Welcome Home Mykelti!!! (Baby Australian Shepherd)

[starryeyedtiger]

On Wednesday March 23, my boyfriend and I (along with our 1 yr old Aussie, Ranger) all made a trip up to Missouri to visit Ranger's breeder! (Our vet didn't want our other pup Macy traveling with her heart condition, so my sister and her kids puppy-sat her). I had been thinking about adding another pup for several months now, but I wanted to wait until my first two pups had a very solid training foundation first. I didn't want to announce anything prior because I wasn't 100% I was coming home with one unless I found one that fit all of the temp./aptitude testing for therapy work. Thankfully, we were blessed and found the perfect little pup!

The breeder we use is absolutely wonderful and gave me pick of her pups since she knew I would be using any new little addition for therapy work! I spent hours temp/aptitude testing all of the puppies there, and sweet Mykelti just fit the bill! My sweet Aussie, Ranger passed his therapy certification test the Sunday prior; we were waiting to see how he preformed on that before we went to get a second Aussie to train for therapy work. I hope that with proper training and lots of work, this sweet little one follow in Ranger's footsteps and bring a lot of joy and happiness to the lives of others!

I have already begun training her a bit and she will be starting classes soon at the facility where I train Macy & Ranger. She is very outgoing and friendly, and when I temp./aptitude tested her, she was just a perfect fit for our family! We love her soo much already! Little Mykelti was the first puppy our breeder sent me pictures of before our trip, and she wound up being the pup with the absolute best personality! Once our other pup Ranger gave her "his approval", we knew it was ment to be and we took her home! I'm looking foward to seeing her grow into a wonderful dog!

My other furbabies absolutely adore her so far too! She gets along very well with Ranger and Macy, and I've also been slowly introducing her to the kitties to make sure that she learns to respect them

In a bit of a side note, one of the things that really melted my heart a bit was learning that Mykelti was born on the exact same day as Ranger was one year prior (January 27th).

(Mykelti is a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd with white/tan points. She will be 8 weeks old in a few days!)


Little thing weighed 8lbs when we weighed her at the local feed store yesterday. :)

 

[capt_jordi]

ITS SO FLUFFY!!!!!

Sorry I couldnt resist! I am in love with your puppy! I love aussies when they are properly trained! They are great dogs!
There is one on CL that I have been trying very hard to talk Gary into but its not working!

 

[Asteria]

Awwww!

What a cutie!

Like I told you, I love Aussies.

I love Border Collies, too, basically the whole herding group.

(I have a border collie mix.)

Mykelti has such a sweet expression. Now you'll have to edit your siggy!

 

[-_aj_-]

She is gorgeous

!!! I love the energy these dogs have and willingness to learn very smart dogs

 

[addiebee]

Gotta keep 'em busy tho'.... they need to be "working"... but it looks like you already have one so you know what I'm talking about.

 

[denice]

She is a cutie. I love the blue merle coloring.

 

[miagi's_mommy]

He is adorable!

I can't wait to watch him grow up!

AddieBee - she already has an Aussie so she knows what they are all about.

 

[starryeyedtiger]

Originally Posted by capt_jordi

ITS SO FLUFFY!!!!!

Sorry I couldnt resist! I am in love with your puppy! I love aussies when they are properly trained! They are great dogs!
There is one on CL that I have been trying very hard to talk Gary into but its not working!

Ahh I know! I'm having a hard time not squishing the fluffy puppy 24/7!

Australian Shepherds are some of the most amazing dogs around in my opinion (this is my third!). The key with Aussies just like any other breed is to train early and train often. You HAVE to be the Alpha with them; they are wickedly intelligent and will learn quickly, but they need to respect their place in the pack otherwise you can develop issues.

If I remember right, you're in Tennessee aren't you? If your family and you eventually agree on an Aussie and want to seek a reputable breeder, pm me! Ours is wonderful!

(Please try to refrain from going the CL route...there are a LOT of BYB selling their dogs on there and you just don't know what to expect with temp or health in those dogs.)

