Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog is a very intelligent and highly trainable breed. He is a loyal and dedicated animal with a strong protective streak and a confident and strong willed personality. Bold and courageous, this is a dog that makes a good companion dog, and enjoys a wide range of activities. You will need to keep your Australian Cattle Dog occupied, as otherwise he can get bored easily and this can lead to destructive behavior. He needs a lot of exercise to keep him hard. These dogs can be nippy and vocal, and their headstrong personality makes them more suited for more experienced owners rather than novice dog owners. He may try to gather children and visitors into groups by nipping and biting at the heels, due to his herding instinct.

The Australian Cattle Dog should be okay with older, more considerate children, but can be aggressive and wary around other dogs. These dogs are not really suited around cats unless they have been raised with them from puppy-hood. The Australian Cattle Dog is an intelligent and bold breed, but can be a little too headstrong, which means that they need to be handled assertively and firmly. You will also find that the Australian Cattle Dog has bags of energy and will enjoy all sorts of activities. His suspicious personality and vocal tendencies make him a good watchdog, but also mean that he will often be very wary of strangers.

Australian Cattle Dog Appearance

The Australian Cattle Dog weighs in at around 35-50 pounds, and reaches around 17-20 inches in height. His coat is smooth, hard, and close, and is made up of a waterproof overcoat couples with a denser undercoat. Coloring of the coat can vary and includes red, blue speckled, or blue mottled, with black or tan markings on the head. This breed has a strong and athletic appearance, and an eager expression. His double coat does shed quite heavily on a seasonal basis, and will need to be brushed regularly, particularly during shedding season.

Australian Cattle Dog Grooming

During the times that the Australian Cattle Dog is shedding heavily you will need to brush his double coat on a daily basis in order to get rid of dead hair and keep it smooth and in good condition. At other times of the year you can brush the coat on a once weekly basis.

Australian Cattle Dog Health Problems and Life Expectancy

The lifespan of the Australian Cattle Dog is around 10-15 years. There are a number of health problems that are commonly associated with this breed, and these include glaucoma, lens luxation, and deafness. You should make sure that the parents of your Australian Cattle Dog puppy have OFA and CERF certificates, and your puppy has BAER certification.

Australian Cattle Dog History

The Australian Cattle Dog originates, of course, from Australia, and is the result of cross breeding between dogs including bull terriers, Australian Kelpies, Scottish Highland collies, dalmations, and wild dingo. Developed in the early nineteenth century, this dog, as the name suggests, was bred for herding cattle, often over long distances. The breed was registered with the AKC in 1980.