# Aussie/Lab/Pit Bull mix?



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

What do you think of a puppy mixed w/ those 3? DH says he is worried about the PB part around the kids,, w/ their reputation. I have been reading a lot of Cesar Milan's stuff regarding his PB Daddy,so I am not worried. 
They are actually 1/2 Aussie. 14/lab,1/4 PB. I am basically looking for a dog for ME, as the other 2 dogs are the kids'. Do you think this mix would be a good watch dog,easily trainable?


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Yes I do! Aussie will make him/her smart and easy to train. Lab will make him/her goofy and lovable. Pit Bull will make him/her sweet and protective.


----------



## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

Did you ever watch Our Gang? Petey was a pit bull. They are great with people, just not always with other animals. It's the Aussie I would worry about. Those dogs need a master and a job. In animals, intelligence is like dynamite. Very destructive unless properly directed.

Tell your hubby don't worry, the pit will mellow out the Aussie.  Sounds like a fun mixture. It should be easily trainable. I'm not sure about a good natural watch dog, pits and labs will generally beat an intruder to death with their tails, while Aussies bark their heads off. But a bark from a big dog is all you need and it is an easy thing to train.

Basically, meet the parents. I can only give generalities about breeds. Do you like the parents?


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

Thanks for the input! I was going to go meet the pups today,when DH nixed the idea on the basis of the 1/4 Pitt,and all the stories on the news you see. I ams a MAJOR Little Rascals fan from WAY back,too!  I suppose the best thing to do is to go meet the actual parents,but I feel bad,having called the woman back & telling her hubby said "NO!" based on the Pitt Bull. I truly believe it is all in how you raise & socialize the pup w/ the family, but I am also wary of dogs that are a little nutty due to bad breeding. I am basically looking for a good farm dog that is a good watch dog,good with the kids. I wonder if I should hold out for a GSD mix,as I have really been wanting? I am not concerned w/ pedigrees,just a good,intelligent,loyal,brave,reliable dog that I can trust around my 3 kids (ages 13,5 & 17 months). I think my Ideal dog would be a GSD/Golden mix,actually. I really admire both dogs,I sure wish I could find one!!


----------



## Otter (Jan 15, 2008)

Go and meet the parents.

The perfect mix is hard to come by. And while Goldens and GSDs are very popular dogs, they have a lot of health problems. The closer a dog is to "God did it" the healthier it generally is. You have a very good chance of getting a good farm dog with this mix, unless you're looking to do something incredibly specific like herding trials.

Speaking as someone who worked with lots of dogs, and as a groomer (and if you want to know about a dogs temperament, shave his xx) I was never once worried working with a pit bull. Now if someone brought in a Dalmatian or a cocker, I would just get out a muzzle, as I knew I would likely need it at some point, but people let their kids run right up to those dogs. Popular perception is not reality.

_and please Dal and cocker people don't jump on me._


----------



## Rouen (Aug 19, 2004)

Kstornado11 said:


> I was going to go meet the pups today,when DH nixed the idea on the basis of the 1/4 Pitt,and all the stories on the news you see.


You hear about it _so often_ because it's not that common. you dont hear about every car accident that happens because they are so common. and the reporters can over dramatize(A APBT bites it's a mauling, a lab bites it's a nip) the situation because of the bull and terrier heritage.
according to http://www.atts.org/stats1.html APBT's(84.3%) rank higher temperment stability than Goldens(84.2%) and GSDs(83.5%)


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

Otter said:


> Go and meet the parents.
> 
> The perfect mix is hard to come by. And while Goldens and GSDs are very popular dogs, they have a lot of health problems. The closer a dog is to "God did it" the healthier it generally is. You have a very good chance of getting a good farm dog with this mix, unless you're looking to do something incredibly specific like herding trials.
> 
> ...



OMG I cannot STAND Dalmations OR Cocker Spaniels,I think they suffered the "fad" dog syndrome,the Dals from 101 Dalmations,the Cockers from Lady & The Tramp, and I have been bitten & attacked by BOTH!! My cousin had a Dal who CONSTANTLY humped my leg,non-stop,uncontrolably... it was horrible,the dog was obviously NOT right in the head.


