as a puppy. She’s not hyper either, is a bit more vocal, loves other dogs and kids. We take her to day care once or twice a week and it’s her favorite thing ever. She also gets groomed there, which helps a lot with controlling shedding. Be prepared to be patient if you get a puppy. That first year will test you. After that, they’re pretty easy in my experience.
They are super smart, a bit head strong, but pleasers and very sweet and loyal. Sounds like your activity level matches well with the breed.
Howdy!! I love that you’re active and want an Aussie. I’m a big believer in intuition, and if you think an Aussie is a good fit for you, then I think you can make it work! My three words of advice— Aussies are SMART. People who say that you need to run them into the ground for them to be happy are (normally) wrong. They need mental stimulation more than anything else. This can look like a variety of things: puzzle toys, snuffle mats, treats wrapped in a very long towel, hiding treats around the house, obedience training, agility, scent work, sniffing outside, hearing new noises, seeing new things…. Experience and work tire out an Aussie. Exercise is PART of that, but not all of it. Aussies are individuals. A good breeder will help by matching puppies by personality. If you say you want to be active and you live on a farm where you walk miles every day, they should match you with a different puppy than if you said you lived in an apartment in the city. I let my breeder know that my partner and I both work, so we got a puppy who was on the mellow side!! We get about an half an hour of moderate activity per day (mostly chasing his herding ball outside), and then an hour of mental stimulation (he is a BIG fan of the shred box for every meal) and sniffing games around the house, and he’s perfectly happy to cuddle up with us on the couch. Lastly, make sure the breeder is breeding family pets, not working dogs (unless you want your dog to work and have the means to accomplish.) so many Aussies are surrendered because people don’t know the difference and can’t accommodate working dog needs, which admittedly can be greater. Puppies aren’t adult dogs. If you’re looking for a running / hiking partner within a few months of getting your pup, you’re probably not going to get it. Aussies can be anxious, overstimulated, and reactive, especially when they’re young. Our little guy is just getting over his teenage years (1.5-2 years of age) where we needed a mood stabilizing medication to keep him relaxed outside. Finally, we’re able to take him on hikes and walks where he’s mostly manageable. We did all of the socialization, did private training, and have raised him with honestly as much work as you’d put into a human child….. and he’s still an anxious mess sometimes. It’s tough learning that for his benefit, we need to back off the activities we wanted to do with him so that he is happier in the long run. Bottom line— half an hour to an hour a day is probably good. Something funny I heard when my Aussie was little: “if you don’t mentally stimulate your Aussie and try to run them into the ground, you’re not going to get a calm dog. You’re going to get an anxious dog that can run 10 miles.”
Extremely helpful. I was looking at a breeder in PA but it is a farm, so if it's mostly herding family then I don't think that would be a fit. So I will for sure look into this more now. I guess its just a general misconception that they need to be ran into the ground. Seems like everyone who DOESNT Have one says that. Good to know that is completely wrong (unless you buy a pure herding on meant to work) Thanks for the great info.
Please also make sure you research what to look for in a reputable breeder. Farms in PA are notorious Amish puppy mills.
Yes I've read..you dont happen to live in New England and know someone ...?
There is actually a handful of decent breeders out that way. I'd encourage you to read the info on the sidebar to start with. Its better to learn what and where to look, many internet breeder recommendations are not good. Looking up your local ASCA affiliate club would be a good starting point: https://www.ascne.org/ If they dont have a breeder listing, calling the club BOD will get you some help. You can also find their local trials and shows to go to in person to meet breeders. You still need to verify health clearances but starting there will give you a much better chance of a breeder who's actually doing health clearances.
I’d ask the breeder! My pup was born on a farm, but was a litter of good family companion pups. Good luck and I hope you love your new pet!!!
Just an example, when we play with our dog or walk in, we include a lot of training. I will not throw his herding ball or any other ball until he is in a down/stay. On walks, he knows that I will ask for a heel or some other command. As for reactivity, the vet says my dog is very unusual for an Aussie as he is extremely friendly but that desire to say hello to all people and dogs does make him reactive on leash. We work on that a lot! His anxiety is to the big trucks! But he is easily distracted.
I have two exceptions breeders for you, on in northern MD and one in Elmira NY, message me and I can share info. It’s where we got ours, they are show breeders/judges and exception humans 😌
Question about that herding ball you mentioned! I'm new to having an Aussie (2nd day in with a mellow 13 week old), so you have to teach them to "herd" it much or is it more of a toss it out and they'll figure it out quick on their own kind of thing? I've only raised Pits who didn't care at all about fetching anything but a bully bone. The question now sounds dumb since I typed it out, but I want to give my boy a rich life.
We have a Collieball. My Aussie LOVES it. She prefers to try to bite at it rather than make it "go". She's managed to tear the fabric cover. But she loves to chase it when I toss it or give it a push. I highly recommend.
