Friday Farm Fun- Mini Aussies

Molly, Maverick and our border collie, Boots. 

MavFreak enjoying the snow.

We've been keeping our daughter's pair of Mini Australian Shepards for nearly a year. In 2010 when they were going back to Alaska during the holidays the airline wouldn't allow the dogs to fly, so they remained with us. Our daughter returned in the summer and the dogs were back and forth between us and her in-laws where ever our daughter was residing. The female,Molly, became pregnant and our daughter couldn't take her back to Alaska so Molly stayed with our other daughter(a veterinarian technician) awaiting the birth and during the birth.  We kept, affectionately known as MavFreak, Maverick the male.

Once Molly was separated from MavFreak, he actually started to listen and didn't run around like he hadn't a brain in his head. One day he was running, ran smack into a boulder three time his size, bounced off, and kept running without a yelp. He also likes to bounce up and down at your side like a dog on a pogo stick. It's very annoying when you're trying to walk because he knocks his body against yours. He wanted to work cattle and tried but has a problem with nipping the noses instead of the heels.

Molly had six puppies, two females and four males. Our vet tech daughter sold all but two. Those came to our house since our Alaskan daughter is back. We had the last two puppies here for a week before they sold. The grandchildren enjoyed them and cried when the puppies left.

If you've never been around a mini Aussie they are full of energy!  We keep them in a kennel when we aren't outside because we have a trigger happy neighbor. Once the gate opens they make three low flying circles around the house and then head out into the field to do their business. Then they're back jumping and running all the way to the barn. Molly has a favorite ball she likes to throw in the air, catch, and roll on her back playing with it in her paws like a cat. Maverick puts his nose to the ground sniffing out varmints.

They've been fun to watch but we are also looking forward to when the mini Aussies leave and our border collie, Boots, and min-pin/chihuahua, Tink, can feel like the queen bees again.