This is Wheatley, our new Mini Aussie Shepherd. He’s 11 weeks old and has been with us for 2.5 weeks.
My kids had been asking for a dog for a very long time, but I kept telling them they had to wait until we lived in a house. Finding apartments that would allow us to keep our cat always proved difficult, hence my reluctance to add a dog to the mix.
We bought and moved into a 5-bedroom house in April, so I finally found myself without excuse.
I had no idea what breed to get, but after doing some research, fell in love with the look, energy, and intelligence of Aussies. My autistic youngest has a lot of energy, so I figured those two would wear each other out!
I went for the miniature version because a dog that could get as big as 70 lbs seemed like a lot of work. They’re officially known as Mini American Shepherds, but I think that’s a dumb name; how can you have a “mini” of something if you don’t have a “regular” size?
I knew I wanted a merle. I would have preferred a blue to a red, but my daughter insisted on Wheatley, and I think she made the right call. He is playful once he comes out of his shell, but most of the time, very mellow.
My daughter named him after Portal 2’s Wheatley (winningly voiced by Stephen Merchant). We are planning to make him into her Emotional Support Animal and train him to disrupt her self-harm / skin-picking.
In any case, I think I finally “get” people who say their pets are their kids.
Thank you Foiles Farm Aussies in Carrollton, Illinois for helping us make this sweet little boy a part of our family!