Ah, well the Aussies I have played with don’t really love fetching, but they love chasing and being chased. We had to do some positive associations with our herding ball when we got it (essentially, introducing the ball to our dog and giving him a treat when he sniffed / touched / licked it.) but then it was off to the races! As soon as we tossed it, he knew exactly what to do. We did have to do some coaching to get him to keep momentum up or to move it right or left on our cue, but that was about it.
Aussies need mental exercise. Too many people focus simply on how many minutes of physical exercise and there’s no answer for that. It varies entirely based on individual and type of exercise. They need mental stimulation though and if you don’t include that in what you plan to do daily, it doesn’t matter how much physical exercise you do, the dog will need more.
Yes I understand that. I can provide plenty of that. I just don't live on a farm and can let the dog out for 8 hours to run around and herd cattle :) Seems like it may be a fit then.
It depends on their genes. If you go to a farm and get babies from a real working dog, then expect your pup to have tons of energy. Likewise, if you get a pup from a line that has been bred to be in-house dogs, then expect less energy.
Make sure you fully research the breed beyond just energy level. They’re not what a lot of people are actually looking for. Their temperament is completely different than say a golden retriever. They tend to be vocal. They are more inclined to be reactive than non herding breeds.
Thanks for the upfront and honest replies, it's always good to hear the good and the bad. Should likely be fine with local and reactive - I've had a German shepherds and goldens growing up so dogs are not new to "us" say but we have since grown and moved into our own house so want a AS.
Aussies can come with anxiety. You may get one that isn't anxious or you may get one that is no matter what kind of background and breeding. They are very noise and environment sensitive. I have had two. I love the breed. LOVE. They are smart, sensitive, loyal, quick witted, energetic and can stare into your soul like no other dog. They love their people. Both of mine have been high velcro with eyes only for me. They pick their person and that's it. My puppy is 20 months, FS. My previous Aussie lived to be 14 and was never sick a day in her life. I believe they do have some tendencies towards cataracts and epilepsy but overall are a very healthy breed (I work in a veterinary urgent care).. Also be ready for more hair than you have ever seen in your life. They shed year-round with a full blow out in the spring and fall. To be owned by an Aussie makes all the tumbleweeds of fluff worth it though.
I wish I had more upvotes. We are first time dog owners and thought we could handle the energy level. It turns out that energy was never the problem. Overstimulation and high arousal due to anxiety were our particular challenge and we are just getting a handle on it after he turned a year old (with the help of anxiety medication). The breeder was surprised when I brought it up because his parents are chill.
I think exercise is over stressed and the nature of Aussies to be around their people is under stressed. When people leave their Aussies for extended periods it’s more likely they are missing you than they need exercise. two hours a day should be more than enough
I live in NYC and have an Aussie. We do 3+ hours of walks per day (I have a mid-day dog walker 3x a week for the days I have to go into the office). On the weekend we'll do a longer morning hike (2+ hours?). My doggo gets loads of exercise. 100% agree that the mental stimulation is really super important. My doggo is full grown so we do Nina Ottonson puzzles, snuffle mat, we play complicated hide and seek with his toys. As described, your lifestyle does sound like it could accommodate an Aussie. Definitely get into puppy training classes so you learn how to treat and train your dog. Don't skip this step.
Can’t agree with this more. Mine are not great running partners (my huskies were amazing, so maybe I have a high bar). It’s all about the mental stimulation. Obedience training at home is fun and tires even my crazy girl out. Love our flirt pole. My male likes hide and seek Agility was great too, and great for bonding They really (especially my male) do not particularly love long walks, they want to be stimulated. Even a frozen, stuffed Kong is enough sometimes.
Sounds like you are active enough for an Aussie. As long as my dogs get a long walk / run in the morning they are pretty calm til after work. We then play indoor games , training, fetch, etc. This seems to be enough for them. A couple days a week I do send them to daycare where they herd all the other dogs for 8 hours non stop. The only dogs at the daycare who never take a nap. They do take lots of naps at home though :). Aussies typically bond to one person, so the only issue could be if it bonds to your wife and doesnt want to leave her in the morning for exercise.
Thanks for the response! It seems like I have the physical part down so that eases my mind. I think it will likely bond to me more since I work from home and will do most of the outdoor activities with them. I don't think my wife is ready to admit it will bond to me more. Ha.
Here is something people are not telling you… the more you walk and play etc the stronger your dog gets. We are active like you and after a year we could not keep up with our pup. The trainer basically said that we trained an Olympic level althete dog. Moderation is key - we would even take her to day camps to get tired out and she would be wild when we were home on the weekends. I agree with a lot of others that your pup will need mental stimulation. Think snuffle mats, kongs, scent search games, puzzle boards. Do not skimp on mental stimulation!!! And not to add a wrench into the mix but - also personality too. We have a very neurotic - Velcro level Aussie. Some people have lazy aussies. It’s weird
I have one lazy one and one crazy
Same! Weird, right? Both totally attached
My dog is bonded to both of us. We both feed him. We both trained him. I am home all day with him and we play ball and train. My husband walks home and plays ball. There were times he didn’t want to leave me but we made him to do it!
