15 Acres for This Sheep Herding Trio to Explore: Jedi, Griz & Sonny's Story

November 29, 2022

Meet Jedi, Griz & Sonny from Bend, Oregon.

These 3 Australian Shepherds are all related. Jedi is 11, and a purebred AKC registered, with a famed pedigree as a working class Australian Shepherd from Montana. Griz & Sonny are Jedi’s 4 year-old pups and siblings from the same litter. And all 3 are as talented as they are stunning!

The family lives on a gorgeous 10-15 acre ranch in Bend, Oregon with access to hiking trails, a gorgeous pond and stunning views of the Cascade Mountains.

All three dogs are trained to work the family’s sheep. When it’s sheep shearing season, Jedi is indeed the master! He gets down to business and can perform a perfect outrun and flank on the sheep to herd them in for their turn. Their friends have a few of Jedi’s other pups, and Aviv is continually asked about breeding his Aussies.

Each dog has his own personality, but they are all funny, smart, loving and peaceful. None of them are neutered and it’s never been an issue, no fighting whatsoever. They are happy boys, driven by work, running and playing.

These gorgeous, fun-loving pups are also smart and prey-driven. They used to also be escape artists, but they no longer roam thanks to their SpotOn collars. So we wanted to know what life was like for Aviv before SpotOn.

‘I was constantly going to pick them up from neighbors, worried they’d get hit by a car, tracking them with other less capable collars and apps that I have now been able to return since the V2 was released. Life is so much more peaceful now.’ - Aviv, Owner

Now that these pups no longer wander, Aviv is more relaxed, giving him peace of mind and relief that his furry family members are safe. The dogs love being outside all day long and monitoring the property boundaries. The Gen 2 collars have given them complete and utter freedom from 5:30am to 9:30pm. They don’t come inside until right before the sun goes down, thanks to their 10+ acre fence that works perfectly.

Like we hear from many SpotOn customers, using SpotOn has improved his relationship with his dogs.

‘More trust and freedom. Simple. I know where they are and they respect the warning tones. It’s been a total game changer.’

Having been a SpotOn customer since the original Gen 1, Aviv had been eagerly awaiting the new Gen 2 GPS fence, and it did not disappoint! The reliability and accuracy are key for Aviv, and his favorite features include seeing fences built as he walks,the strong cell coverage for tracking and the battery life.

‘The ability to find my dog on my own property is fantastic! The accuracy is literally within feet of where the dog is when I track one of them. Such a great feature. If one is in the barn, or back by the pond, etc.’

‘The battery life, the comfort it provides our family, the build quality and the new app all make for a truly industry leading product. It’s hands down the best dog tracking collar in the world.’

Since Aviv is often on the go and the dogs always go with him, portability and convenience of SpotOn is also key.

‘When we travel to go surfing (to the beach), we set up an instant circle and they’re contained that way!’

So far they've used SpotOn at home, for fun and for sheep herding. They’ve also taken SpotOn pretty much everywhere! Swimming at the beach, camping, on vacation, to visit friends & family, and to their vacation home. As for where they’re headed next?