All About the Australian Cattle Dog Breed

The Australian Cattle Dog, also commonly referred to as the Queensland Heeler, the Blue Heeler, and the Hall's Heeler, is an Australian working dog. It is a short and stocky dog that grows to be about 20 inches tall and will weigh about 45 pounds when fully grown. It has a double coat. Its undercoat is dense and its top coat is smooth, straight and compact which makes it water resistant. The common health problems that affect this breed include deafness, eye problems, and hip dysplasia.

Characteristics, behavior and training of the Australian Cattle Dog

This breed is very protective and bold. They make a great family dog, however, they tend to be aggressive towards strange children. This is because they may interpret the games that children play as a potential threat to their herd, their family. They are also suitable to use as watch dogs, guard dogs, and working dogs.

Routine health care and grooming for the Australian Cattle Dog

To care for this breed you will need to brush their fur coat once a week. Make sure that you remove any debris from their coat when you find it to avoid potential skin problems. They are an active breed that need vigorous exercise at least twice a day. Their temperament can be a bit stubborn at times so you will need to train this dog to be obedient, because it is not going to come naturally to this dog. If cared for properly this breed should live between 12 and 15 years.

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The Australian Cattle Dog - Intelligent and Hard Working

If you are looking for an intelligent dog that will act as a guard dog, then the Australian Cattle Dog may be perfect for you!

Bred in the 19th century by early settlers, the Australian Cattle Dog is a mix of Collies imported from Scotland and Australian dingoes with a few other breeds thrown in for good measure. This dog, also known as the Blue Heeler, the Australian Heeler in the Queensland Heeler is one of the best herding breeds known and gets his name due to the fact that he nips at the heels to herd.

That being said, as a pet you may find your Australian Cattle Dog exhibiting herding behavior. This dog can be a one-man dog so to speak, and may nip at the heels of your friends when they come to visit trying to herd them. Proper training needs to be done in order to have a pet that does not chase off everyone you know.

The Australian Cattle Dog is one of the most intelligent breeds and along with this intelligence comes the need to be kept busy and useful. If you a lot of time in your hands and want to work with a dog for agility training this breed might be your perfect match. He can be easily trained to be an obedient dog but you must vary the training so that he doesn't get bored.

The Australian cattle dog is a medium-size dog about 17 to 20 inches and around 35 pounds. He is a powerful, compact dog and is very agile on his feet. Ears stand up straight and pointed at the top of his broad head. He has intelligent oval eyes that are dark in color. He has a short double coat that can be either red with speckles or blue with speckles. The blue variety is sometimes seen with blue, tan or black markings.

The Australian Cattle Dog does need a lot of exercise and will do well with a house that has a large fenced in yard. If he doesn't get enough exercise you will probably see behavioral problems. This breed is very loyal to his master but can be dominant of other dogs and suspicious of strangers. He will do well with children that he's been raised with since he was a puppy but might not be so good with new children introduced after he is an adult.

This breed is easy to grom and just needs brushing with the firm brush and a bath when needed. He's a moderate shedder, shedding twice a year. Health problems to watch out for include deafness and hip dysplasia.

Just like any other dog, the Australian Cattle Dog needs love and attention from his family. Early obedience training as a must and to keep the dog interested it is advised to have activities or jobs for him to perform. Agility and ring training are perfect activities for this dog. With good quality food and proper veterinary care this dog can live to be around 15 years of age.

Related Book:

The Australian Cattle Dog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet

This is our seventh set of Happy, Healthy Pet titles. These latest additions will bring our series up to fifty-five titles, and like the others, they are books pet owners can turn to for the essential information they need to raise a healthy pet.All books contain information on:

• feeding
• housing
• grooming
• health care
• what to expect from the pet
• basic training

As our series expands and focuses on different kinds of pets, the emphasis remains on making the pet a companion. In addition, owners of more unusual pets will particularly appreciate the expert advice in these books because professional care for their animals may be difficult to come by. As always, the instruction is from expert—people who know their pet intimately, but also remember what it was like to have one for the first time.

Happy, Healthy Pet guides are rich with professional quality color photos and are designed to be enjoyable and easy to learn from.

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Facts You Must Know Before Adopting Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle dog, also known as the Blue Heeler, Red Heeler, and Queensland Heller, is a herding breed developed in Australia for moving cattles. Their average weight is between 35-45 pounds, and they are 17-20 inches tall.

Coat

The Australian Cattle Dog has a double coat. Their outer coat is short, flat and straight, is resistant to rain; while the undercoat is kinky but dense. The color of their coat comes in red, blue, speckle, blue-mottled, or blue speckle. The blue coat has specks of blue, black, or tan. Puppies are born white, though. But the mature coat color is usually seen in the pads of their paws.

Activity

The American Cattle Dog is a very active breed. The owner must be committed to exercise this breed frequently. This breed makes a great biking and running companions, but never over exert a young dog, as extensive activity might ruin their joints. They do best in rural setting or in families with large fenced yard. It is important that owners give them the sufficient amount of activity, as they tend to be restless, and vicious if not given the enough stimulation.