Originally Posted by Mollysmom

Awwww!

What a cutie!

Like I told you, I love Aussies.

I love Border Collies, too, basically the whole herding group.

(I have a border collie mix.)

Mykelti has such a sweet expression. Now you'll have to edit your siggy!

Thankyou! I definitely need to make a new siggy soon! (I'm not very good at them, so it might take a while

)

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

She is gorgeous

!!! I love the energy these dogs have and willingness to learn very smart dogs

Thankyou!! We are soo in love with her!

The Aussie drive is one of my favorite things about them! I LOVE a dog that I can do stuff with! Mine are very active

Originally Posted by AddieBee

Gotta keep 'em busy tho'.... they need to be "working"... but it looks like you already have one so you know what I'm talking about.

No worries, we are a very active household! I train and exercise my pups multiple times a day

This is my third Aussie, so I definitely feel very comfortable with that breed and love the energy and intelligence they present. Right now Ranger does Obedience, Agility, and Therapy work. (He's passed Puppy, Intermediate, Advanced Obedience as well as his CGC & PPSAT tests; we definitely stay active!) Next week he will be starting Rally-O, so I'm very excited about that!! Macy has some congenital heart defects, so while I'm not able to do as much with her, we still are very active in Obedience. Little Mykelti will be starting classes this coming Saturday and she will hopefully follow in Ranger's footsteps! I'm also debating conformation with her, but I haven't decided yet. I definitely think that the key to sharing a peaceful home with dogs of any breed is to train early and train often. I believe that training continues throughout their entire lifespan...not just a 6 week period.

Originally Posted by Denice

She is a cutie. I love the blue merle coloring.

Thankyou! I love her coat pattern too! She has some very delicate cream/tan points on her...I think the color will really start to pop a bit as she ages. Her momma and daddy were GORGEOUS!

Originally Posted by Miagi's_Mommy

He is adorable!

I can't wait to watch him grow up!

Thankyou!! We are all in love with her! My other two dogs absolutely dote on her too; they think that she's their baby!

 

[starryeyedtiger]

Sweet little Mykelti posing for a picture

Ranger watching over little Mykelti

(Macy was sitting beside me when I took this...she is never more than a few feet away from that puppy; Macy and Ranger adore her!)


Sleepy baby girl


Learning how to walk on a loose leash

I found a little "stuffed animal" sleeping in the pillows on my couch!


Mykelti thinks the big stuffed puppy is her mommy

Sleepy puppy snuggled up with her favorite teething frog toy

 

[kailie]

Oh wow, she is absolutely beautiful!!!

Welcome home little one!

 

[cococat]

I am glad you are happy about your new puppy. There is nothing like adding a new puppy to the family. I wondered these things and since you seem so open I thought I would go ahead and just ask.

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

She will be 8 weeks old in a few days!

A few days? The breeder let her go before 8 weeks? Interesting, that is against the law even in some states, and for good reasons.

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

I'm also debating conformation with her, but I haven't decided yet.

Her and Ranger's parents were shown in conformation?

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

I didn't want to announce anything prior because I wasn't 100% I was coming home with one unless I found one that fit all of the temp./aptitude testing for therapy work.
I spent hours temp/aptitude testing all of the puppies there, and sweet Mykelti just fit the bill!

I'm glad your happy. For future reference it is a good idea to not just test one day in one chunk but to test over different time periods and different days and as you know it is also equally important to have a good breeder who can match up the best home for the best pup and their future to be taking notes, temperament testing, and such from the beginning.

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

My sweet Aussie, Ranger passed his therapy certification test the Sunday prior

Huge congrats!

Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

In a bit of a side note, one of the things that really melted my heart a bit was learning that Mykelti was born on the exact same day as Ranger was one year prior (January 27th).

It is special they share the same birth date.

 

[starryeyedtiger]

I am glad you are happy about your new puppy. There is nothing like adding a new puppy to the family. I wondered these things and since you seem so open I thought I would go ahead and just ask.

