Beth.

I answered no to all three, but when Lottie was around 5 months old she got localised demodex on her face, but thats all cleared up nicely now (thankfully!!!)

Awesome news Beth I can't wait to see how you guys go, Lottie is such a fantastic dog, with so much potential, you guys are going to be a force to reckon with :D Oh and it's my pleasure - I hardly did anything though! (apart from chat... and chatandchat which is totally unlike me :p ) Hehe, thanks Bec :D Oh and we're doing lots of tuggin now - and Lotties going CRAZY for it, hehehe!!!!!!!!!!! Hope Daisy is ok...

I thought i'd pop in to say (well i'm always reading and watching the links of your gorgeous dogs) that i'm starting on our journey of drive training I'm soooooo excited - I have high hopes for Lottie with obedience, I find it soooo fun/great working with her, but because i'm new to dog ownership etc I just need help understanding how to get the best out of herself and me!!!!!! Watch this space for videos of us training!!! She's such a great little dog and really puts in so much effort, I just love her to bits!!!!! Sorry, just had to share (and it's all thanks to Huski and BC4ME - they were so kind to me and really helped me along at training - I really appreciated that both of you!!!!!). With what they explained to me, and the massive difference in Lotties training I had to look into it more.....

Well this morning I had a surprise visit from my mum who was passing through, so we walked down the street and had some morning tea at a little cafe and Lottie came along. Then me and my flatmate just took the dogs for a BIG run through the fields - now we're just lounging around, but will take her out for another walk, maybe a little swim later - i'm going out tonight, then going to the Ekka tomorrow, so she won't be doing much then, hehe.

Here's Lottie after going for a swim in such a nice clean pond

If Lottie is inside with me she sleeps (and she's LLOOVVEESS her sleep ), but saying that, she's a busy little body - especially outside!! She's great at amusing herself, and now knows how to throw a toy and catch it herself - and she'll do zoomies with toys, play in the garden - but always pops in to see if i'm still around... If i'm doing things around the house or yard she's with me watching and 'helping' me!! She absolutely loves toys and playing, so if she has toys around she's happy all day!!!

Great pics!!! Lottie LLLOOOVVEESSS getting dirty - this was the result of a swim the other day...... She thought she was so clever as well..... I then had to find a CLEAN pond for her to swim in :p

I really don't like it when other dogs hump Lottie - my friends little Koolie humps her ALLLL the time and it's so annoying!! I'm constantly pulling him off!! My sisters dog Astro is funny - she can walk under Lottie (my aussie shep) and Dexta (my sisters other dog - Rotti) tummy and fit quite nicely and does it to get them to hump her . It is pretty funny to see - but I don't let it happen!!!!

With 3 Rottweilers (and 1 pug) I just don't want to know what they cost either. I think I will stick with you guys on this one I'm rediculous when it comes to Lottie - everytime I go out i'm always coming home with something new for her!!!! But in reality - maybe $100-150 a month on food, toys, worming - then the travelling too and from obedience (I often have to travel about an hour or so!!), and other things like that on top of that?? The joys of being a student and only having her in my life = SPOILT!!!!!!!!

I'm sorry you're still having troubles with Banjo . Sorry I don't have any advice, but I just want to say that you should be so proud of all you're doing with him!!!! And each time i've met him he's been such a well behaved boy!!! Hang it there , there's been lots of great advice here!! I feel the same as Lyndsay - it's sad your first Aussie has been a challange, but you're doing such great work with him!!!!! Good luck with it all, and hopefully we can catch up for another playdate in the future!!

She's sooooo BEAUTIFUL Are you showing her?? You take gorgeous photos as well!!!

