🐕 Australian Shepherd
Temperament
Smart, eager, devoted, sometimes reserved with strangers. Aussies bond closely with their family and often have a "one-person" preference. Without enough work they herd children, cats, and bicycles.
Exercise
90–120 minutes of daily structured exercise plus mental work. Excels at agility, herding trials, dock diving, scent work. Long off-lead hikes are ideal.
Grooming
Medium-long double coat. Brush 2–3× weekly, daily during moult. Bathe every 6–8 weeks. Light trimming around feet and ears.
Health
MDR1 drug sensitivity (DNA test essential — many common drugs are dangerous to MDR1+ Aussies). Hip and elbow dysplasia. Eye conditions (CEA, cataracts). Epilepsy in some lines. Avoid breeding two merles (double-merle puppies are often deaf and blind).
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🐕🦺 German Shepherd
Temperament
Intelligent, confident, courageous. GSDs are aloof with strangers (not aggressive, just reserved) and intensely bonded to their family. They need clear leadership and consistent training from puppyhood — without it, their natural watchfulness can tip into reactivity.
Exercise
A solid 90–120 minutes of daily exercise plus mental work. They thrive on jobs: obedience, scent work, agility, schutzhund, herding. A bored Shepherd will redecorate your house. Puppies must avoid forced exercise and stairs to protect developing hips.
Grooming
Double coat sheds constantly (the breed is sometimes called "German Shedder"). Brush 3–4× weekly with a deshedder, daily during seasonal moults. Bathe every 6–8 weeks. Avoid clipping the coat — it functions as climate control year-round.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia (the breed is genetically predisposed; always check OFA / BVA scores of parents). Degenerative myelopathy (DNA test available). Bloat / GDV — feed twice daily, slow feeders, limit exercise around meals. Pancreatic insufficiency in some lines.
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