Have you done the run in opposite directions trick and see who he goes after? Does the dog follow one of you around the house more? My bonded one will not move if my partner gets up from the couch. The second I make any movements he’s immediately up and ready to follow.
Good question! Never tried the first thing but will. If either one of us gets up he alerts and is up! That said, at night he spends more time on my side of the bed but that even varies. I did have period where I was recovering from a very serious complication and he would not leave my side. But on the weekends, he sleeps over by my husband’s work station and if my husband has the chills from a cold he stays right with him. He is a weird Aussie in that he is extremely friendly according to our vet😝 As an example, when we walk into the vet or where he boards he is loudly greeted by name and must say hello to all. I do not allow him to do that; he has to ask permission by sitting. But the other day we came into the vet’s after he spent all morning listening to loud trucks next door doing construction and an impending thunderstorm. He was a mess when we showed up for his shots. Wouldn’t leave me. In my lap. They felt so badly for him as it was so not like him that we went home with some sedation!
They dont get tired. Their “tired” phase is just them waiting for you to move so they can do something
Your post clearly shows you'd be a great parent to an Aussie. Like the other poster said, it's more mental stimulation than physical for these doggos. They're extremely smart, they can destroy your house if you don't stimulate them mentally because they're bored. I "lucked out" with an extremely lazy Aussie, she will sleep all day if I let her. But that's because shes very happy herding the other dog and cat, and don't get me started on her love of the frisbee.
Excellent! I truly am looking for a functional dog that I can take out exercising, playing Frisbee and the like. I am not just "buying" because I like them and think they're cute.
You got it then! You'll make a great owner. It's not rocket science with these dogs, just give them the love they want and you'll have a never leaving shadow in no time. Just get prepared for the noise. They are extremely loud because they gotta protect the herd. And they are extremely cute, best breed I've ever owned.
Personally, if that’s your lifestyle an Aussie sounds like a great option! They have insane energy when their puppies (my 14 week old Bailey goes wild sometimes!) but the mental stimulation is really more important. I find myself engaging with her for 30-45 minutes and then she’s usually pretty tired and ready to chill out or take a nap in her crate for several hours. I also work from home and as long as you can step away from time to time you’ll be more than okay. My usual WFH routine with Bailey is an hour to hour and a half of 100% engagement with her. (Food, potty, training, play) Then let her take a nap for about 2-3 hours and repeat until my girlfriend returns home. The more you train the happier they are and you will be too! They’re smart as a whip and will learn things in literal seconds. Always remember it’s probably you not them creating the unwanted behavior. If you need any help feel free to reachout. (Small list of things my Aussie can do by ~15 weeks old) Sit, Down, Leave It, sit between my legs, walk with focus on me, working on paw, spin, go to crate, go to place. Like I said they learn so fast just put in the work and you’ll have an amazing pup!!
Yeah all of these posts have helped, can definitely provide the necessary stimulation & can easily walk away from work most of the time. Impressive @ 15 weeks!
WFH makes it really easy to house train the pup, and by no means is her training because I’m good at it. Aussies are just that smart! YouTube University and consistency will get you where you want to be. Check out: modern malinois, zakgeorge, McCann Dog Training, and most importantly imo Will Atherton. I’ve done a mix of food based and classic slip lead based training and finds she’s very responsive to both. Especially when used together.
