adding to my family!.....crazy?

[AMcoffeeLover]

So i've got 2 amazing staffie brothers, everything is amazing. I've had staffies my whole life, its the only breed I have experience of.
A family I know who have Australian Shepards are giving their male away. They had a male and female, bred them and now want to keep the female and a pup, not keep dad.
He's beautiful but huge! he's 3 months younger than my boys. I'd get him "done" if I did get him.
What is the breed like? All his current owners are saying is "he's a prime example of the breed. A star"
Am I crazy to even consider it, especially as everything is so happy and balanced with my boys at the moment?

[AMcoffeeLover]

I should add that my boys are very relaxed. We have an hour walk in the morning and sometimes a quick wander in the evening if its nice weather. Otherwise they're happy to play in the garden and potter in the house. we go to a doggy play event once or twice a week, meeting 15-30 other dogs of all sizes and breeds (no Australian Shepards though!).
And they're rather simple minded.......(aka thick!)
Would a Oz Shepard fit in?

[CandyAppleFudge]

I see one of these when I walk my dogs, she takes it out for 3 1/2 hours a day and takes it to agility, hers has bundles of energy and if she doesn't take hers for long walks it destroys her house. Lovely dog though.

[AMcoffeeLover]

Hmmmm my boys don't like more than an hours walk.....they lay down in protest.

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

I have a border collie, she's extremely intelligent, needs lots of exercise and a ton of mental stimulation. I think Australian Shepherds are along the same lines as a BC. Ours is a lovely girl though, extremely loyal, very person focused and a real lapdog at rest, she is never more than 10cm from my heels.

[basildonbond]

We were considering an Australian Shepherd to go with our Toller but I think we'll go for another Toller instead.

The Aussies we met are lovely but big, strong, very active and very intelligent. They need a job to do - agility, tracking, high-level obedience - otherwise they can get bored and destructive. And they have very high energy levels ... doesn't sound like he'd be a great fit with your Staffies ...

This is a useful description!

[NKfell]

I have a BC and too am under the impression Oz Sheps are similar.

My BC needs lots of mental stimulation as well as exercise. To give you an idea I texted my Mum earlier asking how the dogs were doing (they've been to the groomers) and she said my rotty was fast asleep and my BC was doing a jigsaw haha. He was actually playing with one of his puzzle toys.

The Oz will be bright as a button but if you'd like a bit more brain to go with your staffie brawn then I'd say go for it!

I love staffies but they'll be like chalk and cheese!

[AMcoffeeLover]

I have a mouse problem....would that drive a dog with a herding instinct mad?

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

My collie hunts mice, voles etc and is as good a mouser as any cat we've owned. Yes, mice could well cause the dog a few issues

[AMcoffeeLover]

Mu staffies don't really care about them! The only issue was when there was one in their bed (they share a bed! And spoon together! Soooooo cute!) They made a noise that was a cross between a scream and an angry piglet until it ran away. Then wouldn't go in bed til id washed everything.

[AMcoffeeLover]

From reading on google it says that they're prone to hip problems. has anyone here encountered that? How do you cope with a high energy dog with a hip problem? What age do they develop it?

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

Has he been screened? I know of dogs that have developed hip problems at a year old (one of them is a BC that is on crate rest for 6 weeks), you have to step up the mental stimulation to keep their brains active.

[hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman]

Epilepsy and eye conditions affect Border Collies too, not sure if it's the same for Australian Collies too?

[DoraMarstellar]

Well I'd be looking into why they want rid of him.
I'd also refuse to help anyone who wanted rid of an older dog to make way for a puppy. These people are BYBs and I certainly wouldn't be facilitating their behaviour.

[AMcoffeeLover]

He's not that old, 2 years 9 months. I think the main reason to give him away is his size, he's huge! Im 5ft 2 and he's just under my hip and very well built and muscular. At the moment they're in a terrace house with reasonable sized garden. I can offer more house and garden space with miles of fields and woodland on my doorstep. they want to keep the mum and a daughter...I don't know why but assume 2 females together will be better than a male and female (both with working breeding bits!)
I'll check about screening, didn't think of that.

[basildonbond]

If they've bred from him they will definitely have got his hip scores if they are responsible breeders in any way

You should ask to see all the results of his health tests

[DoraMarstellar]

Oh so they didn't realise how big he'd get. Yes that's a common excuse for getting rid of dogs. Arseholes. Why didn't they rehome the pup?? Oh yes - because it's a pup and it's cuter. Same old story.

Oh and two females is statistically WORSE than mixed sexes. But that won't bother them. Vile people.

[AMcoffeeLover]

I agree that a dog should be a life long commitment, but right now im looking at what's best for the male.
if I didn't have my boys I'd have him in a heart beat. the dog and my dogs have met this morning and all went well. Apparently his scores are good, but not seen any paper work to verify this.
Would it be good to have him over for a few days and see how it goes? I've never introduced dogs that could be living together, always got brothers as pups.
I've always had same sex and never encountered problems.....

[TeamSteady]

Do you know his KC name? If so you can look up his results online and make sure they are telling the truth that they've been done

[AMcoffeeLover]

Good idea......no I don't know his KC name....

[DoraMarstellar]

Yes plenty of people have same sex dogs without a problem.

However, in cases where two dogs in the same household fight badly enough that one ends up having to be re homed, in the vast majority of cases it's two bitches.

Generally, if two dogs fight (and scuffles are pretty common and normal and not necessarily a concern) they get over it and are friends again not long after and all is forgotten. Ditto a dog and a bitch.

Two bitches however - seem to tend to hold grudges!

[DoraMarstellar]

....and I agree that you'd do well to do as much digging as you can about this dog. People like these will lie about anything.

[TeamSteady]

See if you can find out today, before it goes any further. Let me know the name and I'll find out what I can

[AMcoffeeLover]

Have texted asking but yet to hear back

[AMcoffeeLover]

Apparently he's not KC registered..........
The problem is that I look at him and my heart melts. But I need to be smart about my decision.

[mrslaughan]

Yes you do, and I would say that you can't believe a word they tell you about him.
From your first post alarm bells were ringing , but now there's a whole lot jangling.....