>>22852258>>22852267i adopted a dog that is half aussie shepherd and she is absolutely nuts, as is every single other one i see out in the neighbourhood being walked. they are very often surrendered by families who cannot keep up with them. they are not suited to life in suburbia or the city unless you want to train them out of everything they are bred to do, which is insane when you really think about it.
get an aussie if you
a) have a farm WITH LIVESTOCK
B)have all day to stay at home with it and keep it company so it doesn't destroy everything you own
you really don't need to train them how to herd livestock too much, a friend of mine moved next door to a dairy farm with his dog that had only seen suburbia, and it knew how to herd the cows the first time she saw them. they are essentially a meat machine that only wants to herd and defend livestock.
they also stick to you, they sit ON you, always need to touch you, always vocalizing. basically if you are easily annoyed never get one.
i find the best thing with mine is playing tug, she is tired from 15 minutes of that, vs more than an hour and a half of fetching balls at the baseball diamond.
>>22852248 (OP)op get a lab. for a first time dog owner, it's the best idea. also from a breeder, with good lines. good dogs come from good breeding, same as people. don't let anyone tell you different. and don't spay or neuter them, it makes all bad behaviours worse, causes cancer and a myriad of other health problems the vets can charge you to treat later on.