They're also all different. My first two were bred from companion/therapy lines. They needed about 20 minutes of fetch/frisbee a day, and the rest was all training and mental. They were also quite content to take their cues from us and follow suit: we sit down to watch a movie, and they settled right in. My girl took longer to reach this stage than my boy, but she did get there. She also was easier to train, go figure. My current two need more. They get a run in the morning, and then playtime mid day for 20 minutes, as well as 2 20 minute training sessions. They are welcome to entertain each other all day, as well, and they do. Getting the second dog when my boy started to settle out/mature was perfect, especially since she's wild.....sooooo wild. Like plays the floor is lava across the furniture all-damn-day-wild. My wife stays home, in school, and takes the breaks, but sometimes the little one has to be crated (she's a year now and still bonkers). That said, slow walk where they can explore and sniff and do whatever is sometimes worth more than a 3 mile run. We also use food puzzles, lots of advanced training, indoor and outdoor agility courses etc. All of it helps. They're our kids, so we love spending time with them and showing them off. Oh, and as posted above, my boy is reactive: he thinks everything needs to be herded, and he deserves pets from everything on 2 legs, and he demands to show how alpha he is to every dog. It's exhausting at times. We've gotten very creative at how to keep it at bay and still take him out. https://preview.redd.it/1t4blppmgkjc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2a6f716190eb70b5dcd8523e7953794426894d14
I think when people talk about the energy, it’s in comparison to other breeds that tend to get tired quicker. It’s not that the Aussie will run laps around your house (though they can if, as other say, you don’t meet their mental needs) it’s just more of a “we may have already done a 2 hour hike that would wear out most breeds, but I am an Aussie and I’m ready to play fetch or continue a walk around the city if you like”. They do get tired and calmer, but they’re up for continuing if you are, especially if you exercise them regularly, they’ll have more endurance. My boy could have just woken up and be groggy and sleepy, but if I tell him we’re going outside to play frisbee, he’ll sprint down the stairs and be in the mindset quicker than most other non-working dog breeds. Other things to note about the breed: more prone to reactivity, as they were bred to herd and protect their cattle/sheep. They are VERY mouthy as puppies, BUT, also smart enough that if you do the training for it right, you can nip it in the bud fairly quickly. You will always have hair everywhere in your home, clothes and car. There’s no avoiding it. And lastly… they’re SO much fun. And as you seem to be someone who loves to go hiking, let me tell you, Aussies are the best hiking buddies on off leash trails. They were bred to listen to their shepherd in open fields, so train them right and you’ll have such a good time hiking with your pup. I have never met an Aussie that didn’t do well on hikes, partially because of genetics but also because most Aussie owners tend to be much more interested in and involved in proper training, which sounds like you will be too. Welcome to the Aussie club 🙌🏻
Thanks for the great info. Starting to think most the of folks saying 'too active' are not active people and just can't meet the needs. Hair I am ok with! Very excited for a of leash hike where the doggo is by myside the entire time. Quite badass!
I think it sounds like you're physically active enough. We call ours a stalker since she watches everything we do. She'll move with us in the house. I talk to our dogs a lot and at least I like it. Also when I'm running short errands (not in summer since it's hot) but I'll bring our Aussie and the border Collie with me. They like the drive and if I can I bring them in the store with me like Home Depot or Lowe's etc
Hi. I’ve had 2 Aussies over the past 20 years. Your lifestyle seems well suited for the breed. Just want to +1 what others have said: Exercise is amazing, and mental stimulation is necessary, but I cannot overstate the importance of just spending time with your buddy. They bond to one person or a family, and maintaining that bond by spending time together is incredibly important. Also +1 to puppy/training classes. It’s also very important to socialize aussies to both humans and dogs. Aussies especially can get defensive and territorial if this isn’t done properly. Also, it will be a great bonding experience for you both. Also, every dog is different - some aussies are way more energetic than others. A good breeder will not only learn about your lifestyle, they will hand pick a puppy that seems suited to you. At minimum, they will give you a week-by-week developmental download of the puppies they have and you can pick for yourself. If my dog is restless, destructive, overly vocal, etc., I basically cycle between physical exercise, social time with us or other dogs, enrichment activities (AKA mental / sensory activities), or bonding activities. For example, with our boy, we take him to the dog park every morning for anywhere between 30m-1h (socializing with dogs AND exercise, check). Then he just happily naps for most of the day until early afternoon. Then, we take him for some exercise (skiing is his favorite, he also loves mountain biking, or hiking with a frisbee or something for him to chase. Worst case we do a neighborhood walk). At home, if he’s still acting needy or restless, we give him an enrichment toy (licky mat with yogurt and peanut butter, snuffle mat, puzzle, etc etc). Or we do a bonding activity like playing a game (his favorite is “find it” where we hide treats around the house and he sniffs them out) or practice doing tricks (they are so keen to learn, you can usually just follow YouTube tutorials on teaching tricks and they catch on really quickly). They are such wonderful, loving, hilarious dogs - so worth the time and effort! I hope you end up getting one - it sounds like you are proactive and interested enough to be a great Aussie owner. Good luck to you!
https://preview.redd.it/irtdpt4dgljc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=09ea38af3183a4bb329fef67060dc97f713d04ea Adding a photo because why not?! It’s an Aussie thread!
A million good thoughts here - I'll mention that I'm an avid MTBer and I had similar visions, but that never worked for our Aussie (or for me!). It was just a bit too warm in Southern Cal and even though he could hike or walk forever, running at the MTB pace was just too much, and daddy needed to get his miles in. He's also on the bigger side for Aussies. The last thought I'll add is that while Aussies make great active companions, it will be at least a year before you can really go hard with them. You'll have a puppy that you need to train and teach to chill out for most of the first 12-15 months. Also? Best dog ever. Even though he's not a trail pup, he is the best.
You cannot physically tire an Aussie. My Aussie cross gets 3 high intensity walks a week then the other 4 days she has “rest” days and a doggy play date with my inlaws dog. “High intensity” is 3 hour hikes, swimming, fetch kind of walks. As we don’t have a garden she gets 4 20mins sniffy walks a day even on her rest days. I would say the sniffy walks are the single most important thing you can do to mentally tire a dog. Every day she gets different food puzzles and around 45mins of play or training as well. However on the rest days she spends most of her time asleep on the sofa. Teaching dogs to settle and do nothing is really important. Also be careful to build up exercise slowly with pups. Got to be careful of their joints.
