Frequent Are cattle dogs right for me? A Complete Guide

How to Care for a Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog breed has hard work and people-pleasing in their DNA, but that doesn’t make the breed low maintenance. Daily activity and training will take more time than grooming, but they’re happy to take up exercising with you as a substitute for farm life.

While the Australian Cattle Dog breed is known to have a sturdy constitution and a robust life expectancy of 12 to 16 years, it’s important to know there are some common health issues to look out for in the breed.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy: This eye condition is a common health issue for Blue Heelers. Initially, PRA presents as retinal deterioration, and over time, it can lead to a total loss of vision in your dog. Common symptoms include difficulty seeing at night and widened pupils. Sometimes the development of cataracts may occur in the degeneration’s late stages. Unfortunately, there are no effective treatments for PRA. If this happens, pups with vision loss can still live happy lives with the love of parents who help them navigate the world around them.

Hip Dysplasia: Australian Cattle Dogs are also susceptible to hip dysplasia. This inherited condition arises when the hip joint’s ball and socket fail to fit snugly together. Common symptoms include hobbling, decreased physical activity and stiffness or limping. Pet parents may be happy to know that there are various treatments for hip dysplasia, ranging from lifestyle changes (e.g. dieting and weight loss) to surgery.

Deafness: Also inherited, deafness is another health issue for Australian Cattle Dogs. This impairment can vary widely from dog to dog. Common indications of deafness include excessive barking and a lack of reaction to normal noises. Currently, there is no treatment for deafness in dogs. Again, pet parents are encouraged to help their pups navigate the world as best they can. In this case, keeping them on a leash is crucial when they’re outside as they won’t be able to hear what’s going on around them, and that can become a significant safety concern.

The origin of the Australian Cattle Dog began in the 19th century when the British brought the Smithfield sheepdog to Australia. This dog, however, did not fare too well on the rough terrain and sweltering heat, so Australian settlers quickly sought to create a herding breed to thrive in that environment.

Initially, Smithfields were bred with dingoes as well as the Scottish Highland Collie. The Blue Heeler we know today is a cross between a mixed dingo-Collie breed and Dalmatian.

While their history began in Australia, the breed first came to America in 1950. Australian Cattle Dogs were admitted to American Kennel Club in 1980, and they became a charter member of AKC Herding Group at its inception.

When looking for information on the Australian Cattle Dog, you’ll find this breed has plenty of aliases, including the Queensland Heeler (a nod to its origins) and Blue Heeler. The term heeler came to be associated with them as a clever reference to their herding style of nipping at the heels of cattle to move them along, while the term blue refers to their popular blue-gray speckled coats.

If you’re looking for an Australian Cattle Dog puppy, you can find reputable breeders at the American Kennel Club’s website. You can expect puppies to cost between $600 and $1,000, but they can go upwards of $2,000 for championship lines. For that price, you’re likely getting a pup who’s been screened for health and temperament issues and may come with pedigree papers. If you’d like to adopt a pup, reach out to Blue Heeler rescues or keep an eye out for the breed at your local animal shelter.

Life Expectancy:12 to 16 years

Australian Cattle Dogs are best for active, experienced pet parents. They need lots of exercise, so homes with large yards are a must. Blue Heelers also tend to do better in households with older children.

Australian Cattle Dogs were bred to be working dogs and are classified as members of the herding group. (Those dog born to herd livestock.) Most of these dogs are at their happiest when working, or at least staying busy. As such, this breed thrives in active households and hates being bored.

Because they’re herders, raising an Australian Cattle Dog means training and socialization are important. This is an independent breed who doesn’t want to share. So, start introducing your pup to people, other dogs and situations while they’re young to help them be accepting of new experiences as they grow up. When it comes to obedience training, consistency is important. Regular training sessions will help this tenacious breed be a well-behaved family member.Australian Cattle Dogs may sound like a handful, but with confident pet parents to channel their energy the right way, these dogs are unstoppable.

The Australian Cattle Dog: Family Dog and Intelligent Companion

Australian Cattle Dogs, also called Blue Heelers, are extremely alert, pleasant pups with keen intelligence and a fierce sense of loyalty. These faithful friends are not considered aggressive and can be an excellent fit for families with kids.

However, if you have very young children, ideally, you should find a young pup that can grow up alongside your children and that you can properly train and socialize with your kids. Otherwise, this breed might be a better fit for older children, around 9 or 10 years of age. This is information worth keeping in mind when you’re trying to decide if you should buy or adopt an older or younger dog. ACDs can be a bit nippy, which can be alarming for smaller children; another reason early training is so necessary.

Although you should always withhold your final judgment until you meet your potential new housemate, an Australian Cattle Dog is a great choice when considering a new family pet.

Here are four reasons why an Australian Cattle Dog is the best family dog:

An Australian Cattle Dog is very active and has high-energy levels, making him excellent at keeping up with active kids.

An Australian Cattle Dog is exceptionally loyal, and if he grows up with your kids, he will no doubt watch over them and keep them safe.

An Australian Cattle Dog isn’t known for barking a lot, which is always a plus if you have young kids or children sensitive to loud noises.

An Australian Cattle Dog is very intelligent, so as long as you put in the time and effort, this pup will quickly catch on to how he should behave.

Frequent Are cattle dogs right for me?

7 Reasons you SHOULD NOT get a Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog)

The Australian Cattle Dog is also known as the Queensland Heeler – Queensland being a state in his native Australia, and Heeler referring his herding style of nipping at the heels of cattle in order to move them along. His color pattern can be blue-gray or red-gray, so you might also hear him called Blue Heeler or Red Heeler.

He is absolutely NOT an apartment dog. To stay in hard muscular condition and a satisfied frame of mind, Queensland Heelers require lots of exercise. Working livestock, agility, jogging, biking, chasing balls, and playing Frisbee are productive outlets for this breeds high energy. Cooping him up with nothing to do will lead to destructive behaviors and obsessive barking.

With strangers, the Cattle Dog is watchful and often suspicious. Early socialization is important so that he does not become too sharp.

He can be dominant and pushy with other dogs, and with his strong chasing drives and tendency to nip at whatever he is pursuing, he is not recommended around cats unless raised with them.

A challenging combination of cleverness and hard-headedness, Australian Cattle Dogs will test members of the family during adolescence and must be handled with firm, consistent leadership. These versatile dogs can learn and do a great deal in the right hands, but they will run right over hapless owners.

Keep in mind that the inheritance of temperament is less predictable than the inheritance of physical traits such as size or shedding. Temperament and behavior are also shaped by raising and training.

About the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers. An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs.

Dog training videos. Sometimes its easier to train your puppy (or adult dog) when you can see the correct training techniques in action. The problem is that most dog training videos on the internet are worthless, because they use the wrong training method. I recommend these dog training videos that are based on respect and leadership.