Also called the Queensland Heeler, the Australian Cattle Dog is a rough and tough working dog bred to herd cattle and sheep, often without much human assistance. A composite of the Kelpie, the Scottish Highland Collie, the Dalmatian, the Bull Terrier and the wild Australian Dingo these are dogs on a mission. They're industrious, intelligent and very energetic.
Australian Cattle Dogs are workaholics and not suited to the life of a family pet without special attention to their requirements. They need an experienced owner who can provide the amount of time and energy they demand. Heelers are independent thinkers who can be pretty determined to have their own way. Be sure you're educated about the breed and up for the challenge before you get a Australian Cattle Dog.
Boredom is virtually intolerable to Australian Cattle Dogs. The easy life in a small yard is not at all suitable for them. The need for lots of exercise, mental and physical, make them a poor choice for anyone who has only limited time to spend with them. They are happiest if they have a job to do and can be with you most of the time. Highly intelligent and ambitious they have to have outlets for all that energy. If he doesn't get a minimum of an hour's vigorous exercise, (three would be better,) he'll channel his energy into destructive behaviors. Chewing, the really serious kind that can create a pile of splinters where the coffee table once stood and\or digging holes you could park a Volkswagen in as well as bad toilet behavior will result if the AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS is forced into inactivity. They are what they are due to the selective breeding that went into creating a hard working cattle dog. Keep this in mind and budget plenty of time for your dog.
Herding instinct is totally integrated into the circuits of the AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS. He'll nip and nudge and dart around trying to herd anything that moves. This can be a nuisance to the other family pets and dangerous with small children.
The fence around the yard your dog occupies needs to have a buried portion to keep him from digging out and be as high as possible. Five foot of chain link is a plaything for these athletic little dogs. A six foot solid fence is ideal as he probably can't climb out and he won't be tempted to bark at everyone and everything that passes by.
Australian Cattle Dogs make excellent watch dogs as they are naturally wary and suspicious of strangers. This trait needs to be tempered with good socialization. When he is vaccinated work on socialization to allow him to develop good manners around other dogs and people. This can't be over stressed. One great option is to enroll him in puppy classes as soon as possible. These offer a positive and supervised way for all kinds of puppies to interact with one another and the people involved. It's and invaluable tool to help your AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS grow up well mannered and confident around other dogs and people.
Aggression toward other dogs, particularly same sex dogs, is a present among some Australian Cattle Dogs, so keep him on a lead around other dogs if you aren't completely sure they are acquainted and on friendly terms.
Another trait that isn't popular with some people is the tendency to bark a lot, often for no determinable reason. Periods of being alone are almost certain to trigger this so pass on this breed if you work all day and your neighbors have reasonably good ears.
As your dog begins to grow out of the puppy stage he'll start testing your determination to hold onto you spot as top dog. Don't give up the alphas status. Be firm and confident and stand your ground. A working knowledge of dog psychology will be a big help here. He's setting up the challenge to see how far you can be pushed, so keep that in mind and exercise your alpha dog right to be the boss. Keep an active lookout for small challenging behaviors that let you know what he's work on and nip them in the bud.
Getting enough vigorous exercise is crucial to a AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS. Only in their golden years will a gentle walk around the block be enough for these guys. Rollerblading, biking and jogging are more to his liking. Agility and advanced obedience work engage both mind and body and AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS are standout at both. The bonus is that this close communication team work builds strong bonds between you and your dog and you get a work out too.
As with many breeds, neutering helps suppress some of the aggression as it cuts the amount of hormones the dog produces. The added benefit here is that other dogs can smell that he's no longer “all man,” and don't treat him as so much of a potential threat as they otherwise might.
In the early stages of training your puppy and adolescent AUSTRALIAN CATTLE DOGS needs a half an hour of training per day. Don't try to do the whole thing in one go. Break it up into intervals of a few minutes each. As he reaches adulthood and his training is well underway, spend a minimum of fifteen minutes per day. This keeps him obedient to you and makes it clear that you're still in the driver's seat. Taking the extra time with a young dog will pay big dividends later on. Throughout this training and any advanced work you may do keep an up-beat attitude. Make him work hard for his food rewards. Remember, he loves a challenge. Unlike many dogs, Australian Cattle Dogs aren't overly interested in pleasing you just for the heck of it. He needs to see the payoff for him.
Although these dogs aren't for everyone, they can be wonderfully loyal and affectionate and share years of great camaraderie with the person who's willing to invest time and effort to raise them right and take responsibility for the maintenance of their health and happiness.
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