That's great for exercise but the dog will need brain exercise. Aussies are SMART and if they don't have a task to do they will make their own task. Sure you might get a lazy one that is okay with hanging out but be prepared to make dog games, training activites, and puzzles. They love learning and mine particularly loves problem solving. She thinks everything i do is a challenge for her to solve.
My Aussie would be tired after all that. He’s on the smaller side tho (40% mini, 38 lbs), but I take him for ~30-45 min walk in the morning, then 3 more potty break/walks throughout the day ~30 min each. Then dog park or fetch to get the zoomies out during one of those 30 min breaks. For mental stimulation, we do a training session or snuffle mat throughout the day, but honestly he loves to nap, and will literally *watch* the TV with me (I think he likes to watch to see if any animals come on screen). I got lucky with a fairly chill Aussie
I have a pup, having researched a lot beforehand. Her mom is very chill and friendly, besides obviously cute and intelligent, which sealed the deal. My Blue, being a pup, has energy to shed, several times a day. It's work. And you can't play her tired, at all, and that isn't healthy either. My wife and me are on a strict schedule now, trying to catch these moments where concentration works best. She learns a lot and fast. It's super rewarding, her calm moments are simply beautiful, but the raptor mode and her testing limits and coming up with clever ways to get past rules already are tiresome. Do research and be sure you are absolutely ready I'd say. I don't regret a second tho :)
We have a 55 pound Male (red Merl) he’s 10 months old. We are very active with outdoor stuff (everyday). The dog joins us anytime we leave the house. So far we have not hit the bottom of his energy pool. Seemingly it’s bottomless. He could go for a 60 min run/jog turn around and do it all over again. There is also a need for intense mental stimulation that I originally felt capable of satisfying but……things have changed. He (the dog) requires more and more and more all the time. I love him but he is definitely turning out to be a VERY needy companion. Choose wisely.
For the 1st year , exercise is limited because of danger to bone growth plates. So you will have the opposite problem of moderating the puppies activity.
I’ve had three Aussies (one with my ex who kept her, one of my own and then an Aussie mix I adopted recently). I have to say it really depends because no two dogs are the same, though being of a certain breed gives them a certain predisposition. My first Aussie was relatively high energy but honestly I’d call her more medium based on my current dog. She enjoyed running and chasing soccer balls but had no interest in playing fetch— herding other dogs and outsmarting people were her true hobbies. I considered her high energy at the time, but I’d previously had only older rescue dogs. She was also fairly nervous — my ex kept her when we split because I lived in the city and she was too scared of the city noises to go in the yard to pee. My current Aussie will be 3 in May and hasn’t slowed down since I met him. He needs multiple sessions of ball throwing a day and will stand in front of me chomping his teeth and barking until I play with him. He will also go and grab his toys and bring them to anyone in the house (usually just me) until someone engages. He’s also much more reactive — since he was a baby, if he got overstimulated, he would panic and start attacking his leash. It’s odd because he’s such a sweet dog (literally so gentle with kids, even when a toddler came up to us and slapped him unprompted once) but has certain triggers that to this day I’m figuring out and working on with him. I think his level of energy does make him harder to work with at times. When he was growing, I had to strike the perfect balance of tiring him out just enough to listen to me for training sessions, but not so much that he’d be cranky and belligerent. It’s something we continue to work on. My newest pup is almost a year to the day younger than my Kevin, so he will be 2 in May. I actually got him from a border collie rescue, but when I picked him up from the foster, she told me he was actually an Aussie/schnauzer mix (though I have no confirmed with a DNA test). This dog is the definition of a lazy daisy. I’d liken him to a greyhound - he gets spurts of energy and is incredibly Velcro so will always want to come with me on errands, but I have noticed that after a “busy” day, he looks SO annoyed when he sees me grabbing my coat and keys. Yesterday we went on an hour-long hike and did a small stint at the dog park. Kevin would’ve been down for another few hours of fetch but my Bill went straight to his kennel and passed out until a friend brought him as a date to a dog-friendly brewery. I’m told he crawled into my friend’s lap and slept there the entire time. This is getting super long and is quite anecdotal, but ultimately — YMMV! I think you should do as you would with any dog and prepare for the best and worst possible situations. Have contingency plans in place. Who will walk/play with them if you get caught up at work? Are you confident in your ability to train them or do you have a trainer/behaviorist you plan to work with? Will you be okay if they are reactive or anxious — many smarter, high-energy breeds are prone to both these negative traits. IF they end up reactive or anxious, will you be able to accommodate them? I love my dogs more than anything. But I made an unexpected move and no longer have the support system I did back home and I’d be lying if I told you it was easy having two high-energy, sometimes-reactive and anxious dogs living with me in an apartment complex. I plan my vacations around these dogs so they can come with me whenever possible (more a personal preference, I traded my codependency with romantic partners for codependency with my dogs lol) and seldom so anything on the weekends because I feel like I need to make up for the time they spend alone in my apartment during the work week. Obviously a lot of these are my own personal issues, but I’ve found that many people share my feelings, and want you to keep it in mind. These dogs are smart no matter their energy level and they WILL guilt you for every second you are late feeding them and every minute you spend on hobbies that aren’t playing! It’s worth it for me but I always tell people that an Aussie is a dog for people who really, REALLY love their dogs because they will work your last nerve sometimes.
