The Australian Cattle Dog - Intelligent and Hard Working

By Lee Dobbins
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.
Lee Dobbins, a pet owner and dog enthusiast, writes for dogs.pet-breeds.com where you can learn more about dogs and see photos of different dog breeds.
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