Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog (ACD), also known as the Queensland Heeler, Blue Heeler, and Red Heeler, is a herding dog developed in Australia for controlling cattle. It is a medium-sized dog with a lot of energy, intelligence and an independent streak.

The precise origins of the "Blue Heeler" are not known, but they appear to have been a distinct breed as early as 1897. It began when Smithfields were originally used in Australia for herding cattle, but they were noisy and bit too hard, so they were bred with the Dingo, or wild dog prevalent in Australia, and were then called “Timmins Biters,” which were quieter, but still bit hard. Border Collies and Smooth-coated Collies, used for herding sheep, and the dingo were then bred with each other. In 1840, Thomas Hall bred a couple of Blue Smooth Highland Collies with dingoes and got the “Hall’s Heeler”. Then, in the 1870’s Fred Davis bred some Bull Terrier into them to make the dogs more aggressive. These were relatively common as sporting and guard dogs in the late 19th and early 20th century. The resulting Australian Cattle Dog was of a slightly heavier and more muscular build than the Border Collie and of less temperamental nature, with good herding ability, the stamina to withstand extremes of temperature and the resourcefulness to forage and to feed itself on an omnivorous diet like a wild dog. Physically the "Heeler" has inherited a big broad head, strong jaws, and rather large pricked ears from the Bull Terrier. From the Dingo comes the distinctive sandy colour of the legs, and the tendency to regard a kennel as something to be sat on like a rock, or burrowed under, but almost never lived in, unless the rain is pouring down.

Like the Bull Terrier, the "Heeler" is fearless with cattle and has a tendency to nip their heels to keep them moving, when herding. This trait is undesirable when the dog applies to humans, and also to horses. In order to create a breed that had a strong natural affiliation with horses, the Australian Cattle Dog was crossed with the Dalmatian, which although not a working dog, was popular during the 19th and early 20th century as a carriage dog, running beside the horses. The resultant dog was one which was friendly to horses and would work cooperatively with a horse, in a herding situation.

This breeding with the Dalmatian led to the spotted colouration valued in "Blue Heelers", the dark colour being the somewhat bluish black of the collie. For many years "Blue Heelers" commonly had large black patches on the body, as well as the Collie's mask. It was also common for them to have ears that lay back against the head like some Collies. The flat ears are now considered undesirable for showing.

Australian Cattle Dog's Appearance

The Australian Cattle Dog's coat comes in a variety of markings, sometimes quite striking. The coat has a bluish appearance, (hence the name). This is caused by the mottling of colour all over the dog's body, with the exception of the areas of solid colour. The solid colour is found in the facial mask and perhaps in a saddle or a few large splashes on the body. The rest of the dog is covered with hairs which are alternately coloured and white, like the hair on a roan horse. This mottling is also found in collies that are merle in colouration. But unlike merle collies, this colour in Australian Cattle Dogs is not accompanied by odd-coloured eyes and irregular albino patching. The blue coat of a Australian Cattle Dog shows an even disposition of colour, with regularly-placed denser areas of dark colour showing up as spots, inherited from the Dalmatian ancestry.

The Australian Cattle Dog is generally blue, with ginger feet, ginger spots on the legs, and some of the ginger colour on the face and underparts. The alternate colour is red. A "Red Heeler" has no blue whatsoever. Its body is flecked with red and white, its mask is red and if it has patches on the body, they are red also.

For dog owners whose interest is primarily in their qualification for conformation shows, even markings are preferred over uneven markings, and large solid-colour marks on the body are undesirable. For owners who are more interested in their dogs' performance in activities such as herding or dog sports, the breed's strong work ethic and intelligence are of more importance than the exact coat markings. The mask is one of the most distinctive features of an Australian Cattle Dog. This mask consists of a blue-black patch over one or both eyes (for the blue coat colour) or a red patch over one or both eyes (for the red speckle coat colour). The blue variety should also show some red on the face. Depending on whether one eye or both have a patch, these are called, respectively, single mask and double mask. Australian Cattle Dogs without a mask are called plain-faced and may have small red "eyebrows". Any of these is correct according to the breed standard, and the only limitation is the owner's preference.

Many Australian Cattle Dogs have a stripe of white hair in the centre of the forehead, usually 1/2 inch to 1 inch by 2 inches to 3 inches (about 2 cm by 7 cm) called the Bentley Mark. This is similar in appearance to the blaze markings sometimes found on horses. This mark can be traced to a purebred dog owned by Thomas Bentley. According to legend, a popular dog owned by Tom Bentley passed on this distinctive mark to all Australian Cattle Dogs. They also frequently have a white tip to the tail and a small white patch on the chest.

A female Australian Cattle Dog should measure about 17 to 19 inches (43 to 48 cm) at the withers. A male Australian Cattle Dog should measure about 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) at the withers. An Australian Cattle Dog is a well-muscled, compact dog with a dense coat of coarse, rather oily hair with a slight ruff and fine winter undercoat. It has a naturally long tail, generally carried low, with a slight white tip. An Australian Cattle Dog in good condition should weigh roughly 35 to 50 pounds (16 to 23 kg).

Some breeders dock Australian Cattle Dog's tails. This is a controversial practice and, in some countries, is illegal or is prohibited for show dogs.

Docking Australian Cattle Dogs' tails is a practice peculiar to the United States - Australian Cattle Dog tails are not docked in their country of origin, Australia. The Australian Cattle Dog needs its attractive tail for balance and steering while working or in agility. It is widely believed the tails are docked because of the mistaken notion that the dog will get its tail caught in doors or mouths of irate livestock. This is not to be confused with the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, a square dog which is born with a naturally 'bobbed' tail; this animal strongly resembles the Australian Cattle Dog, it should never be confused with the Australian Cattle Dog. The ASTCD appears to have a taller, leaner conformation.