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Actually look at it this way, 1/4 pit is 25% pit. The most that will do is add muscle and if the ancestor was pure pit then it will make the dog be smaller. True pit bulls are 50 lbs or less, anything over that has mastiff ancestry in there somewhere no matter what some people say. It will mellow out the Aussie. I highly prefer pits over Aussies. I cannot stand the hair...my wife has one and mother in law has 5!

Don't get anything with GSD in it. Prone to hip problems or mental problems. Shed a lot and can have problems with food.


----------



## Beaners (Feb 23, 2005)

Haha, I'd be more worried about the lab percentage than the pit percentage. Labs are downright goofy until they get to be two or three years old, and are more likely to hurt a child by being boisterous than a pit is likely to bite. Give me a choice between a lab puppy and a pit puppy, and I'd pick the pit every time.

That said...I don't know if I'd want an aussie mix with children unless you are going to have a ton of time on your hands to train it. I know you have a little one (isn't he almost two now?) and I'd be worried that I just wouldn't have time for the constant training that a young puppy with that heritage would require.

But I would check out the puppies and the parents before I made a decision one way or another.

Kayleigh


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I can relate to how you feel about GSD. When we lost BoBo (GSD) of course I first thought no more dogs...but ended up with an Aussie pup (long story, never really wanted an Aussie but a friend tricked me and presented the puppies at a weak moment) Although I love Rocky to death and he is my little baby peanut...I still just wanted a GSD. Another friend told me about a GSD mix pup at the humane society and I ended up getting him too! We don't know what he is mixed with...but he is really an awesome dog.
Here is a pic of the 2 of them...Rocky is the Aussie, Boris is the GSD mix
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b...M2bloyYg9vPgY/cC/f=0/ps=50/r=0/rx=550/ry=400/


----------



## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

As for percentage, half of the dna is from the mother, half from the father. I'm guessing that the mother is the Aussie. Half the dna is Aussie. The other half is pit and lab, and you don't know how much is which. The sire's half could be most or all lab, or most or all pit. Pit Bulls are known for being good family dogs, as are Labs. Do you want an Aussie? Your best bet would be to watch a litter of Aussies and see how they are. Then, watch this litter. Are they as active? As inquisitive? If you decide to go with one of these pups, choose the most laid back one.


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

Minelson your dogs are just gorgeous!! Well,my husband is saying NO on the pups,mostly because he is afraid of the PB. I know,but he is stubborn & won't relent due to all the bad publicity they have gotten. I had a woman in a nearby town email that she has a young male GSD mix who used to live on a farm,but they got him & he is not doing well in town. I'd like to go look at him,wouldn't any health issues be evident by 10 months or so,you think? Also, I reallllly want to go see these pups: http://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/920832674.html
as I LOVE Goldens. I doubt they'd be much of a watch dog,however. But they would be good w/ the kids (yes the baby is 17 months old as of yesterday *******) Also had a lady email who has a young bouvier des flandres,but I know NOTHING about them!!! :stars:


----------



## shadowscribe (Jun 24, 2008)

I'm sorry that your husband has been brainwashed by the press, pits are wonderful dogs. Some of the most gentle, most well-behaved dogs I've ever met have been pits and pit mixes.


> any health issues be evident by 10 months or so,you think


Not true actually. A lot of genetically caused problems (the sort of thing you're looking for) don't necessarily show up until around 2 years. That's why many/most (responsible, anyway) breeders wait until 2, 3, or even 4 years before they integrate dogs/bitches into their breeding programs. 

That being said most GSDs make excellent pets and I wouldnt be put off from them because they may be crazy (that's just crazy talk, and could potentially cost you a wonderful animal).

As for Goldens...they're horrid watch dogs  They'll invite the intruder in and serve them drinks... and while they are flaunted as the ideal family dog there is a statistically higher chance that the Golden will bite your children more than a pit or a pit mix would.


