Our Australian Shepherds each march to different drum beats. Reina’s “yin” to Rafa’s “yang.” She’s Garboesque, he’s gregarious.

Their six-year gap in age difference might have something to do with that (she’s 10, he’s four), although Reina’s almost always taken measure of a situation before acting. She’s the epitome of the Australian Shepherd Club of America tenet declaring the “breed tends to be somewhat reserved and cautious around strangers.”

Rafa’s never subscribed to the ASCA description of an Aussie’s personality. He’s cut from “hey, let’s play!” cloth. He’s unabashed when meeting up with newly acquainted people and dogs, and operates on the assumption that all parties are on the same wavelength as he is. If they’re not (see: Reina), the rebuff just rolls off him.

It took a bit of time, but Reina and Rafa have managed to work out their differences with Reina taking the alpha reins, even though Rafa has size, strength, and youth on his side. And I have noticed that over time, Reina’s aloofness has softened over the past couple years, disarmed, no doubt, by Rafa’s charm.