Hi Karen, your post hit my broken heart. I had a Shetland Sheepdog named Lucy. The breeder gave her that name because as a puppy she had the beautiful red tawny fur and a personality of Lucille Ball. Of course, I especially loved saying, “Lucy, I’m home.” after a hard day at work. She had an unusual cough that spanned a couple of months with one chest X-ray taken. Another visit and the Vet diagnosed severely swollen spleen – which explained her loss of appetite. Lucy ate EVERYTHING. She liked the strawberries in my yard, the neighbor raspberries and had a nose that worked like target vision in detecting chocolate. As you may know, they are very agile and smart. I had an expensive chocolate bar inside a birthday card, inside its envelope, in a bag – on top of the dining room table. When I came, the items on the table were in order as I left – but the gift bag; envelop card were torn, with bits of foil everywhere – and no evidence of the chocolate bar. One day she wandered off and when she returned, there were tomatoe seeds on her darling chin. Yes – she went to the neighbors for a veggie snack. The ultrasound a biopsy confirmed mythicized lymphoma. I got meds that had minimal impact and she passed a few days later. She was my roommate and companion for 12 years! I still have dreams about her and the painful mourning continues. I am not ready for another dog but am considering a Mini Australian Shepard (I believe when they are mini or toy they are considered American Shepherd) for the same reasons you shared.

I highly recommend you explore Shetland Sheepdogs as a wonderful option – very similar to Aussie but different enough to minimize the comparison to Casey.