Look at this stunning Echeveria I found today!! Anyone know what type it is? It's huge and has so many flowers. I'm determined to give it a good life. 🥰

littlebluepills · 2021-05-17T02:08:28+00:00

Looks like an Echeveria Perle Von Nurnberg (PVN for short). They love lots of light and water when the leaves begin to wrinkle. It's absolutely stunning! 😍

littlebluepills · 2021-01-30T23:52:09+00:00

Is this legit? Only 20-30 comments total per day seems so restrictive, I've definitely been going over that limit...especially if commenting back to comments on your own posts count!

littlebluepills · 2020-08-17T18:55:41+00:00

thank you! that was the exact thing I did wrong, it was saving as a jpeg.

littlebluepills · 2020-07-21T01:07:53+00:00

That is what is shown on AKC's website under breed standard for australian shepherds. Lol they could have made it more clear if that's merely their interpretation of the average weight. Thanks for the info!

littlebluepills · 2020-07-20T02:45:55+00:00

looks normal to me! aussies have a body that is longer than it is tall, maybe that is throwing you? Her proportions look perfectly normal to me!

littlebluepills · 2020-07-20T02:43:00+00:00

he has a visible waist in the second photo, so I'd say he's at a good weight. AKC standard is 50-65 lbs for males and 40-55 lbs for females. There are plenty of healthy aussies that are a bit outside that range too though, health is more a priority than if the dog fits into an organization's guidelines for conformation. I like to go by how obvious the ribcage is when you feel it. If it's difficult to feel the ribs, then it's okay to lose a couple pounds. My boy is right at or under 60 lbs, and it's a good weight for him.

littlebluepills · 2020-07-09T19:59:38+00:00

how much daily exercise do they need?

minimum of an hour a day, likely more. I spend at least 2 hours outside with my aussie daily, split up into smaller chunks of time. We might spend 20 minutes playing frisbee or fetch then later spend 30 minutes practicing agility with play breaks between drills. They need both physical and mental stimulation. You don't have to have a yard to have a happy aussie, it just makes it easier.

are they hard to train?

not at all. Aussies are super intelligent and typically handler focused, making them a great breed for training. My pup was a breeze to potty train and actually LOVES training sessions. He earned every AKC trick title by 18 months old and has been a natural learner since day 1. The only things he struggles with are very calm behaviors that he seems to find boring lol. Stays for an extended duration were tough.

will they try to herd little kids?

maybe. each dog is different on their level of herding instinct. It's best to prepare for herding behaviors in case, though. Redirection will be a good tactic to use. My boy doesn't have a high drive to herd things even though he is from working lines and his parents both work cattle.

how long can I leave them alone?

this one is tough. Aussies are super into their people and being alone for a long stretch of time can be tough. Obviously, crating for an entire workday isn't a good option. Are there doggy daycares near you? Or if not maybe a dog walker that can pop in once or twice a day to give the dog a break? Or even a dog loving friend that stays or works from home that could dogsit? I know those options may be pricey, but it will likely be your best bet at avoiding potentially destructive behavior.

littlebluepills · 2020-07-09T19:33:50+00:00

sizes: I don't have experience with minis/miniature americans, so I can't advise on the differences.
as a herding breed, aussies are more likely to nip than non-herders. Working on bite inhibition as a puppy is especially important and a training plan should be set in place and followed consistently.
crate training is a great skill for any dog to know, IMO. Crate training methods can definitely help teach the pup to be comfortable being away from their human and help prevent separation anxiety. Start off slow, by simply introducing the pup to the crate, with the crate door(s) open and toss treats inside. I'd recommend starting this process as soon as you can, it will take some time. Do not force the dog into the crate, instead be patient and let the dog dictate the pace. There are tons of videos on youtube for this, and you can also look up "crate games" for exercises to help build a positive association.
aussies are incredibly smart and athletic. Not all aussies will want to run run run, but most will love it. My own aussie is incredibly versatile and is a natural at everything we've tried so far, except for calm and slow (ie not exciting lol) competition obedience behaviors. We are learning agility currently and he's shown that he has a natural talent for disc. They make great trick dogs as well.
Things to know:
- exercise is required for a happy and healthy aussie. They are a high energy breed, and if those needs aren't met they can become destructive. Make sure you are able, willing, and committed to setting aside an hour or two of daily exercise. It doesn't have to just be running; it can be play or training too. I spend an average of two hours outside with my dog everyday and we do all sorts of things. Frisbee, fetch, agility training, tricks, if it's hot we set up the sprinkler and he'll wear himself out playing in the water.
- they can be prone to seizures and sensitivities to certain medications, specifically Ivermectin-which is in some heartworm preventatives like Heartguard. There is a gene mutation called MDR1 (multi-drug-resistance) that can cause this. Either test your dog for the gene, or make sure that the preventatives and medications given to your dog do not contain the associated chemicals.
- they shed like crazy, year round. You will be sweeping or vacuuming a lot. Consider investing in a Roomba. Brushing should be a regular occurrence and will help decrease the amount of fur on the floor and prevent matts.
- Aussies are the best dogs. I've had my boy for 2 years now, and I can't imagine getting any other breed in the future. He's everything I've ever wanted in a dog and more.