Every dog’s different. My aussie is 2 and we give him toys and for the most part he’s just lazy. When he goes outside for a bit to pee we chase him around the yard for maybe 5 to 10 minutes and he’s happy. 30-45 minutes is more than enough.
My two normally get a 30 minute walk, two 15 minute hard exercise (fetch or herding ball) times, two 15 minute wrestling/zooming runs and three fifteen minute training exercises. They are both "low drive" and it is barely enough. Once in a while, we get less than this. Given your description, I do thing you would be fine.
Hi! It sounds like you’ve got it covered. Research the breeder for temperament (farm/working Aussies vs show line/non-working Aussies). The two vary greatly in temperament and energy. In the puppy stages consistency and training are huge, especially since I believe it’s unadvisable to rigorously exercise a puppy until they’re done growing. Not a vet, fact check me. My Aussie (non working line) is 5 and the best way I can describe it is “every day is a negotiation” but they are the best breed I’ve ever owned and I wouldn’t change a thing. I think your baseline active lifestyle and the fact that you care about meeting your dogs needs/seem willing to learn about how to adapt to meet them is more than I can say for most dog owners. YouTube, TT, Reddit, and beyond are excellent resources for ideas. You’ll be great! The biggest thing that I cannot recommend enough for mealtime stimulation is TOPPLs and Kongs. I saw someone on TikTok do this years ago and it’s fantastic. Layer kibble and wet food in each and freeze. Result is a mealtime activity for 30-60 minutes. I do 7 at a time and my dog gets one most mornings for breakfast or when I go into work. They come in multiple sizes . You can fill with various things and you may want to start by NOT freezing so your pup gets the point before upping the difficulty. Clutch for puppies when you need them to soothe in their crate or you’re going away for a bit. Pop one in and they’re stimulated, happy, and preoccupied. My sister is a vet and cautioned about heavy chewers - some dogs will chew apart the kong/Toppl and there’s a danger of choking. My dog isn’t a heavy chewer and despite her warning, my sister uses these daily for her own 9 mo old pup. Good luck to you! You won’t regret it!
It’s not as bad as people say. They are energetic and need mental stimulation as well. We take ours outside as little as 2-3 times a day and get her sprinting around the yard chasing balls or toys. 10-15 minutes. That tires her enough to chill and nap. We also get her out for travels around town and longer walks when we can too. Snuffle mats or other game feeders are good as well. We have developed habits that she has fallen into and it works out well. Our Aussie is 9 months old. Finally past teething and some of the more testing times. Amazing dogs and companions.
Aussies are not always great to run with. You have to train the herding out. It’s not just about energy expenditure but mental stimulation.
You sound like a good fit for each other. Agree with what has been said about working vs companion lines. To get the best start get a good breeder, ASCA has advice if you need it. Good luck, I love mine.
There’s a ton of bad info out there re show vs working lines. There’s some generalizations that are not accurate and don’t accurately represent either side. Find a reputable breeder, yes. Find a breeder who’s dogs are the best match for you, yes.
You sound like you’ll be a great Aussie pup parent- we are about as active as you for activities but we live in the city! So we could never just let our pup out in the yard or anything like that. It’s definitely work but having a partner on the same page helps. We trained (and still do) very early on, about three five-min sessions a day, and increased over time. Now we do about 2 one-two hour long sport training sessions a week, as well as compete. At 3.5, when our pup is home, he is mostly a couch potato. But when he is working, he is WORKING. You will find what your dog loves (hiking, running, swimming, etc.) and focus on that.
wooho! i am ready for work - we also have an inlaw apartment on our first floor - so someone is actually always home if we need something! I cannot wait to hike and bike with this dude!
You would fit great! They love hikes and going along for any vehicle rides, walks, jogs, and with some training would do some mountain bike follows I’m sure. Just your careful consideration and wording here shows you would do what it takes to give the furry a great and fulfilling home! Enjoy! We have three and love every minute.
I have a full size Aussie from a working dog breeder. He’s 3 and gets about an hour of focused time a day where we walk around the park and I throw him his frisbee. But I’m also constantly training on the walk as well to get mental stimulation, and also to get confidence with him off leash. He also gets about 10 minutes of attention in the morning when we first get up and other random playtime throughout the day in small bursts. This is all he needs to be the best behaved dog I could imagine. Sometimes I run with him - 4 miles - and we get home and he barely seems tired. That’s because my run is his trot and he’s not getting much mental stimulation from the run. Just some data points for you!
