Looking for advice/tips 11 week old ACD first time owner

The things that helped most with my ACDs were the knowledge that they needed to be walked/exercised every day to curb their energy, because unused energy in dogs frequently equals destruction. Walk your dog to save your couch.

I taught one of them over 100 tricks and commands before I ran out of ideas, using nothing but dry food in my pocket that I'd dispense a few kibbles out of when they'd follow commands. ACDs have near-infinite appetites, and food works amazingly well as a training tool. I can't imagine using a clicker instead, the food worked wonders.

Two things I was never able to train out of them: Nipping at heels to 'herd' people, and a single bark when there was a knock on the door. Good luck on those ones (although some people prefer the door bark).

With regards to actual biting, there's a move you can use to establish dominance and curb the worst behavior, only to be used in extreme circumstances (such as biting) because it's a bit traumatic for the dog: the next time it bites, pull its feet out from under it and pin it down by the shoulder while yelling at it. It's very rare that they won't get the point after that, although they may be overly submissive for a while after. Plus you'll feel a little guilty, but it's better than having them bite some kid and get put down as a result.

Socializing them while young will pay off big in the long run. You don't want your dog to be weird or aggressive/protective around people. Dog parks and walks while they're still puppies will help a lot in that regard.

When they'd get too destructive while we were at work we'd go through periods of crate training. One loved the crate, the other not so much. Your mileage may vary.

Best of luck! They're incredibly intelligent dogs, and the more time you spend with them the better they turn out. If you look around online there are training guides for this specific breed, although some of it you'll have to cater to your own dog's personality.

/r/AustralianCattleDog Thread