Thats kindof the same with me - Lottie stays asleep till I'm good and ready to get up (i've trained her well ), this morning we both enjoyed sleeping in till 10.30 , but saying that, I didn't actually go to bed until like 1am - she had been sleeping most the night, but had a toilet break at 1 before we both went to sleep... When uni starts up again (next week), we'll be in bed by 10ish and up by 7/8 - and she doesn't wake up until I do, but if she needs to go, which is very rarely, she'll let me know :D . She knows if she annoys me she's straight outside, so she learnt quickly the way to stay in the house :D .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUR GORGEOUS AHSOKA!!!!! I must admit, I secretly stalk your beautiful photos of your furkids Have to say though - this photo reminds me of a Mad-hatters party out of Alice in Wonderland Sorry, i've just seen the new one, and I thought of it straight away!!!! I would also love the recipe for the cake in preperation for Lotties birthday

Good luck with it all!!! I'm hoping to see if Lottie can become a 'Delta Dog', as I really think she'd be great at it, so happy, friendly and confident!! I look forward to watching your journey

I thought i'd add my link up - I've been slack lately with videoing - but here is Lottie, my Australian Shepherd at around 8 and a half/9 months old - I just realised she's 10months old today . Anyway, there will be another one up tomorrow hopefully, and i'll try and make my page better... http://www.youtube.com/user/AussieShepLottie Sorry for those who have already seen it... but keep watching, there's more to come...

Hehe, I took Lottie herding the other weekend (2nd time), and although she showed lots of interest, she really wasn't sure quite what she was meant to be doing - she also went up to them and sniffed their bums like she would when meeting a dog :D . With more practice (both me and her), and with me researching on how the Aussies are 'supposed' to herd... i'm sure we'll get better....

I would not let lack of ANKC registration put me off. They can be registered in sporting or associate and do all of the activities she has listed. They certainly do very well in agility and are highly trainable dogs with good temperaments. I do not think as a rule Koolies meet the big and goofy description however. Sleek and sexy maybe! LOL If I were to look at koolies I would be asking for hip scoring on parents and eye exams on the parents and pups. Avoid double merle litters. Make sure they can hear. Double merle litters would be a problem in any breed. Koolie Club breeders would not breed a double merle litter. I am not aware of any Koolies having hip problems. A pup from a Koolie Club breeder is generally under $350. Some are big but I have not met a goofy one, although some do seem to have a definite sense of humour and like to play and tease. Certaionly fun to live with. I have not had an Aussie although I have friends who have a couple and I do not see much difference except tails and price and a guaranteed long coat. I have had a border collie who was a delight also but the koolie has more of an off switch. I have an Aussie and my friend has a Koolie and they are so very very very very very different it's unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!! So much more then just a tail and the price tag (and our price tag didn't vary that much ). Her Koolie is on the go 24 hours!!!! He is so over the top and crazy (he's a cutie though ), but definately nothing like any Aussie i've ever met. Just the difference when we're out at obedience. Lottie is happy to sit and watch and is very calm, while this little fella is so worked up barking and jumping around and just generally so distracted. He gets off-lead runs daily, with a few training sessions, and i've yet to see him 'turn off'. Not that there arn't other breeds like that, but I just thought i'd add that that in my experience with the koolies i've met, they are very different!!! He's definately hasn't been the easiest dog for my friend to bring up!! And I don't have anything against Koolies at all!! I just think theres individual differences, and research needs to be done into any breed

