A little info about us. My husband and I have been raising Australian Shepherds since 1999. Miniature American Shepherds far before they were recognized by AKC and listed with CKC. Our first female was a Blue Merle Australian Shepherd. She was and still is my personal learning experience. As a joke I always say that your first Aussie is your worst Aussie. They are an excellent breed don't get me wrong. The reason for me saying this is because they are so smart and highly intelligent. If you don't train them guaranteed they will train you. Even if you think you are not being trained, YOU ARE!