Temperament

The Australian Cattle Dogs, as with other working dogs, have active minds, and works best with a job to do. These dogs are known to be determined, and bold, with their known quality to be naturally protective. Intelligent and independent, they tend to be stubborn and seem to have limitless energy. They are said to be more silent than most of the other breed. Excellent with their family's little ones, they may not be as great as with other children since they may think of playful wrestling as a threat.

Overview

Bred for herding abilities, toughness, and endurance, the Australian Cattle Dog is recognized as one of the three most popular breeds in Australia.

Care

The Australian Cattle Dog requires brushing once a week to maintain the coat's cleanliness, and remove dead hair. Nails should be checked and clipped regularly as necessary. In keeping their coats healthy, a routine combing with a firm bristle brush, and good nutrition are needed.

There are different recommendations in how often should Australian Cattle Dogs be bathed. Some suggests regular bathing, others insist bathed only when necessary. But in the end, what matters is what is right for them. Every dog's needs may vary. To those who bathe the dog only when needed, brushing once a week is advised.

Training

Extremely obedient and intelligent, these dogs are not responsive to harsh handling. Training with firmness, praise, consistency, and patience is crucial. Intensive socialization and obedience training as early as possible are imperative for the Australian Cattle Dogs. Their high intelligence makes them excellent obedience trainees. But beware, with their high intelligence comes stubbornness, as they tend to be manipulative to get what they want.

Character

The Australian Cattle Dog is alert, strong, agile, and compact. They are trustworthy, exceedingly devoted, and courageous to the tasks they are given. With the combination of balance, power, substance, and hard muscular state makes them an excellent working and herding breed.

Related Book:

A New Owner's Guide to Australian Cattle Dog

I highly recommend this book. It provides everything that you need to know about your Cattle Dog. It has great detail/history, explanations, and it's easy to understand. I've followed the instructions and training tips that have been provided in this book to raise, and train my 12 week old Cattle Dog. The results have been outstanding. My puppy is responding just as the book stated that he would. Goodluck, it's worth your money!!


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Characteristics of an Australian Cattle Dog

An Australian Cattle Dog is also known by the names Queensland Blue Heeler, Red Heeler and Blue Heeler. The breed hails from Australia where it was bred for driving cattle and other working purposes. Like many dogs of this class, the Australian Cattle Dog has a high level of energy and a very active mind; the dogs need something to do which engages the body and brain. It is important for an owner to show the dog they are the alpha from the very beginning, otherwise the dog may not know who the boss is.

The coat of an Australian Cattle Dog comes in blue and red, which is the result of cattle ranchers inbreeding the dogs with native dingoes and other breeds. Finding a dog breed that could handle the responsibilities of a cattle herd and with the stamina needed to withstand harsh working conditions was necessary. Over time, the Australian Cattle Dog emerged and made a name for itself, by being a breed that could withstand the tasks required. With a stocky build, confident nature and fixed gaze the dog could hold their own against even the most wild of animal herds. The Australian Cattle Dog can also outwork dogs of other breeds, making it a valuable tool to have on a ranch.

While many Australian Cattle Dogs can be found chasing the herds, the dog has also become a great choice for people with an active lifestyle. People wanting a walking buddy or a dog that will enjoy accompanying them on jogs, the breed is the perfect companion. Many owners report that while the breed exhibits a stubborn streak, they enjoy having an intelligent dog that will do anything to protect the household.

Once a Cattle Dog attaches himself to the family, they can expect to have a loyal and loving companion for many years to come. In order to deal with large cattle, part of the traits of the Australian Cattle Dog breed is being able to appear intimidating. A Cattle Dog will go to great lengths to stand its ground in any given situation, the dogs were built to handle a tough environment and this tendency is still present even now. Whether in the home or field, an Australian Cattle Dog can be found trying to herd anything it can, even other dogs and small children.

A number of people who own Australian Cattle Dog's dock the tail; there is a big debate over whether or not the practice of docking is humane or needed. When in the field tending cattle or simply chasing a ball around, the dog will use its thick tail as a form of propeller. Back in the days when the breed was used for primarily herding, a group of the dogs would work together but were often led to fend for themselves as far as finding food. This meant pack life was very important to the breed's survival.

Many owners notice the importance of establishing their place in the pack from day one. Once the person allows the dog to get the upper hand and act out bad behavior, it is hard to turn things around. Early obedience is a must and the dog needs early socialization as well to avoid reacting negatively to periods of isolation. Taking all these things in mind before deciding to bring an Australian Cattle Dog can help determine whether or not the breed would be well-suited to your family.

Related Book:

Australian Cattle Dogs

The sturdy, active Australian Cattle Dog is an excellent working dog, noted for its loyalty and protective instincts toward its master. This book is a title in Barron's extensive line ofComplete Pet Owner's Manuals . Heavily illustrated with color photos and instructive line art, these books present information on housing, feeding, health care, the title animal's traits--and where applicable, on grooming, training, and breeding. Each book is individually written by a trainer, breeder, veterinarian, or other animal specialist. The titles cover virtually all animals that are kept as pets, and include a wide selection of dog and cat breeds, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, small mammals, and even some insects and arachnids.

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