Thought I'd add a reply . I was always going to get a border collie - even to the point where I had started contacting breeders etc - then I heard about the Aussies, googled them (i'd never heard of them!!), I've always liked bigger dogs, which is the main reason I went with the Aussie... I live in a house with both a border collie (a farm bred dog) and my Aussie, and they both love to be on the go - all day if we allow!! They also LOVE playing together, and they chase and run and run some more.... I do find that my friends border,Tilly, (I rent with another couple uni students) is very very very attached to her owner, alot more so then Lottie is in a way - Lotties happy to go and say hello to everyone, where as Tilly is only really friendly with people she knows, and can be very reserved with others, and not nice with men (but this was more to do with her upbringing...). Both these dogs are great to live with - during the days they are outside dogs - Tilly does bark for attention, but as soon as you tell her to stop she does. Lottie, my aussie, is a very very easy dog to live with - she's not noisy, can leave outside, can be inside, can tether her up, can crate her, is lots of fun, constantly makes me laugh, is a real cuddle bum, is a real mummys girl, has lots of energy, loves working and is going really nicely with her obedience training!! she's also a very calm dog out and about, happy to just sit back and watch whats going on. She is my first dog, and I'm very lucky to have had such an easy first dog, it's made the experience alot of fun . My friend doesn't do agility, except for at parks, but if she did, boy would she be good!!! When Lotties at the age i'll be bringing her along with me, hehehe!!! I've been going to lots of agility trials lately, just checking out what it's like, and I have a friend who competes her Aussies and they are QUICK!!!! and very driven dogs!!! I agree with the comment that the Aussies are heavier and bigger, so this will be a disadvantage in the agility ring - I'm pretty sure Lottie will be in the highest category because she's a big girl!! I think if you do your research and find a good breeder, either breed is going to be great (I actually wouldn't be surprised if I own a border collie one day!!!). I love my flatmates border collie, she's a great dog, and I love Lottie (Just a little ) and they love each other, hehe!!

Thats soooo exciting Ptolomy!!! Congrats - can't wait to see pics!!!!! They definately are beautiful dogs!!! When I first got Lottie - I was a bit upset about her not having a tail (mainly because I was so upset by comments that people made to me Like I was a bad owner or something ), and I said i'd never get another without one (my sis also has a rotti, so we have 2 stumpy bums now ), but now that she's older and she's got sooooo much bum hair! people actually don't realise she doesn't have one, hehe, but my next aussie will be tail-less now as well, her little stumpy bum has grown on me, I love it!!! hehehe

Ok... My turn to vote... I vote Aussie (ok, a little Biased... hehe). I'll tell you a little about my girl - Lottie has been my first dog, I knew I wanted something active (as I love going for walks/beach/runs/adventures etc etc) and I had always thought i'd get a border collie... then one day a friend got an Aussie and I'd never heard of them, I googled them and saw some photos and I was hooked!!! I loved the merle colour and that was it - I set out to find a blue merle bitch, and I can tell you, it's the greatest thing i've ever done!!! I have been SOOOO lucky with Lottie, shes quiet - except when playing as someone else stated , I can leave her all day for uni, she knows that sleeping outside is ok as well (although this doesn't happen very often anymore ), is a very confident (has been since she was a baby) and happy girl, LOVES people - isn't reserved with new people at all really, loves all other dogs, is so very loyal to me, very smart (at only 8 months was in the top class at obedience), loves working and is such a dag!!! And she's just such a laid back dog - going to shows to watch she just sits and looks. she also LOVES watching the TV!!! hehehe. Well thats a little about her, but as others have said, do lots of research and you'll find a great new family member in either breed It's funny - the Toller is the dog that i'm really interested in as well, but I don't know too much about them!!! How can you not love this face... hehe

Hey Flick - There are two just up the road from my sisters house in Bracken Ridge - I don't know anything about them, but I drive past them all the time, hehe!! Maybe you could google them??

Hey everyone I was just wondering what programs people use to make a signature - i've been playing around, but i'm wanting to add a couple photos of just Lottie herself and not the background of the photo (if that makes sense :D ) Thanks!!!!!!

TerraNik - Your puppy is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!!! What a gorgeous little girl - sounds like she's going to be LOTS of fun!!! Yay Huski!! I'm so glad she worked better for you today - and yes third time lucky tomorrow - I'll be there watching (might even be stewarding in your ring, fingers crossed, hehe). Cya bright and early tomorrow morning

Thanks for the nice comments!!! I got together with some more Aussie owners today and got some lovely shots... This is Lottie (Blue Merle), Riff (Black tri) and Banjo (He's the other blue merle in these photos).

Me and my friend, Flick_Mac, got the dogs together for a play and a training session.... Here's some photos of the two of them playing... so cute!! Lottie is the blue merle and Banjo is the red tri - they're great friends!!!! Sooo innocent... our two gorgeous mismarks...