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

shadowscribe said:


> I'm sorry that your husband has been brainwashed by the press, pits are wonderful dogs. Some of the most gentle, most well-behaved dogs I've ever met have been pits and pit mixes.
> 
> Not true actually. A lot of genetically caused problems (the sort of thing you're looking for) don't necessarily show up until around 2 years. That's why many/most (responsible, anyway) breeders wait until 2, 3, or even 4 years before they integrate dogs/bitches into their breeding programs.
> 
> ...


I thought about that,about the Goldens being too friendly to be a watch dog. However I used to have a Golden/Lab who was an awesome watch dog,would bark like crazy if a stranger came in the yard. These look to be mixed w/ Aussie,or maybe cattle dogs,w/ the merle...? Lady says they are very smart,loving pups. The mom turned up at her house as a pregnant stray,likely dumped by some cruel owner. :flame:

I was kind of wanting an older dog,to skip the puppy stage,but I do like to get them as pups to make sure it will bond very well w/ the kids & other critters. I don't know if I want to make the hour-plus drive to see the GSD mix,& then not like it.


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Kstornado11 said:


> I don't know if I want to make the hour-plus drive to see the GSD mix,& then not like it.


Take the road trip...gas is cheap now :banana02::banana02::banana02:


----------



## Beaners (Feb 23, 2005)

Australian Cattle Dogs? ACDs? They are a dog that can go either way with children, and it is best to start them young. Throw in a GSD on top of that, and I would be hesitant. A German Shepherd where you know the parents and what the temperament of the lineage is can be a great dog. Any GSD off the street can be neurotic. I would be truly hesitant with that in the genetics for my dog. There are just so many of them that have been poorly bred because they are so popular, and that crappy offspring is floating around.

But back to the ACD portion of the mix. They are nippers. ACDs are a "harder" herding breed, they are the dogs that drive cattle by nipping at them. We have a ACD/dobe or rott mix, and she is a good dog but was very mouthy as a puppy. We put a lot of effort into stopping that, and it still took a while for her to "get it". She was smart enough to know not to, but the instinct took over until it was truly drilled into her head. Now she is safe with our toddler, but whether or not this dog will be safe with your children depends on how it has been trained.

Kayleigh


----------



## Brosia (Nov 15, 2008)

3 years ago, my husband brought home a puppy. It was 1/2 pit-bull, and I was ready to send it (and him!) packing. I've got 2 kids, was afraid they'd be mauled or something, you hear about it on the news all the time.

Needless to say, we kept the dog. And we gave her lots of love, and trained her well. That's the key right there. The upbringing of the dog. 

She is the best, cuddliest pit bull you ever did see.... but she scares the heck out of people who try to intrude on our property!


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Have your hubby go with you to see the aussie/lab/pit mix pups. He will see the errors of his ways. They will look nothing or behave nothing like a pit. He really should check out the pit bull forums.

The lady was talking about australian shepherds not australian cattle dogs. Totally seperate breeds. I wish they would change the australin shepherd's name to american shepherd or something like it because it keeps confusing people plus morons keep docking the tails of acds!


----------



## Beaners (Feb 23, 2005)

Ted...look at the last post she made. She was asking about "aussies, or maybe cattle dogs, with the merle" in a mix with a GSD. Hence my comment about ACDs. 

Kayleigh


----------



## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Sorry about that. You're right.  It still annoys me when people dock the tails of ACDs....either due to tradition or the mistaken belief that they're Austrailian shepherds......the breed standard CLEARLY states no docked tails. I know some people bought registered pups planning to show them. I had to tell them that the breed standard for that registery states no docked tails.....needless to say, they weren't happy.


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

The Golden mix puppies I THINK may be half Aussie,or cattle dog,as some of them are blue merle,some are yellow like the Mama,some black.The woman doesn't know,as the Mama showed up there pregnant,likely someone dumped her they do that a lot out here. The GSD mix pup I don't know,as the guy kind of hinted that he was a LOT to handle. We are going to look at the Golden mix pups in a minute. The ad keeps getting flagged off Craigslist,so the link I put up above is no good now.


