Pastoral group · Australia
Australian Cattle Dog
Also called ACD, Blue Heeler, Red Heeler, Queensland Heeler.
What makes them remarkable
Dingoes are part of this cattle dog’s ancestry, alongside imported herding dogs.
- Alert
- Curious
- Loyal
- Protective
- Energetic
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 16 to 23 kg35 to 50 lb
- Lives
- 12 to 16 years
- Energy
- Very High
- Trains
- High
- Barks
- Moderate
Training
Training an Australian Cattle Dog
Pastoral breeds. Give the brain a job or it will find one. Chasing, nipping and fixating are the breed doing its work.
Exercise First, Train Second
Start here
Extremely high energy, exercise before training sessions for focus.
Nipping Tendency
Bred to nip heels, redirect this instinct early and consistently.
Mental Challenges
Highly intelligent, needs puzzle toys, trick training, or working tasks.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Australian Cattle Dog and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, one step at a time.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to herd and guard livestock. Watchful, responsive, and wired to control movement.
Gets on with
- ChildrenModerate
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersLow
- CatsLow
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 2+ hours daily. Intense physical activity and mental stimulation required.
- Grooming
- Low to moderate. Weekly brushing, heavier during shedding.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Double coat, Short, DenseBlue, Blue Mottled, Blue Speckled, Red Mottled, Red Speckled
- In a flat
- Needs more space than a flat gives.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Hip Dysplasia
Moderate
Joint condition common in active breeds
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Moderate
Inherited blindness condition
Deafness
Moderate
Congenital deafness linked to coat colour genetics
Where they come from
History
Developed in the 1800s by crossing native Dingoes with imported herding dogs including Collies and Dalmatians. Created to drive cattle across vast Australian distances.
- Bluey · Lived to 29 years, 5 months, oldest dog ever verified
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