A few days? The breeder let her go before 8 weeks? Interesting, that is against the law even in some states, and for good reasons.

Absolutely, I don't mind answering questions. Mykelti turned 8 weeks old yesterday on the 27th (She was born on January 27th). Keep in mind that I have quite a bit of experience as far as dogs and training go; I worked around dogs/pups for a number of years through various organizations, SAR training, and also as a vet tech for AC. We are very proactive dog owners and train often in our area. Our breeder is a wonderful lady that is truly in it to further the breed; she will not let her pups go to just anyone. She knows us well and knew we were looking for another potential therapy dog. She gave me first pick of all pups for that reason. If she knows a pup is going to be trained for any kind of work (Herding, SAR, Therapy, etc... she gives those owners priority and screens very well).

The 8-10 week stage of development is very important in puppies and is an ideal time to bring a potential working pup home. (Provided that they are fully weaned, healthy, and ready to go; each situation is unique) This 8-10 week period is especially important if it is going to be potentially used for therapy work. That 8-10 week age period is where they learn fear imprinting; that's something that can make an exceptional dog or set one up for a lifetime of issues. As the handler, I prefer to have control of her environment during this time and to make sure that what exposure she has is healthy, and very positive. This breed thrives when it has a job to do and the key to a happy Aussie is to train early and to train often. Mykelti has been appropriately transitioned and raised in good conditions from day one as has Ranger. We took her home just a few short days before she hit the 8 week mark simply because we had to pick a day when everyone was off of work and could make a trip (she had long since been weaned and worked with very early on by her breeder, so she was definitely ready. I would never do anything that would compromise a pups safety or health; that is my first priority).

Her and Ranger's parents were shown in conformation?

Ranger and Mykelti have different parents. They are from the same breeder, not the same four-legged parents. As far as Aussies go, I prefer 1/2 working lines and 1/2 show lines because it really mellows out the temp. a bit in my experience. I am NOT a fan of line breeding for the most part, so that's another reason I like their breeder; she doesn't do it. While line breeding can serve a good purpose, it can also continually breed in genetic defects and other issues, and that is just not something to compromise on in my opinion.

Anways, Ranger's daddy was from show lines, his momma was Las Rocosa herding lines. Mykelti's daddy is Las Rocosa, her momma is from show lines. I've met all four parents as well as all of the other dogs at the kennels...they are wonderful dogs: even temp, healthy, exercised often, raised in their home around people/other animals, well trained,etc. These dogs are very loved and treated as members of the breeders family. As a responsible owner, I do not just look at the pups; I look at how they are raised, the condition of the kennels and other dogs, health checks, and how much interaction they have with the family/etc.

I'm debating on showing Mykelti as she gets a little age to her more for the learning experience and the fun of it more than anything. It would be another activity to further her training and increase our bond. We are already active with Ranger in Agility, Obedience, and Therapy (and about to start Rally-O among a few other things). I view these different activities as a fantastic way to bond and to develop a more well-rounded dog. My only hold out on conformation with Mykelti is the spay issue. I will not be breeding her, so I will want to spay her eventually. If I show her in conformation, I will have to wait and spay her after we stop, so right now it's just something to think about. A lot of the people who train at the facility where my dogs go show their dogs. It's definitely something I'm interested in at this point (I would stick to local shows/events if I chose to do so, nothing too major that would involve a lot of travel or money; like I said, I'm more interested in it for the learning/bonding experience.).

I'm glad your happy. For future reference it is a good idea to not just test one day in one chunk but to test over different time periods and different days and as you know it is also equally important to have a good breeder who can match up the best home for the best pup and their future to be taking notes, temperament testing, and such from the beginning.