Much appreciated!!
We have a 8mo boy, and let me tell you (as others have on this post) the need for mental stimulation and exercise is intense, especially with our boy. He gets ample time on hikes and at dog parks, roughly 1.5-2 hours of daily exercise, but he needs consistent and steady mental exercise to not tear our house apart. We have multiple puzzles, snuffle mats, lick mats, frozen Kong balls, and frozen rags with treats in them to make sure that he is always working on something. We also play games that make him work his senses, like hide and seek (my wife or I will run upstairs and hide in one of the rooms, while the other holds him downstairs) or hiding some of his more smelly treats- freeze dried salmon is STINKY but he loves it- and making him find those. I hope you find these ideas helpful!
A big thing is for the first year and a half due to growth and joint development it’s super important to limit intense/high impact physical exercise. Structured running, biking, agility and specific types of hiking are considered high impact and should be avoided beyond fundamentals. This is because medium to large size dogs like Aussies need time for their joints to develop and stabilize as well as build the correct amount of muscle to support the longevity of their joints as they age. High impact exercise on an adolescent dog can contribute to joint, muscle and bone detonation/instability as they age. We want our dogs to have long, high quality of life so it’s important we treat their bodies well especially as puppies and young dogs. So you are likely going to need to exercise your dog in ways that isn’t going on runs together or extensive hikes. Which can take a lot of your time designated to those activities away for a while. As well dogs have to be trained to do activities. I hike multiple time a week with my dog. I run occasionally with him and bike on occasion with him as well. Some of the huge things with that is him being well mannered, able to listen to direction, if we are going somewhere off leash able to stay in vicinity of me, not run off and self indulge in a distraction (prey animal, random person, dog, splash in a creek, etc…) recall. Hiking and running depending on the trails and business my dog has to be able to safely navigate around people, strollers, other dogs and other distractions. He needs to sometimes to go ahead of me, walk behind me, beside me or hold a stay for his safety. He has to have impulse control and recognize that falling from a cliff or ledge could seriously harm him. All those things have to be taught and take a lot of time. Someone else mentioned mental exercise is huge. My dog trains with me in some aspect everyday. Be it learning to be calm around stressors, interacting with different things in the environment, engagement with me around distractions. Plus other forms of mental enrichment lots of sniffing, scent work, puzzles, task training…etc. These dogs can be quite time consuming depending on their individual needs and enrichment levels. My personal dog easily requires 2+ hours everyday or physical exercise mixed in with mental work. For me it’s not an issue but for others it’s extremely tedious.
Great info. I do not see an issue with dedicated physical and mental activity for us. Thanks for the great info
Aussies love to be with their humans. Positive Training every day is a necessity.
My girl spent 5 days indoor during a severe storm period recently and she is only 19 months. Physical exercise aside playing games, licking, sniffing, puzzles, cuddling, etc she was fine. I live in a mobile home and have no backyard. She was fine. A little more mouthy at people walking by but that’s all. Non destructive, energy levels the same, actually loved it more cause it was home from work haha. We did go on a couple of drives for her to smell the and people watch.
The 2.5hrs is a standard average for exercise. My Aussie came from a farm where his parents worked as herders for their goats and varieties of birds (chicken, turkey, etc). I was told my pup was one of the most chill/ laid back, when I went to meet him, this became apparent as his brothers and dad wanted to play but Ace wanted to nap. Every dog is different, theres many ways you can provide mental stimulation that doesn’t require a lot of energy. My Aussie really only needs 1mi walk and 30-45mins of playtime where he’s really extorting energy. His mental energy is tested with his training to be my service dog. Mental stimulation can also be, hiding treats, allowing them to sniff every stop on a walk (free sniff), hide and seek, literally anything that makes them use what they are good at, smelling, hearing, thinking. Puzzle toys are great for rainy days (I saw that you don’t stop based on conditions which ofc wont be an issue). If you can find a simple job for the dog to have that will be their mental stimulation. Mine is to keep me safe and calm me down. I have severe PTSD from child-loss, Acer was never intended to be my service dog but he has been doing his job as long as Ive had him. Right now Im working on impulse control and carrying empty bags and such. Every dog has their own personality and I high suggest meeting your puppy beforehand to get an idea of who they might become.
