Lane, that's a great post. It's my understanding that what we know of as the "Australian Shepherd" is a purely American breed, but is adapted from a dog used in the Basque Country (so it should be right at home in France). Indeed, there's a certain group of folks in the US that are starting a breed called the "Basque Shepherd" which is basically an Aussie with a full tail (not bobbed or docked).
From my data point of one, I can concur that the Aussie is not only a great working dog, but is also well suited as a family pet. I did work hard on teaching good in-home manners, though. Here's my Aussie playing veterinarian with my 1-year-old daughter. He was super gentle. The old people at my grandma's nursing home loved him, too, because he was so calm around them.
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That said, my new border collie comes from some very impressive herding lines out if Ireland and, if he weren't primarily a family pet, could probably be very successful with sheep. He is a VERY hard charger when he wants to be. But, with hard work, mutual respect, and clear expectations, my BC is turning into an excellent pet.
Here he is as I type this. Waiting for his morning exercise, but being cool about it...
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Here he is with some sheep...
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Point is, good training makes a good dog.