----------



## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

We had a Lab that we had to put down because she was constantly biting the kids in the face unprovoked, or at least, unprovoked from our stand point and yet we've had quite a few Pit Bulls over the years and have found them mellow and quite good with kids. I tend to like the pure breds better than the mixes, but that's just my personal tastes.

Don't let hubby nix the dogs purely because of the Pit Bull. They are sensationalized a lot and there's a lot of mistaken identity. A lot of dogs look like Pits that aren't Pits. True Pit Bulls are usually very people friendly. They were never bred to be aggressive toward people.


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

Well I chose a puppy who looks just like my dog I lost named Isaiah who was a Golden/Great Pyr. Little male pup,the biggest & sweetest in the litter. Here is a pic of Mom w/ litter mates a few weeks ago....do you think they are likely mixed w/ Aussie?


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

The boys are all tuckered out...


----------



## Beaners (Feb 23, 2005)

Very cute! They do indeed look like they could be ACD/golden retriever crosses. I don't think they are Australian Shepherd mixes though, the eyes look too wide set and the nose too blunt. I misunderstood the previous post and thought the older dog was a GSD/ACD mix. Since you have a little puppy, you have a better chance of correcting any behavior before it becomes a problem. Don't let the little rascal get nippy! Did I say how cute they are?!

Kayleigh


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

They also look pretty .... squatty,I guess you would say? I mean short legs,wider body... I will get a better pic when he wakes from his nap w/ my son.


----------



## Beaners (Feb 23, 2005)

ACDs are a solid, stout medium sized dog. They have a very definite body type, you can google "Australian Cattle Dog" and click on images and see it.

Kayleigh


----------



## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

People get way to hung up on the breed of dog. There is no kids safe breed, PERIOD. It doesn't matter what type of dog you get, if you don't want to be its leader and provide it with the exercise it needs your going to have problems. A dogs still a dog regardless of what breed it is.


----------



## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

Ok, you snuck the puppy pictures in while I was typing...lol

Cute puppy!


----------



## Kstornado11 (Mar 17, 2006)

Making friends w/ Buddy,the toy rat terrier










The ducks came over to check out the new baby...










Then the kittens,Obie & Squishy...


----------



## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

OMG! I needed that....CUTE!!!  all the pictures are really sweet. He is a darling little guy.. What a great find! I'm sure he will be a wonderful family dog  If you really need to know, get the DNA test done, I think it's $60.


----------



## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

adorable like most pups
a few other things here
1. at this age it is IMPOSSIBLE to guess what mix a pup is, even as adults it can be extremely difficult and is really just a guess unless you made the cross intentionally and controlled access to the b***h
2. none of the australian cattle dogs are merle they are ticked like english coonhounds. think about it, has anyone ever seen a solid white heeler which would result from double merling (for that matter has anyone ever seen a solid red or black heeler which there would have to be for the breed to exist, an all merle breed would die out within a few generations because of the lethal effects of double merle). so since the dam is obviously a golden and some pups are merled the aussie cattle dogs are ruled out.
3. Jason you're right & wrong. yes ALL dogs need solid leadership & training, but they are not interchangeable personality wise. knowing what the personality traits are for the breed allows you to prepare for it. for example no one who owns any bull, mastiff or terrier breed should be w/o a breakstick & the knowledge of the safest & fastest ways to break up a fight. additionally knowing the personality traits behind a known cross prepares you for the potential that could occur, for example a catahoula or BMC crossed to a bull breed means you have a real strong possibility of having a dog that is completely willing to attack uninvited guests but w/ more intensity and determination than a pure cur.
4. Ted some heelers may be docked for work related reasons. when GSDs were still almost exclusively a herding dog, those used primarily for working swine were often docked. or it may be an entirely different misconception, they may have seen some stumpies or smithfields and not known they are natural bobtails and so think it is something they are supposed to do for working heelers (kind of like the folks docking curs because of the natural bobtails).
5. Kayleigh while the AKC show heelers are almost entirely stout little dogs A LOT of the unregistered working heelers in TX & OK (probably other states as well) are intentionally bred toward the rangier smithfield body type.


----------

