Australian Cattle Dog Dog Breed Info
The Australian Cattle Dog is a superb cattle header with agility, speed, and exceptional courage. These dogs are simply gluttons for work, and will run all day if you let them. They are equally skilled at herding cattle on the open range, or working them in confined spaces.
The Australian cattle industry owes much to this dog, and would probably not have existed without it. Back in the early 19th century many small ranchers settled in Queensland. These ranchers needed dogs to work their herds, and as none of the existing breeds fit the bill, they started breeding a dog fit-to-purpose.
Early breed history is sketchy, but it is believed that crosses between the Smooth Collie, Kelpie, Dalmatian, and even wild Dingos went into creating what became known as the Queensland Blue Heeler.
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The earliest Blue Heelers were bred with courage, speed and agility in mind and proved to be exceptional cattle dogs. But the breed we know today was refined and standardized mainly thanks to a man named Robert Kaleski, who drew up the first standard in 1902.
In 1903, New South Wales Kennel Club status was granted under the name Australian Cattle Dog, although Blue Heeler is still commonly used in Australia.
The ACD is a single-minded dog that has absolute focus on the job at hand. They are highly intelligent, pliant, and easy to train. They are also extremely loyal and eager to please, although somewhat suspicious of strangers.
These dogs control cattle by nipping at their heels, and they have particularly strong jaws, with formidable teeth. It is therefore important that biting and nipping should not be tolerated in a puppy.
This is a hardy, robust breed with few congenital disorders. Due to the work it does, the ACD is more likely to suffer injury than illness.
These are medium sized dogs, standing about 18-20 inches at the withers. They have a broad skull and deep muzzle in order to deliver that powerful bite. The body is sturdy, and the coat is short, harsh and weather resistant. All puppies are born white and the coat later takes on the patchwork appearance that is characteristic of the breed.
Coat colors are primarily merle or red. The merle coat features blue mottling, while the red coat has red speckling. Both variants feature a spray of white on the tail.
Aside from being a herding dog, the Australian Cattle Dog makes an excellent pet for the right owner. The proviso though is that the owner needs to be an active, outdoor type who is prepared to meet the dog's considerable exercise needs.
Remember that these are, first and foremost, working dogs, so they need lots of activity and, preferably, a job to do.
If you’re stuck for dog names, for your Australian Cattle Dog, I’d recommend that you check out Puppy Names HQ, an online database that has thousands of excellent dog names including a huge list of female dog names.
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