Australian Cattle Dog

The cattle raised on Australian land in the 1800s were wild and untamed, and the traditional European herding dogs brought over weren’t really up for the job. There was a need for a dog that could travel long distances over the rough terrain of Australia in punishing temperatures—and one that could do so without barking at the cattle and startling them. 

Blue merle Highland Collies were bred with wild Dingos in 1840, producing Hal’s Heelers. Other breeds were crossed including the Bull Terrier, Dalmatian, and Black and Tan Kelpie. The resulting dogs had all the endurance, ruggedness, instincts, and protectiveness needed to pull off the job. 

As the dogs became increasingly vital to the cattle industry of Queensland, they gained the name Queensland Blue Heeler. They later became known as Australian Heeler, and then Australian Cattle Dog. They debuted in the United States in the 80s. 

If you enjoy the outdoors and live on a lot of land, you will set the Australian Cattle Dog up for success. They love rural life, especially if they can be put to work herding cattle. If you can’t provide cattle, then long walks and time spent herding giant exercise balls or taking part in competitive dog sports will suffice for this tough, workaholic dog.

The Australian Cattle dog needs exercise every day, including mental stimulation and training. They have great stamina and endurance and will happily accept much more exercise time. This is a very agile dog and an independent thinker, so it is better not to leave them unsupervised or bored for long as they might become noisy and destructive.

So long as you have access to lots of land for playing and exploring, the Australian Cattle Dog is happy. They have been bred to work out how to get around obstacles in the course of their work, making them excellent little Houdinis. Given their natural desire to react to movement and control moving objects, this is a breed better kept away from busy roads and bustling pavements. Quiet rural or farm homes will suit this breed much better than town or city.

The Australian Cattle Dog needs to bring out dead hair, making them relatively low maintenance. If wet and muddy, allow them to dry and watch the dirt easily brush off. Paws and ears should be checked daily for things like thorns.

Agile and ready to show it off, the Australian Cattle Dog enjoys sports and activities that cater to this eagerness and enthusiasm. They love training and learning, and it won’t be hard to find an activity that your Aussie Cattle Dog will excel at. Teaching them to relax, however, might be harder.

A wrangler at heart, they prefer that groups stay together and move along at a pace they dictate, including their own families. Families with small children might find this burdensome. Australian Cattle Dogs require a lot of time to exercise and train which may conflict with family time commitments.

The cost of an Australian Cattle Dog from a breeder is significantly more than the cost of adopting one from a local shelter or rescue. The adoption fee usually covers additional items such as spaying or neutering, vaccines, and microchipping.