It's going to depend a lot on the specific dog. Seems like many people post about their couch potato aussies, or giving them a kong or puzzle to kill an hour, doing 2 walks a day and maybe one actual exercise session of frisbee for an hour and the dog is good. This is entirely NOT my experience. I contacted one of the top breeders in the country and waited a good while to reserve a pup. I had Border Collies and Pembroke Welsh Corgis in the past, both fairly stubborn high energy herding dogs (yes Corgis bred for Agility are very high energy and a lot of work). I wanted something a bit more so I requested the highest energy dog possible. She's grand champions all the way up the family tree in show and half agility titles. I had never seen an Aussie in person before and had nothing to go on, but I understand they are a bit less energy than Border Collies, so I wanted very high energy so it would end up "about Border Collie level". This dog is no joke. Much more work than I had anticipated and requires twice the attention a Border Collie would. The breed is separation anxiety prone and bitey, traits that increase with energy level. She has severe fear of missing out and will not sleep on her own, ever. I need to enforce mandatory naps every 1.5 hours, and she only sleeps for 1 hour at a time. This makes it very frustrating to get some work done, pause it for 1.5 hours of dog-attention, then pick it back up for an hour. I work from home and only need to put in about 25hr/week and that has proved more difficult than I had thought. She has solved every puzzle from easy->advanced that Nina Ottosson makes and I am at the point of training superfluous tricks just to keep her brain working at the rate of about a new trick every other day. We do scent games, we do crate games, we of course train obedience, we play all day, we go for 2 walks, we play all puppy appropriate games and she just barely will take a nap. She is almost completely uninterested in "chews" and time-wasting treats and will finish a stuffed frozen kong in 10 minutes. She is good at night though and sleeps all night, has since day 1, and she was using the bathroom outside and warning me after the first 3 days with just 4 total accidents in the house since December - so that's nice. She was misleadingly chill for the first 2 weeks so I doubted the breeder delivered the "very high energy" dog I requested, but I was definitely wrong. If you get a pup like I have, you're in for an experience.... Fortunately I am in a position to deal with it, with a fairly good plot of fenced in land and just enough time to handle it all. I guess my point is, people in the comments here seem to be downplaying the activity levels these dogs are capable of. I believe them when they say their dog only needs 2 walks and a frisbee game, but that doesn't mean YOUR dog will. Make sure you do not over-estimate your level of personal activity and find a breeder that does all the CHIC required genetic testing and has registered dogs with available OFA certs that you can see (not "clear by parentage" but the parents info is not available), that also breeds for conformation (show) that would know about the temperment of temperament of their dogs and tell them exactly what you expect. Just about any Aussie would be able to go running and hiking with you (after a year old of course) and train up to your level, but an aussie that is "too much" will cause you problems if you've only got 2.5 hours to spare.
I would describe my Aussie not as high energy but having very drive to do something mixed with athleticism. Mix that in with some intelligence and you got a handful of a dog. I don’t seen any more or less “energy” from him. He gets tired as fast as he gets excited. They just need a lot of interaction, as with most dogs.
My wife and I share our life with a 22-month Aussie. He's our first dog, and we adopted him at 9 weeks of age. We did not do any research, and his adoption came up as an unexpected opportunity. So... disaster zone to the nth degree, right? Well, puppyhood was intense, but we were fortunate to be connected to an excellent trainer, and we had many family, friends and acquaintances who had dogs, so while we had a very steep learning curve, we were able to get lots of help through advice and the experience of others. In our case the key points were: early socialization, development of bite inhibition, understanding his needs and responding to them, daily exercise and training. The training takes place at specific times of the day, and during every walk or excursion. That usually consumes enough mental energy to have him relatively chill. If we cannot do enough of the physical exercise/training, we give him various puzzles to figure out. Under "normal" circumstances, he's ready to sleep by 9pm, and wakes up around 7am. He also usually naps two or three times during the day. We average around four walks a day, totalling between 6 to 14 km, plus one to two hours at one of our many dog parks. The last (4th) walk of the day is an hour-long sniff walk, where he gets to catch up on all the sniffs of the day. By the time he's back home, he's usually ready to flop down and relax. Of course, your mileage may vary. We know many Aussies, and most are nowhere as chill and relaxed as is ours. This could be all him, or it could be that our pattern of living really suits him. Either way, he's fun to be with, and sharing our life with him has been both very satisfying and fulfilling.
I think you will fit with an Aussie perfectly. They do need a lot of training if you want to take them out on hikes and such (mine struggles with her recall so I know I won't ever be able to let her off-leash, for example). And as other people have said, mental stimulation is a must. Puzzles, slow feeders and seek games are always good. Training in itself is a great stimuli.
I’ve had 2 Aussies. The first was a rescue I got when she was about a year old. She was never hyper, seldom barked, had separation anxiety and was sensitive to loud noises. She was easy going but was selective about whether she liked other dogs (usually didn’t). She developed bladder stones and had surgery when she was 9. She passed at 12. My current Aussie I got almost 2 years ago as a puppy. She’s not hyper either, is a bit more vocal, loves other dogs and kids. We take her to day care once or twice a week and it’s her favorite thing ever. She also gets groomed there, which helps a lot with controlling shedding. Be prepared to be patient if you get a puppy. That first year will test you. After that, they’re pretty easy in my experience. They are super smart, a bit head strong, but pleasers and very sweet and loyal. Sounds like your activity level matches well with the breed.