Esther: Our Australian Shepherd
And a Simple FIRST doggie birthday Paw-Tay
What kind of dog is she? What breeder did you get her from? These are the most commonly asked questions I get any time I post about Esther.
Let me tell you about her, what she’s like, and all about her first birthday paw-ty!
Our last dog, Pax (Peace) was a golden retriever. He was a darling and lovely boy, but rest his precious soul…he wasn’t the smartest of dogs out there.
We researched “smart dog breeds,” and landed on an “Aussie” when the looks, personality, size, smarts, and everything else we were looking for matched up. Breeder: I will say, we were looking as far as Arizona for a reputable breeder. If you are having trouble finding one, I was too. Late one night I couldn’t sleep and visited puppies.com. I did a search and ESTHER popped up in Northern Minnesota!! Without waking my husband, I sent him 52 photos and 12 emails of this puppy I fell in love with. (Not really that many, but you know how it goes). We woke up with a response from the breeder, “she is available.” The rest is history. I wish I could share her info with you, but she is no longer having any more puppies.
Esther is a purebred, unregistered Australian Shepherd.
Her color is called: Blue Merle. The blue is a bluish grey (not quite pictured here, on her other side) also called ghost grey by some.
I want to tell you that I am OBSESSED with herding dogs. Man are they smart. I swear she can read my mind. She is insanely loyal and always stays close to me, and to home.
Things I love, but you may not.
She follows me everywhere. If I leave the room, she comes too. Every car ride, absolutely!
She is super high energy and a bit spastic at times. I am a little ADD myself, and I also love a good coffee buzz, so we see eye to eye on this one. lol.
They shed. I don’t mind, it’s way less than a golden.
They must have a job - gnawing bones + fetch is life!
They truly “herd”… cattle, chickens, children. This is just something you really need to be aware of. Kids have come to visit, and when they run…she chases, and nibbles fingers.
Overly friendly: She thinks everyone is her BFF.
They are highly sensitive: No yelling allowed!
One person: Loyal beyond!! She loves her family, but it is so obvious MOM is her person.
I tell you these things, not to shy you away, because I want you to know what you’re getting! Maybe all those traits sound awesome, then perfect!
A lady at the humane society told me, they often get Aussies because people get them and don’t realize how much attention and exercise they need. They are stunning, a literal work of art, but please know- they weren’t made to be home alone or in a kennel. They are an in your face, by your feet, all the time, highly social dog…and I LOVE THAT!
We also get asked a lot why not an Aussie doodle? Easy answer: my husband thinks poodles are not attractive in any doodly oodly form.
We also kept her tail and her dew claws. I wanted an all natural girl :)
The Paw-ty Deets
It was really pretty simple, we ate burgers and hot dogs. Grandma came over, and then we had cupcakes. I bought some ‘Bocce treats’ and cut the ends off so the B’s turned into E’s. We sang, and she opened her presents (with the help of Crew). We loved her up even more than normal.
Here are some of her favorite party items!
Also, be sure to check out my Modern Neutral Pet Store on Amazon!
Lastly, I got my nails done at Prose in Rogers, MN and they were kind enough to help celebrate Esther with some nail art!
Parvina was one of the best ever! She is from a country near Russia, and if you have never had a Russian manicure, you need to find her. ASAP.
Hope you enjoyed learning a little about my Esther girl, and please feel free to drop me an email if you are considering an Aussie and have any more questions!
Love and dog kisses. xx Anna
Below: A few candids and her siblings.
They now live in Detroit Lakes, MN
