02/20/2020
My Parents acquired Stubby and Sissy as puppies in 1977.
I am not sure how they were bred, but I realized later they represented the great old style working Aussies.
When we started raising and training Aussies several years ago, we did a lot of research and we became students of the breed. As a matter of fact, we are still learning from some of the best breeders in the country. And, we have always worked to maintain the traits I saw in Stubby and Sissy.
Some of my fondest memories included those two dogs. One spring, my Dad was out of town working so it was just mom and us kids at home... it was dusk. A couple of men came up to the gate wanting in and the dogs got between the house and the gate and “discouraged” them from coming in. There is no way they were going to get through them to us.
Another time, I had done something that my dad had decided warranted a good whipping, but Stubby disagreed. He got between me and dad and “saved me”. Dad couldn’t bring it to himself to follow through with the whipping and laughed instead. I was extra thankful for Stubby that day.
Stubby and Sissy were the first of many Australian Shepherds we had through the years. They introduced me to what I now look for in an Aussie. They were usable dogs and had a natural working ability. They were intelligent, and protective when it was appropriate. They were sensible, and they had an “Off Switch” when the day was done. I was a lucky kid.
Anthony Parnell
