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This is Winnie; she is a medium-sized Australian Shepherd Mix. She was born in October 1996 (as near as we can figure--she may be older). Winnie (once called Impy, for reasons obvious to those who meet her) was found running loose in a park by a couple who could not keep her, so we adopted her. She's extremely bright, but can be a handful. She has mellowed with age, though. She used to only have a tiny patch of white on her chest, but now she has white hairs all over--even a first white whisker!
This is a rather blurry picture of Oscar, our Australian Shepherd-terrier mix. He was born in December 1999. We adopted him from the Greensboro Humane Society and fought about a two-year battle to cure him of mange, parasites, and allergies. He's a pretty healthy guy now, a few inches taller and a few pounds heavier than his sister. Looking at him now, you'd never imagine how sickly he once was, or how precarious his health is. He's really a beautiful dog; a friend once described his coat as "Rocky Road ice cream."
Though Winnie is smaller than her baby brother, she's the one in charge. She didn't much like him at first (she doesn't like many dogs, except for a weird obsession with beagles and an unrequited love for a collie who used to live near us), but she more or less accepts him now. Once in a while, though, Winnie feels the need to show Oscar who's the boss.
Doesn't he look sad and concerned? That's because he is, most of the time. Oscar is the biggest wimp on the planet--afraid of nearly everyone he meets. He's very sweet and curious; he's just scared some stranger is going to hurt him. Even in his most terrified moments, however, he has never gotten aggressive. He's a gentle doggy who likes cuddling with his people. Over the years, he has gotten better--less stressed--but it's a constant battle to deal with his anxieties when we take him out in public.