Welcome to Suburban Dingo!
What, you may ask, is a suburban dingo? This is...
This is Foster. He is my Australian Cattle Dog. Most people are not familiar with the breed. I wasn't until I met my fiancee. He is her dog and he has adopted me into his pack.
The ACD, as the breed is known, are herding dogs that were originally bred in Australia as the name would indicate to herd cattle. As a herding dog, they are agile, strong and very intelligent. They are a cross between an Australian Shepherd and the dingo. We're convinced Foster is all-dingo.
By their very nature, ACDs are very active dogs. They need stimulation. Constant stimulation. And because they are bred to herd, they are very smart. ACDs rank in the top 10 most intelligent dogs out there. Need for stimulation plus intelligence equals a serious mischief maker.
In the Wiki on the ACD, they describe the breed puppies as quite literally "puppies from hell". And will remain so for the first two years or so of their life. Foster as a 6 month puppy old ate my fiancee's dining room furniture. Not chewed it, ate it. Ate the cross-supports and most of the legs off of the chairs and the table. As pups, they have two modes: 90mph and comatose. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Most people who adopt ACD pups have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. We've run into two folks at various local pet stores with ACDs and we've been asked both times "Do they ever stop?".
No, they don't. Foster just turned seven and he's still a hellion.
As adults, they are amazing dogs. Persistence and stubbornness are typical. They need to kept occupied. If you don't, they will occupy themselves. Often not in the way you think. If they feel a need to chew on something and you don't provide it, they will happily and sneakily, wander off to find something that suits them. Like your shoes or pillows from the couch. And then proceed to skin them into neat pieces for later discovery. When they say an ACD will happily strip the fuzz from a tennis ball like we would peel an orange, they aren't kidding. I've seen Foster do it.
Remember, these dogs are smart. Foster remembers where he puts stuff for safe keeping even months later. He knows what drawer his treats are in. And the box they are stored in. And the freezer where his frozen treats are. And he knows which ones we are talking about when we ask him. All we have to ask him is, "What do you want?" and he'll run over to whichever he is wanting. Usually the drawer. If the drawer is empty and we say "Go to the box.", he'll beat us out of the room.
Which comes to the breed's primary role. Have you ever been herded? It's quite fun, actually. If he wants you to see something, he'll walk in that direction and when you don't come, stop, turn towards you, murf like "Come on, this way, dummy!" and wait for you to follow. If you don't follow, he'll run up beside you and woof, gesturing his head like "Get going!" and urge you to walk with him. Failing that, he'll get aggressive and pounce at your feet or even nip at your heels.
Life with an ACD is never boring. In fact, I highly recommend borrowing one from a friend if you are ever thinking of having children. If you can manage life around the schedule of a young ACD, you'll be prepared for life with a 2 year old. Better even. Two year olds wear themselves out faster. Foster operates on 15 to 30 minute cycles. Rest, play, rest, play, rest, play, all day long. If you can live a month with a cattle dog, you can handle kids. Foster is available for rent at reasonable rates.
And like kids, they'll deny any trouble they cause. Ever think a 60+ pound dog could move silently up a flight of creaky stairs and you'll never hear a thing? This same dog who bounds up and down them like a mini earthquake can disappear out of sight without a sound better than any cat burglar. He does it when he knows he would be in trouble for what he is about to do. Want to run up to greet Grandma or bark at the mailman? He's a thundering herd. When he knows there is chicken bones in the trash? Silent as a thief. We'll often look up and ask, "Where's the dog?". Odds are he snuck upstairs when we thought he was sleeping soundly behind the bed to get into mischief. And when you catch him red-pawed, it is "No, I was just investigating this mess, Dad." and give you his most innocent puppy face.
Most dogs have only one of these traits. ACDs have them all. In spades. The only time a cattle dog isn't causing trouble is when he's asleep in front of you. Rest assured, give him 30 minutes or an hour and that'll change.
That, my friends, is a suburban dingo.
So what is this blog about?
It is a companion blog. I want to keep my 2nd Amendment and gun rights issues separate. This blog will be devoted more to the personal and topics unrelated to guns and the like. I have a deep interest in other topics besides guns and that includes computer technology. I have been working with computers since I was a child, I am a big Open Source user and would like to devote some space to such issues.
And to my life with my fiancee and give Foster his 15 minutes of fame.
So enjoy, sit back and welcome aboard!
What, you may ask, is a suburban dingo? This is...
