🐕 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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🐺 Siberian Husky
Temperament
Friendly, outgoing, mischievous. Huskies aren't protective and make terrible guard dogs (they greet thieves like family). They're famously vocal — howling, "talking", whining — but rarely bark. Independent, not eager to please.
Exercise
120+ minutes of vigorous daily exercise — running, scootering, bikejor, sled-style work. Huskies were bred to pull a sled all day; they cannot be exercised enough by walking. Never trust a Husky off-lead in an unfenced area — recall is famously unreliable.
Grooming
Heavy double coat. Brush 2–3× weekly, daily during the two annual coat blow seasons (when they shed enormously). Self-cleaning coat — bathe only every 8–12 weeks. Never shave a Husky — the coat insulates against heat and cold.
Health
Generally robust. Watch for: hip dysplasia, eye disorders (cataracts, PRA, juvenile cataracts), zinc-responsive dermatosis, hypothyroidism. Lifespan averages 12–14 years.
Full Siberian Husky profile →