While I do agree with testing over a span of time (preferably 2,4,6, and 8 weeks of age) the issue with multiple trips/testing in this situation was the distance. Our breeder is in Missouri and we are in Tennessee. (I have health issues that make travel very difficult, so road trips are not easy for us.) The breeder and I both are very experienced in dog temp./aptitude testing, so that was very helpful!(I stick with the training/testing techniques promoted by The Monks of New Skete). Our breeder has kept logs of each pup from day one so I had that to go by in addition to the temp/aptitude testing I did on my own with each pup. I also talked at length with the co-founder of our therapy affiliate before I left, so we definitely went there with a game plan and specific things in mind. This isn't my first pup, no worries.

Huge congrats!

It is special they share the same birth date.

Thank you! We absolutely adore her and she is fitting in very well here!!

I definitely had to smile when the breeder mentioned her birthdate.

I had already done all of the temp/aptitude testing at that point and was filling out the paperwork when I learned they had the same birthday! I had already made the decision that she was the perfect pup for the line of work I wanted and marked her as my first pick, so that just reaffirmed it in my heart that she was meant to be in our family when I learned about the birthdays!

 

[cococat]

Dogs are a subject near and dear to my heart as I also play soccer dog mom and train and title dogs/puppies and enjoy every single minute of it. Thanks for not getting offended over simple questions, now I understand more so where you are coming from. I also have some ideas about things that work for me and the puppies/dogs I teach.
I look forward to hearing the brags as she grows and also with Ranger and his work. Glad you are connected with a good club. A good dog club is something very special. I have lived in different states and different cities and always am involved in dog clubs, but it is really a great and comfortable feeling (for both dogs and owners) when you find one that you really connect with and feel at home.

 

[-_aj_-]

The MIL got her collie at 8 weeks it was boxng day 3 years ago and helearnt so quickly right and wrong from what ive heard from other collie owners its the best age to get them at 8 weeks

Blue Merles are my favs im sooo jealous of you

the new pics are fab!

 

[starryeyedtiger]

Originally Posted by cococat

Dogs are a subject near and dear to my heart as I also play soccer dog mom and train and title dogs/puppies and enjoy every single minute of it. Thanks for not getting offended over simple questions, now I understand more so where you are coming from. I also have some ideas about things that work for me and the puppies/dogs I teach.
I look forward to hearing the brags as she grows and also with Ranger and his work. Glad you are connected with a good club. A good dog club is something very special. I have lived in different states and different cities and always am involved in dog clubs, but it is really a great and comfortable feeling (for both dogs and owners) when you find one that you really connect with and feel at home.

I don't take offense at all; from what I remember your pretty active with your Dobermans, so questions from other responsible dog owners are more than welcome.

It's our job to be good ambassadors for our breeds! It's definitely important to have a good training facility/etc and other experienced people that you can really work with. The facility we go to and the trainers are worth their weight in gold in my opinion! Ranger and Macy go there, and Mykelti will start next week. My friend and her German Shepherd go there, and my sister Kimmy has both of her pit puppies going there as well. We all LOVE it there!

(Our therapy affiliate actually does a lot of training there too; it's such a great facility!)

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

The MIL got her collie at 8 weeks it was boxng day 3 years ago and helearnt so quickly right and wrong from what ive heard from other collie owners its the best age to get them at 8 weeks

Blue Merles are my favs im sooo jealous of you

the new pics are fab!

I'm a little partial to the blue merle Australian Shepherds as well...if you couldn't tell already

There's actually a REALLY cool website that breaks down all of the genetic coloration in the Aussies, and explains the coloration/patterns. (I'm sure it'd be similar for some other breeds as well) Let me know if you want the link!

 

[-_aj_-]

that would be great thank you so much would be nice to read about

Smokey's

pattern, an amazing dog that learnt tricks up untill the day he passed

 

[mbjerkness]

Congratulations she is beautiful.

 

[my4llma]

Mykelti is beautiful

 

[miagi's_mommy]

She is precious.

Sorry I called her a he before.

 

[catbehaviors]

She is so adorable!!

I love Australian Shepherds... they are so adorable.

Welcome home Mykelti!!