ASCA Hall of Fame Excellent Kennel
Working Aussie Stockdogs
located in Bryan, Texas
Frequently Asked Questions
About the Slash V Aussie
If you are considering buying a Slash V puppy, please read
Please enjoy viewing these pictures of typical Slash V puppies! (All of the pups on this page are from previous litters and are not for sale.)
What are the breeding goals at Slash V Working Australian Shepherds?
Slash V dogs are bred first and foremost to be working stockdogs with an emphasis on cattle. We prefer a dog to work quiet and deliberate and to grip on both the head and heels. Although we do not specifically breed for a sheepdog, many of our dogs have made competent workers on sheep. They tend to work closer than the ideal sheepdog, but with only a few exceptions have not been overly aggressive with a minimum of training. We are not breeding for the trial arena although there
are usually a few Slash V dogs successfully competing. The primary goal in our breeding program is to produce dogs for those who need a working companion for real life work with livestock - the dog who is there when you need him and who will help get the job done with a minimum of training.
Will every Slash V puppy end up being a good working dog?
We have worked or known the dogs far back into our pedigrees, and we feel like we have created a bloodline of working dogs proven by the many Slash V dogs out there working in the real world as well as the trial world. Genetics is not an exact science, and nothing in breeding animals is 100 per cent. Every dog is a product of both his genes and his environment, and we have no control over his environment once he leaves here. We have done our best to give each puppy the genetic potential to be a useful stockdog.
Do all Slash V dogs need to be in a working home?
We personally prefer a laid back personality, and a dog that will be content whether it has exposure to livestock or not. Any Aussie needs to be an active part of its owner’s life, and these are not the kind of dog to just stick in the back yard. When we say they are a working companion, that means they need to be a companion! A good working Aussie is a wonderful devoted companion that, contrary to some opinions, does not HAVE to work livestock to be content. Many
farm and ranch homes have seasonal work, and the dog must be part of daily life during the off season. As a pet, an Aussie does HAVE to be a part of your life! The majority of our dogs do go to working homes, but many are family pets as well as involved in hiking, boating, and just living with their people.
Are Slash V dogs good with children?
Our experience has been that dogs we have owned and sold are excellent with children as long as they are raised with them. Many dogs of any breed are not tolerant of children, especially very young ones, if they are not used to them. The only problem we have encountered (if this is a problem in this day and age) is that sometimes the dog will become overly protective of the children. Be aware that just because the dog is great with your own children does not mean it will accept every child unless you socialize and train the dog with other children (and this is true for any breed, not just Aussies and not just dogs from my breeding!). If you have a household with kids that bring their friends over, make sure your puppy meets lots and lots of these children from a very young age. In particular, teenage "horsing around" with outside kids can be seen by an Aussie as a threatening situation to his family member. Just make sure to let your pup see and experience lots of things as a young dog if you have this situation.
Do Slash V dogs make good watchdogs?
We do believe in breeding to the Breed Standard although every breeder prioritizes traits important to them. The Standard states, "strong guardian instincts" and also states, "reserved with strangers". We do not breed FOR these traits but we also do not breed AGAINST them. We breed for an easily trained dog who will be devoted to its owner, and most of all a dog who will be easy and fun to
live with. That can mean different things to different people and can depend on your lifestyle. The Aussie is not the dog for everyone.
I heard a rumor that Slash V dogs are aggressive. Is this true?
Rumors are usually started by someone’s experience with one dog or something they heard about one dog which leads them to describe an entire bloodline. We have occasionally produced a dog who is not friendly with strangers, and a dog like this requires a lot of socialization to fit into some environments. Occasionally a dog never accepts people other than its family, and such a dog may require the owner to take precautions when people are around. At any point in time, we have had dogs who would follow a burglar around while he robbed our house and happily go with him as well as dogs who would bark when he showed up and probably bite him if he came into the house with no one there (we haven’t exactly tested this out). They all started out cute happy friendly puppies. Again, refer to the Breed Standard which describes the ideal of a breed. Just what is “strong guardian instinct”?
We do take reservations on puppies and honor the deposits in the order they are received. The deposit will apply to the purchase price. We must have full payment for the puppy by seven weeks of age if the puppy is to be shipped (which we prefer to do at eight weeks) or when the puppy is picked up. Puppies must be picked up by ten weeks of age or the deposit will be forfeited and we reserve the right to resell the puppy.
We will sell dogs only to the continental United States or Canada (other than previous commitments).
How do I reserve a puppy?
Do you ship overseas?
