The Australian Cattle Dog
The Australian Cattle Dog
Origins
The Australian Cattle Dog (named also Red Heeler, Hall’s Heeler, Queensland Heeler or Blue Heeler) has his origins in the regions of Australia, and was mainly used to control and herding cattle. This breed becomes obvious in the late 1890.
Appearance and Grooming
This breed displays an athletic and muscular body, well shaped and agile. It has a very symmetrical bone structure, a balanced build with hard muscles. The size varies from 49-50 cm at the withers for males (45-48 cm for females) and the weight is about 20-22 kg for males and 18-20 kg for females. The coat is displayed in unsolid colors of red or blue and possibly some near solid patches of color and even a mask around the eyes. The Australian Cattle dog could display ginger markings and spots on the feet, some on the face and in the underparts. Their tale should be undocked, long and natural. The most distinctive feature for this breed is the face mask. It is rather evident. Some marks presend on the face can separate the pure breed from other related breeds. An example would be the Bentley Mark, a spot or stripe of white hair in the center of the forehead that links the Australian Cattle dog with the purebred dog owned by Thomas Bentley. Grooming is rather low but it’s demanded seasonally when the dog sheds heavily. In general brushing his coat should be done once or twice a week.
Health and Lifestyle
The Australian Cattle Dog has a lifespan of about 11-13 years. They can suffer from various muscular problems, deafness, cancer, cerebral vascular stroke, even blindness.
Temperament
The Australian Cattle Dog is a very powerful and demanding breed. They are well organized and expert frisbee catchers. When it comes to physical activities, they have a high potential. They require a lot of exercise and activity. Being a herding dog breed, they were used to long and extensive running. They are interesting subjects for a proper dog training plan, and short sessions are considered to be way more effective. Many dog owners consider this breed as a good trainee for dog agility. Bringing new experimentation and various exercises maintain the dog alert and interested.
More articles on this:
- The Australian Shepherd (Aussie)
- The Australian Terrier
- The Bearded Collie
- The Golden Retriever
- The American Staffordshire Terrier
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