Australian Shepherd/ Border Collie mix questions to run with and live in an apartment with?

I am looking for a good dog to live in an apartment (800sqft) and go running with every afternoon, and go on a walk with my girlfriend every morning. We went looking around, and have thus far fallen in love with the Miniature Australian Shepherd that we saw at a PetStore. But he was a purebred and was around $1500. I want to adopt one for cheaper, but can only find mixes with Border Collies.The apartment limits us to a 25lb dog, where the miniature will fit in. My questions are these:1) How much can we expect to pay for a miniature, since we only saw 1 store's price.2) How big will a mixed aussie and border collie get? Will he be the same or better if mixed this way?3) Is there another mix I can get that will keep me below the weight limit, but still give us a good dog that exercises with us?Any other information anyone can lend would be great. I do give "Best Answer" to the one I find answered everything the best. Ask for more detail if you need it, and I can add it.Just to add, I can probably get away with the weight a mini aussie would put on (20-35).Now how can I find breeders? Is there a good website/database to find breeders?

I hope the others can answer your questions, but please do not buy from a puppy store.Either go to a reputable breeder (and yes they are costly)Or go to your local shelter.

You wont get mix anything from a breeder (decent one) or a pet store.. you will have to go to a shelter for a mix.

This is right up my alley! I have an Aussie Shepherd/Border Collie mix and I live in an apartment! She loves to be active but shes very mellow when home. She lives peacefully with my 4 cats and nobody gets put outside. However, if I read your weight limit correctly, this particular dog is too big. My dog Missy weighs in at about 85 lbs! I can tell you from experience that if you need a laid back dog, the toy breeds may not be for you. You might want to consider a Basset Hound. Hope this helps you!

A perfect dog that you can walk well and is small, would be Yorkshire Terrier They can weigh 7 pounds, They aren't working dogs so don't require constant workouts and outside time -but they do have a lot of energy and need walks daily. "The Yorkshire Terrier requires minimal exercise. They are suited for short walks and ideal for apartment living or homes with small yards. They love to chase shadows, lay in sunbeams, and tug of war. The more attention this breed receives the better."http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/breeds/1100281/or thePapillononly 7-10 pounds, and still loves walks. The mini Aussie, still may exceed your weight limit-as they should be 40-70 pounds.Someone mentioned a basset hound up there- but that also would exceed the weight limit more so than an Aussie, obviously hehe-Bassets are huge boned and fat dogs lol. I have one and they go from 50-70 pounds, some are even heavier! Short doesn't mean weighs less hehe. Not to mention bassets are stubborn, and don't walk far-b.c they are dogs who like their sleep lol. As puppies, yes they are small and energic!! as adults they have no desire to go far lol.Try looking for a toy breed that likes walks and runs, as terriers , hounds, and sporting dogs need their outside yard time, a lot...goodluck

I have not heard of a miniture australian shepard, but try the dog rescues. check out petfinder.com. dogs at rescues are usually no more than 200 dollars some are less. they have pure breed and mixed breed and they all cost the same. rescues are good places to get dogs because some will let you try out the dog before buying it . and some will transport the dog to you. what about a sheltie mix??

First you should never buy a dog from a pet store. Yes they look cute and we may feel sorry for them, but those dogs come from puppy mills. A reputable breeder would never sell their puppy to a pet store. By buying from a pet store you're not only supporting puppy mills, but many of these dogs have or develop severe health problems. Second buying a purebred dog is not cheep esp. if you're buying from a reputable breeder(as everyone who decides to buy a purebreed puppy should). So you'll have to spend the money if you want one as a puppy. Third there is no way to predict how much a dog will weigh. Even with purebreeds there are variations for the same sex and breed of dog. So whether it is a mix breed or purebreed puppy you won't know how much he/she is going to weigh until they are fully grown. That may not be until age two. Once a dog reaches it's full height they then put on weight in terms of muscle. Third don't get a dog with Aussie/border collie unless you plan on providing the dog with mental exercise everyday and essentially want to give him/her a job. Fourth think about adopting a fully grown dog from a shelter or rescue organization. There are many dogs out there looking for a home, and you won't have to worry about whether the dog is going to exceed the weight limit imposed by your landlord, and the price will be much cheeper. You also usually can foster the dog first. That way you can make sure the dog is a fit while saving a life at the same time. But if you do decide on a puppy be sure that the dog is small enough that there is no question if he/she will exceed the weight limit. Finally if you really have your heart set on a mini aussie make sure you are getting the dog because you feel that the breed truley fits your lifestyle, and not because of the size. Though mini aussies range from 20-40 pounds with most being 28 to 40 pounds. Thus, exceeding the 25 pound weight limit. Good luck on finding your new best friend. I'm sure the dog you bring home will enjoy your outings together, and may you have many happy years together.

Please don't buy a puppy from a petstore. You would be paying a huge amount of money for a pup that will have tons of health problems all it's life. Puppies in petstores are always from puppy mills no matter what the store clerk may tell you. The weight limit will rule out both a Border Collie and an Aussie. BC's are usually about 30 - 45 lbs and Aussies 35-50 lbs. The minature aussies are normally about 20 - 30 lbs. The ones I've known have been high strung nervous dogs. You may want to look at a terrier mix. They would have the energy to exercise with you and the smaller size. Rat terriers are nice dogs.