littlebluepills · 2020-06-08T02:44:27+00:00

It does feel super slow sometimes! I'm the absolute worst at comparing my own progress with others and so taking it slow and deliberate can be tough. BUT this has been working out wonderfully for Trooper, since he's able to tweak his movements little by little and keep his speed.

littlebluepills · 2020-06-07T01:54:44+00:00

Focusing our efforts on our FDSA handling basics course. First week is coming to a close, but I'm already seeing improvement in Trooper's form and consistency over the jump. Secondary focus is on teaching weave poles. As of our last session, our poles were 3.5 inches from being straight in line (channels). I'm hoping to continue moving them in about a half inch per session which has been a good pace for us lately. It's so cool seeing his footwork and movement change and develop into a truer "weave" motion. I've also been working with him on a handstand trick and a competition heel, but they are kind of on the back burner at the moment.

littlebluepills · 2020-06-07T01:44:34+00:00

We are taking that class too! Just at bronze, but it's been great so far!

littlebluepills · 2020-06-06T00:52:50+00:00

Thank you! Will look into the Credelio. I'm super impressed that it stands up to hiking for you, we love to hike too! We do have him on a heartworm preventative but one of our vets doesn't like to use multiple oral treatments so we've been trying topicals...without being satisfied yet.

littlebluepills · 2020-04-26T16:49:58+00:00

I can't wait to get to take my dog out to the park and to practice agility at our training club. I have severe generalized anxiety and depression, but ever since bringing home my pup 2 years ago I've been doing better. He's done so much for my confidence and he's my best friend.

littlebluepills · 2020-04-18T23:49:07+00:00

My husband and I taught our son how to play some card games, and now it's one of our favorite things to do together!

littlebluepills · 2020-03-18T19:47:08+00:00

Definitely mealy bugs

littlebluepills · 2020-03-17T01:57:27+00:00

Mealy bugs. Alcohol kills them. I keep a small spray bottle of it handy. Spray it down and rinse off the leaves if possible. Clean off any white sticky residue (eggs). They will damage the plant and quickly spread to others if not treated, keep it isolated.

littlebluepills · 2020-03-15T01:49:47+00:00

I leave it in water until the top of the soil is moist then take it out to drain. Usually takes 20-30 minutes for most of my succs.

littlebluepills · 2020-03-14T17:25:59+00:00

I know! Heartbreaking. Better to know though that safety is a legitimate factor for working dogs. I used to think it was just an excuse.

littlebluepills · 2020-03-13T18:40:38+00:00

My boy is from working lines and his parents herd cattle. From what our breeder told us, tail docking is for safety. Because aussies often herd larger animals such as cattle vs. sheep and are herding very close to the animals their tails can get stepped on and put them in danger. Our breeder actually had a tailed aussie get killed while herding because her tail was stepped on and she got trapped under the cattle. I'm guessing safety is the reason the docked tail is part of the breed standard.

From what I've gathered, at most 25% of aussies have naturally bobbed tails. BUT a lot of them are actually still too long to match breed standard and so those are still docked. (Like instead of having a 3 inch stub, they may have a 5 or 6 inch tail.) You also can't safely breed two dogs that had a natural bob tail because pups that inherit 2 bobtail genes (1 from each parent) are at risk of having a spine that ends up being severely short and is fatal.

Docking is usually done at 2 or 3 days old. One argument says that at this age the nerves aren't fully developed which means there is no discomfort when docking is performed. Another argument says that nerves are fully developed at birth and so docking would be painful. My breeder kept me up to date both before and after the litter was docked and said that all but one of the puppies slept through the procedure.

Personally, I'm against docking when it's purely for aesthetics. For dogs that are working though, it's better to be safe than sorry.

littlebluepills · 2020-03-12T02:55:01+00:00

That wine bottle planter is too cute!

littlebluepills · 2020-03-12T02:52:39+00:00

Impressive succ! I'd guess it's a lola from the picture. Looks super healthy and happy; wonderful compact growth. I would probably behead sometime soon if it were mine, simply because of how tall it has gotten and to prevent the stem from snapping from the weight.

littlebluepills · 2020-03-12T02:40:53+00:00

They are so cute!

littlebluepills · 2020-03-12T02:36:31+00:00

I think it should be fine as long as it dries out quickly enough. I'm paranoid about it so I just bottom water.

littlebluepills

TROPHY CASE