Gayle.

You'd be very hard pressed to pick the differences between Aussies, BC's and Koolies as pups. I don't think their features really set until they are fully grown, and a gangly legged Aussie with big floppy ears and a fuzzy topknot could just as easily be a coolie, a BC, or from behind could be mistaken for a collie rough. When Benson was around 4 months old, he looked for all the world like a black and tan GSD puppy for a couple of weeks. And was mistaken for one on a few occasions.

They are the same thing. I gave one away on here a few weeks ago as I hated it for the Aussies. I much prefer an Oster rake, which gets right into the undercoat and strips out the loose stuff. The Furminator seemed to just skim the topcoat and not remove much. The DOLer I gave it to has smooth collies, but I haven't heard how she's liking it. My Oster rake cost me around $30, my friend in Sydney got it for me from Classic Dog Supplies. They retail for about $80-100, so there's a huge markup on dog grooming equipment. I tend to think an Oster rake or a Mars Coat King would be more suited to the loger coat of a goldie.

The alternative is vigilance and being quick on your feet to whip puppy outdoors when he's about to piddle. We were also worn out and at our wits end after 5 nights of Bensons ear splitting barking. And yet now, as a 3yo, he'll happily go in a crate if I need him to.

Mine stay in the crate quietly, happily and cleanly. They certainly don't pee in there. I can give them a treat each when they're sharing a crate and they don't fight over it. At dog shows, they spend most of the day in a crate. A trip to a show is often 2 hours each way for us and they are crated in the car. They just lay down and sleep. Yes of course it is but only a fool (or someone who likes standing in piles of puppy poo) would let a puppy have the run of the living area, bedrooms, bathroom etc. Mine got confined to the living area during the day and the bedroom at night. While they're inside and being toilet trained, they don't go out of my sight. However, if I had litters of puppies, thinbgs might be very different.

Just because you don't crate train a puppy, doesn't mean the adult dog won't happily stay in a crate. I started crate training Benson when we brought him home but I gave up cos I couldn't stand the ear shattering, non-stop yelping. It was easier and more peaceful to have him out with us. I didn't bother with Dusty, in fact the crate had been packed away for months by the time we got her. Both of them will happily get in the crate in the car, at a dog show, at training....and stay there quietly. Those are the times I need them crated. We don't have crates in the house as I don't need them crated when we're at home. I still don't really understand the opening post. If you don't crate train, you just don't. You keep a careful eye on the puppy and be very aware of it's pre-toileting body language. You give the puppy it's own bed and encourage it to go there to sleep. You confine it to a small part of the house if it's an inside dog.

You don't buy a crate.

Nope. He was a tri colour. If they have the straw coloured hair around their bum, they are a tri, regardless of the lack of copper points.

Benson's best happy smily face (scary, isn't it???)

And you wouldn't want him to. Benson is such a delight with his sunny, happy ways. He hates the dogwash, but he submits to it and grins happily while I lather him up and rinse him off, and gobbles up treats as I give them to him. Miss Dusty, on the other hand, has definite views on that damn wash-monster and she lets us know how she feels in no uncertain terms. She is extremely unhappy about getting into it, and the expressions on her face are anything BUT sunny. As for treats, she just spits them out the side of her mouth. And this is a dog that LOVES treats. The last time we bathed her, my husband was practically on the ground rolling with laughter at the looks she was giving me. She is a sweet girl, but she definitely doesn't share Bensons optimistic view of the world and everything in it.

I can relate. I have a shepherd that hides behind his mummy's legs when he sees sheep.

Sounds like Benson. He's my big happy doofus, he's always got a grin on his face and everything is fun. He has such a fabulous temperament, and everyone is his very best friend. He is almost three. The only thing that's really calmed down as he's gotten older is the jump up on greeting (thank god!), but now he greets you with his whole body wiggling in absolute delight, even if he only saw you 5 minutes ago.

Part satellite dish judging by those ears! Cute little tacker.

Mine get mistaken for Border Collies all the time, but my daughters friend has a BC bitch and when she is with my two, the differences are distinct. Mine have bigger, broader heads with stubbier snouts. They are all over more solid, squarer and have a shorter coat with thicker feathering on their legs. The Aussies have rounder, more chunky feets and their ears are a lot smaller and sit tucked into the side of the head. Benson has a tail, althoug he is missing the white tip so he is actually a bobtail. Dusty doesn't have a tail and that's how I prefer Aussies to be (and I never thought I'd say that!) However, I can recall being at an obedience trial with Leopuppy one day and we met a black and white dog and we stood there wondering if it was a BC or an Aussie, then finding out it was an Aussie so we decided it was a bi-colour.....haha, then checking his bum and seeing he was actually a tri with no copper points! This'd be the expert Aussie owners with 4 (now 5) pedigree Aussies between them. So, it's easy to be confused.

Thank you. He's pretty unique with his dark features, and he's just the best boy ever. He has the nicest temperament of any dog I've ever met, and he's a real character.

I would agree with that. Not so much the show lines, but farm bred and byb border collies feature in large numbers in country pounds.

Aside from the larger ears and lack of white chest and toes, that dog could be Benson. The Hovawart os probably bigger, although it's hard to tell from a photo. So, if you like the look, an almost full black Australian Shepherd would be a good substitute.

Dusty does it occasionally. One of my previous little dogs used to do it a lot. It's like a reverse sneeze, it's harmless although the dogs seem to be a bit confused/scared by it.

I got my dogs a gorgeous chain martingale each for Christmas. The collar part is made of a double flat chain, then it's threaded with a single chain. Chrome plated and absolutely beautiful. I got them from a local pet store, they weren't cheap (about $38 each) but I expect they'll last their whole lives. I have used Rogz ones too, and they are excellent value for the money.

Benson loves apples and will steal them out of peoples bags. He also loves watermelon rind, in fact they both do but Dusty will eat a little bit, Benson will eat all of it. I buy pre-made kebabs from the butcher, they are threaded with pieces of capsicum between the meat, and I roast them in the oven. One night I was eating them and gave the dogs a bit of capsicum each. When my husband got home I gave him some, but he hates capsicum and stacked it in a pile on his plate ready for the bin. I told him to give the dogs it, one piece at a time as they loved it.....he couldn't believe his eyes when they gobbled up a piece each then came back for more! We used to have a cat that loved MacDonalds Junior burgers. My husband would buy one for her when we had Maccas for dinner, he'd unwrap it and put the burger on the paper. She would take the top off the bun, remove the pickle carefully with her paw then eat the meat patty first, then the bun.

Awwww, that's gorgeous. We have cats and dogs that play together too. The cats all live inside and when the dogs come in, they have to go find the cats and give them a "hello" smooch.

I agree. Why would you pay the same for a dog that's halfway through it's lifespan when you can get a new puppy for a similar price and have it for a lot longer?

Mine are always in the backyard when I leave for work and as I walk down the driveway to the garage they watch me go. I just wave and say "See ya when I get home, my gorgeous ones! You be good for mummy!" (neighbors puke right about then) and then I get in the car and drive off and they go do their doggy stuff for the day. I've never made a deal out of it, never tried to distract them with food or toys, just treated it as a normal part of the day.....which leaving for work is. They are fine. No sooking, no sad eyes, they just trot off and do whatever dogs do in the backyard all day. Play and sleep, I would think.

Does the little black boy have a name yet?

I would LOVE an entlebucher but I don't think there are any in Australia. The only Swiss Mountain dog that i'm aware of it the Bernese, but if there are the smooth coated varieties here, I would love to see one.

This one? http://www.greatdogsite.com/breeds/details/Markiesje/