Australian Cattle Dog's Temperament

Like many herding dogs, Australian Cattle Dogs have high energy levels and active minds. They need plenty of exercise and a job to do, such as participating in dog sports, learning tricks, or other activities that engage their minds. Some individuals find repetitive training frustrating and dull, so owners should aim to make training sessions varied and more exciting in order to keep their dog interested. Australian Cattle Dogs who do not receive the appropriate exercise and entertainment will invent their own, often destructive, activities. These dogs are, by nature, wary. They are naturally cautious, and grow more so as they age. Their cautious nature towards strangers make them perfect guard dogs, when trained for this task. Australian Cattle Dogs drive cattle by nipping at their heels, but they have also been known to herd other animals, such as ducks, chickens and flocks of ground-feeding parrots without instruction when left to their own devices. When around people, their instinct to herd is sometimes hard to suppress and they can nip at people to herd them. If these dogs are around children, they and their owners must have sufficient training to know how to manage or avoid such situations. When walking with their master, they will often follow close behind, with their nose at the heel. To relieve the urge to nip, the Australian Cattle Dog can be encouraged to pick up and chew a toy or stick that is thrown for them. The Australian Cattle Dog, given a toy that would last another dog for an extended time, will happily sit down with the object between its paws and skilfully shred it into small pieces. An Australian Cattle Dog will remove the fuzz from a tennis ball as neatly as it would skin a rabbit. Any toy left with the Australian Cattle Dog needs to be extremely robust if it is to last.

The Australian Cattle Dog has maintained many instincts from the Dingo. The Australian Cattle Dog is an outdoor dog rather than an indoor dog and even on a frosty night will scorn the comfort of a box in the laundry in favour of a shallow depression that they have dug for themselves. They are habitual diggers. In the dry outback of Australia, it is often necessary for their antecedent, the Dingo to dig in creek beds to find water. Dingoes also dig lairs for themselves, to escape the heat and cold. Likewise, the Australian Cattle Dog, regardless of how comfortable its kennel, prefers a hollow in the ground. They will invariably excavate underneath the kennel, if the ground is sufficiently soft to do so. This tendency, and the ability to climb, means that an Australian Cattle Dog is difficult to keep in a suburban yard.

For this reason, and because on the very large country properties where they work, the whereabouts of the dog must be known, the Australian Cattle Dog is often kept on a chain. While this is distressing to some animal rights activists, it seems to cause very little distress to the dogs in question, provided the chain is not too restricting and they are let off during the day for a period of exercise, either with their owner, or playing with the other working dogs. For the rest of the time, they are content to loll in the shade, or sit perched on top of the kennel from where they can survey the road, the gate, the back door, the chook pen and the poddy calves. Australian Cattle Dog's will go out of their way to find shade, even if it's their owners shadow.

The Australian Cattle Dog is gregarious to other dogs with whom it is familiar, working well in combination with other Australian Cattle Dogs, Kelpies and Border Collies. Because of their plucky nature, the establishing of an order can result in a few scuffles and bites, because a young Australian Cattle Dog is not easy to subdue and will rarely just roll over and allow itself to be sniffed, even if the sniffing dog is as large as a pony.

It is important for an owner to quickly establish a hierarchy in which they are the dog's pack leader, otherwise the young Australian Cattle Dog may bond to a senior dog, rather than to its owner. As an urban pet, if the young Australian Cattle Dog is allowed to bond too strongly with some senior dog in the neighbourhood, it can be very difficult for the owner to then establish control. With unknown dogs, particularly males, the Australian Cattle Dog can be aggressive and fearless.

Another tendency inherent from the Dingo is foraging. An Australian Cattle Dog will typically dig up and devour fungi, eat fallen fruit, pull down bunches of bananas and expertly skin them, nip neat holes in passion fruit to extract the interior and sit under a Flame Tree or a tropical Fig Tree eating the left-overs dropped by White Cockatoos and Fruit Bats. It is probable that a Australian Cattle Dog kept as a house pet benefits by a high proportion of vegetable matter in their diet. Because of their tendency to shred things and to rip off "skins" such as upholstery fabrics to get at the innards, the ideal bedding material for an Australian Cattle Dog is straw, combined with a few rags so that they can happily arrange their own bed, without inciting the ire of the owner.

Australian Cattle Dog activities

Australian Cattle Dogs not only tolerate a high level of physical activity, they almost demand it. Like many other herding dog breeds, they have active and fertile minds that turn mischievous if not properly channelled. Australian Cattle Dogs are highly intelligent and can be very bossy. When not active, an Australian Cattle Dog can be kept occupied with mental puzzles. Among the most popular activities for Australian Cattle Dogs is dog agility. While the Australian Cattle Dog is ideally suited for this work, since it is a herding breed and thus very reactive to the handler' s body language, some Australian Cattle Dogs become easily frustrated at the repetition and routine necessary to hone agility skills. As for many breeds, frequent brief training sessions are more effective than infrequent long training sessions. For this reason, many handlers find training an Australian Cattle Dog to be challenging. It is important to always change the methods and exercises and not allow the dog or handler to get into a rut. Australian Cattle Dogs thrive on change and new experiences.

Only a few Australian Cattle Dogs, therefore, have excelled in obedience competition. For example, the American Kennel Club awards an "Obedience Trial Championship" (OTCh) to the dog-and-handler team that defeats a large number of other teams in open competition. A handful of Australian Cattle Dogs have reached this level. While Australian Cattle Dogs enjoy the challenge of obedience competition, such as retrieving a scented article, the majority of Australian Cattle Dogs are easily bored with precision drilling.

Australian Cattle Dogs are expert frisbee catchers, with just a little work they can master this activity and enjoy it for a lifetime.