Australian Cattle Dog
Breed Group: Herding Group
Size Group: Medium Dog Breeds
Origin: Australia
Height: F: 17-19″, M: 18-20″
Weight: 35-50 lbs
Color: Blue, Blue mottled, Blue speckled, Red speckled, Red mottled with or without Tan, Black & tan, or Red Markings
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Loyal, energetic, hard-working
Set Your Pup Up For Success
Overview
Say g’day to the Australian Cattle Dog! These pups from Down Under are also known as Blue Heelers. They are descents of dingoes, bred as cattle movers for the rough Outback terrain. They are agile and intelligent. They are high energy pups that make wonderful running partners.
Training early with these pups is an absolute must. Blue heelers have very strong herding instincts and will herd anything that moves unless trained to do otherwise. Additionally, they will chase whatever moves including bicycles and cars, and can become aggressive if not socialized properly.
Conversely a properly socialized and trained Australian cattle dog is a wonderful family companion, always with its owner and can play gently with children. The personality of this breed is largely based on how it is nurtured.
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Celebrity Owners
Matthew McConaughy, Owen Wilson, Heath Ledger
Fun Facts
Blue Heelers tend to dig in their water dishes, which makes most owners crazy. This links back to their dingo ancestors who dug in the ground to access water.
Health
Blue heelers are healthy pups. Some issues to be aware of include hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, deafness, cataracts, lens luxation, and osteochondritis dissecans
While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.
Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.
Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.
Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.
Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
- Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
- Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
- Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
- At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.
Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.
Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.
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Grooming
Blue heelers do not require much upkeep. Brush your pup’s coat once a week to remove dead hair and redistribute naturally occurring skin oil. This breed goes through two seasonal shedding periods where daily brushing will be required to contain the hair loss. Your pup will only need a bath when he gets dirty or starts to smell. As with all dogs, keep your pup’s eyes and ears clean and clear of debris. Trim your pup’s nail monthly and brush your pup’s teeth several times per week.
Cost
$600 – $3,000
Exercise
This breed needs mental and physical exercise each day. They prefer having a job to do, so set your pup up for just that. Plan on spending at least 30 minutes per day playing fetch, going on walks, hikes, or jogs with your pup. These dogs love to be with their owners and will follow you around whenever possible. When you are away supply your pup with lots of puzzle toys to keep busy. A bored dog is a destructive dog, so set your pup up for success.
Nutrition
A full sized Australian cattle dog will eat around 2.5 cups of food. The exact requirements for your dog will depend on age and activity level.
We’ve taken a look at some premium dog foods, high in nutrition here.
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Training
As with all dogs, early socialization with humans and other dogs is essential. This breed has herder instincts and will herd anything that moves, including children. If you have children in the home early discouragement of this behavior will keep your pup from nipping at your kids. Consistent positive reinforcement training will help your pup thrive. They see training as work and boy do they love to work. Blue heelers should continue training throughout their lives.
Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pup’s life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!
Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.
Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.
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Supplements
A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.
Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.
Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.
Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.
Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.
As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.
Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.
Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.
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The Good
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