My sister-in-law has Australian Shepard's...

and has had for years.... as they grow old they are replaced with another. Swears by them.

I know they're smart, very smart, but my experience with hers is that they are extremely 'yappy', bark at anything and everything.

Adopting... around here it's like Henry Ford said... you can adopt any breed you want as long as it's a chihuahua.

I'm without a dog now... but my last two were 1. a stray who we found on my front porch when returning from a vacation. Nobody would get out of the car... except me. I approached slowly, softly, kindly... and he eventually allowed me to pet him. I'm sure he had been abused. By the next morning, (he was a golden lab), he announced he loved it here, it was his home, and let the party begin. One of the best dogs I've ever had... unfortunately he got sick and the Vet couldn't determine what he had... we had him about 1.5 years and he passed. It was heart breaking.

The second was a german shepard that I took off a guy who allowed his @#$%& to get pregnant. Yet again, fantastic dog.... alas.. he too died, killed by a tool carrier he was chasing.

That was it.... I guess that was 3 years ago now? Maybe 2... and I just haven't been able to bring myself to adopt another. - JamesJM