This is Foster. He is my Australian Cattle Dog. Most people are not familiar with the breed. I wasn't until I met my fiancee. He is her dog and he has adopted me into his pack.The ACD, as the breed is known, are herding dogs that were originally bred in Australia as the name would indicate to herd cattle. As a herding dog, they are agile, strong and very intelligent. They are a cross between an Australian Shepherd and the dingo. We're convinced Foster is all-dingo.
By their very nature, ACDs are very active dogs. They need stimulation. Constant stimulation. And because they are bred to herd, they are very smart. ACDs rank in the top 10 most intelligent dogs out there. Need for stimulation plus intelligence equals a serious mischief maker.
In the Wiki on the ACD, they describe the breed puppies as quite literally "puppies from hell". And will remain so for the first two years or so of their life. Foster as a 6 month puppy old ate my fiancee's dining room furniture. Not chewed it, ate it. Ate the cross-supports and most of the legs off of the chairs and the table. As pups, they have two modes: 90mph and comatose. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Most people who adopt ACD pups have no idea what they've gotten themselves into. We've run into two folks at various local pet stores with ACDs and we've been asked both times "Do they ever stop?".
No, they don't. Foster just turned seven and he's still a hellion.
As adults, they are amazing dogs. Persistence and stubbornness are typical. They need to kept occupied. If you don't, they will occupy themselves. Often not in the way you think. If they feel a need to chew on something and you don't provide it, they will happily and sneakily, wander off to find something that suits them. Like your shoes or pillows from the couch. And then proceed to skin them into neat pieces for later discovery. When they say an ACD will happily strip the fuzz from a tennis ball like we would peel an orange, they aren't kidding. I've seen Foster do it.
Remember, these dogs are smart. Foster remembers where he puts stuff for safe keeping even months later. He knows what drawer his treats are in. And the box they are stored in. And the freezer where his frozen treats are. And he knows which ones we are talking about when we ask him. All we have to ask him is, "What do you want?" and he'll run over to whichever he is wanting. Usually the drawer. If the drawer is empty and we say "Go to the box.", he'll beat us out of the room.
Which comes to the breed's primary role. Have you ever been herded? It's quite fun, actually. If he wants you to see something, he'll walk in that direction and when you don't come, stop, turn towards you, murf like "Come on, this way, dummy!" and wait for you to follow. If you don't follow, he'll run up beside you and woof, gesturing his head like "Get going!" and urge you to walk with him. Failing that, he'll get aggressive and pounce at your feet or even nip at your heels.
Life with an ACD is never boring. In fact, I highly recommend borrowing one from a friend if you are ever thinking of having children. If you can manage life around the schedule of a young ACD, you'll be prepared for life with a 2 year old. Better even. Two year olds wear themselves out faster. Foster operates on 15 to 30 minute cycles. Rest, play, rest, play, rest, play, all day long. If you can live a month with a cattle dog, you can handle kids. Foster is available for rent at reasonable rates.
And like kids, they'll deny any trouble they cause. Ever think a 60+ pound dog could move silently up a flight of creaky stairs and you'll never hear a thing? This same dog who bounds up and down them like a mini earthquake can disappear out of sight without a sound better than any cat burglar. He does it when he knows he would be in trouble for what he is about to do. Want to run up to greet Grandma or bark at the mailman? He's a thundering herd. When he knows there is chicken bones in the trash? Silent as a thief. We'll often look up and ask, "Where's the dog?". Odds are he snuck upstairs when we thought he was sleeping soundly behind the bed to get into mischief. And when you catch him red-pawed, it is "No, I was just investigating this mess, Dad." and give you his most innocent puppy face.
Most dogs have only one of these traits. ACDs have them all. In spades. The only time a cattle dog isn't causing trouble is when he's asleep in front of you. Rest assured, give him 30 minutes or an hour and that'll change.
That, my friends, is a suburban dingo.
So what is this blog about?
It is a companion blog. I want to keep my 2nd Amendment and gun rights issues separate. This blog will be devoted more to the personal and topics unrelated to guns and the like. I have a deep interest in other topics besides guns and that includes computer technology. I have been working with computers since I was a child, I am a big Open Source user and would like to devote some space to such issues.
And to my life with my fiancee and give Foster his 15 minutes of fame.
So enjoy, sit back and welcome aboard!
1 comment:
Guy I used to work with had one of those; his used to like catching and eating cats. He would pop their necks, and then chow down on them, even crunching and eating the bones. I think the dingo genes were strong in him...
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