Need breed help for red merle girl

[keevef]

We adopted Lucy from a shelter in July 2009. She was turned in as a stray. She has already been spayed before she was apprehended! So someone took pretty good care of her but never claimed her. The shelter listed her as a "Cattle dog." Well, we thought maybe she was an Aussie. She was even posted here on bcrescue:

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6025&p=39273&hilit=little+rock#p39273

Some folks said she looked like an aussie.

Yet since we have had her, more and more people have been saying she looks like a border collie. I started researching borders, and physically, she seems more like one. She has a long, lean body, leans legs, and boy, does the focus when it's play time. I know aussies come in different sizes, but for the most part, they always seem "thicker" in the legs and body than Lucy.

Here is a video of her playing ball at the dog park. Any opinions are welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQIhUY0cQfI

Thanks everyone!

[skywaybcrescue]

I'd say Aussie....

But you never know, could be Bc/Aussie

[joe]

Looks Aussie to me too.

[asprag]

Looks Aussie esp with headset and ear fuzzles, shorter muzzle, and stocky paws.
But could be Aussie x bc
Beauty!! Great focus

[bordercentrics]

I would say definitely Aussie. To complicate matters, the Aussies from working lines rather than show lines looks even more like BCs in their build. We see a fair number of them coming into rescue here. I am getting more experience in judging them because our rescue does both breeds, so I see them all. The head of our rescue, if uncertain, puts them on her sheep. The two breeds have distinct herding styles and she has worked both breeds over the years. But your girl really does look like an Aussie.

Kathy Robbins

[keevef]

Thanks everyone for your insight. I wish there was somewhere around here to try her out with some sheep or goats, but there isn't. When she is herding other dogs at the park, she has that "in your face" style. I noticed borders seem to hang back more. And they get that crouch. Lucy likes to charge in and bark and nip. So, I am going to go with more likely an Aussie than Border Collie. Thanks again.