ACD, Cattle Dog, Blue Heeler, Red Heeler, Queensland Heeler
Origin
Australia
Traits
Height
Males
46–51 cm (18–20 in)
Females
43–48 cm (17–19 in)
Weight
15–22 kg (33–49 lb)
Coat
short double coat
Color
blue, blue mottled, blue speckled, red mottled, red speckled
Kennel club standards
ANKC
standard
Fédération Cynologique Internationale
standard
Dog (domestic dog)
The Australian Cattle Dog, or simply Cattle Dog, is a breed of herding dog developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. This breed is a medium-sized, short-coated dog that occurs in two main colour forms. It has either red or black hair distributed fairly evenly through a white coat, which gives the appearance of a "red" or "blue" dog.
As with dogs from other working breeds, the Australian Cattle Dog is energetic and intelligent with an independent streak. It responds well to structured training, particularly if it is interesting and challenging. It was originally bred to herd by biting, and is known to nip running children. It forms a strong attachment to its owners, and can be protective of them and their possessions. It is easy to groom and maintain, requiring little more than brushing during the shedding period. The most common health problems are deafness and progressive blindness (both hereditary conditions) and accidental injury.
Thomas Simpson Hall, pastoralist and son of pioneer Hawkesbury region colonist George Hall, developed an Australian working dog for cattle farming during the mid 1800s. Robert Kaleski, who wrote the first standard for the cattle dog (later, the Australian cattle dog), called Hall's dogs "Halls Heelers".[1] Thomas Hall imported dogs from the United Kingdom,[2] in particular blue-speckled Highland Collies, and crossed them with selected dingoes to create the breed.[3][4]
The Halls Heelers were later developed, in particular by Jack and Harry Bagust from Sydney in the 1880s, into the two modern breeds, the Australian Cattle Dog and the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. The Bagust brothers "bred a lot and drowned a lot" to create the breed.[3]
Australian Cattle Dog has been nicknamed a "Red Heeler" or "Blue Heeler" on the basis of its colouring and practice of moving reluctant cattle by nipping at their heels. The nickname "Queensland Heeler" may have originated in a popular booklet, published in Victoria.[5]
^Kaleski, Robert (1938). Foundation Dogs of Australia. Sydney Mail 13 April 1938 p. 26, 30.
^Kaleski, Robert (1907). The Australian Cattle Dog. The Bookfellow vol 1. no. 1, 3 January 1907, pp. 10-11.
^ abRolls, Eric (1981). A Million Wild Acres. Australia: Thomas Nelson. ISBN 9780868064642.
^"EBENEZER PIONEERS Of The Hakesbury". Windsor and Richmond Gazette. Vol. 37, no. 1963. New South Wales, Australia. 5 June 1925. p. 10. Retrieved 8 November 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
^Barrett, Charles, and Latchford, L. A. (c. 1934). The Sun Dog Book. Melbourne, Sun News-Pictorial.
and 23 Related for: Australian Cattle Dog information
The AustralianCattleDog, or simply CattleDog, is a breed of herding dog developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain...
cattle dog closely related to the AustralianCattleDog. The Australian Stumpy Tail CattleDog and the AustralianCattleDog share Halls Heeler origin. The...
Australian Kelpie, or simply Kelpie, is an Australian sheepdog capable of mustering and droving with little or no guidance. It is a medium-sized dog and...
term for an AustralianCattleDog Bluey (long-lived dog) (1910–1939), certified by Guinness World Records as the world's longest-living dog "Bluey", a...
abundance of energy, imagination and curiosity about the world. The young dog lives with her father, Bandit; mother, Chilli; and younger sister, Bingo...
(except Swiss Cattledogs) in Group 1. AustralianCattleDogAustralian Kelpie Australian Shepherd Basque Shepherd Dog Beauceron Belgian Shepherds Groenendael...
creating an effective herding dog. Dogs can work other animals in a variety of ways. Some breeds, such as the AustralianCattleDog, typically nip at the heels...
presumed ancestor of two present-day dog breeds, the Australiancattledog and the Australian stumpy tail cattledog. Thomas Simpson Hall, pastoralist and...
known as the Australian Koolie or by the historic misnomer "German Coolie") is an Australiandog breed. The Koolie is a working or herding dog which has...
changed its name to Working Dog Productions Pty Ltd in 1996.[citation needed] The company's mascot is an AustralianCattleDog. Programs with a shaded...
The Australian Cobberdog is a purebred dog breed developed in Australia by the Rutland Manor and Tegan Park Labradoodle Breeding & Research Centres. The...
now-extinct Halls Heeler in Australia, making the cur an ancestor of both the Australiancattledog and the Australian stumpy tail cattledog, the latter inheriting...
The Australian Terrier is a small breed of dog of the terrier type. The breed was developed in Australia, although the ancestral types of dogs from which...
days after birth, by a veterinarian, or by an experienced breeder. AustralianCattleDog puppy A mongrel puppy West Highland White Terrier puppies St. Bernard...
appearance. Blue Neapolitan Mastiff Blue mixed-breed dog Blue Australian Silky Terrier Blue AustralianCattleDog Grey simply means a grey colouration of any shade...
The Australian Silky Terrier or simply Silky Terrier (depending on the breed registry) is a small breed of dog of the terrier dog type. The breed was...
"Bluey" and "Chilla", were AustralianCattle Dogs. This has prompted a study of the longevity of the AustralianCattleDog to examine if the breed might...
The breed is also known in English as the Entelbuch Mountain Dog, Entelbucher CattleDog, and similar combinations. The Entlebucher is the smallest of...
Artois Hound AustralianCattleDogAustralian Kelpie Australian Shepherd Australian Silky Terrier Australian Stumpy Tail CattleDogAustralian Terrier Austrian...
Linnaeus, 1758 – Common Dog, Dingo, Domestic Dog". Department of Environment & Energy. Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Government. 15 December...
toys and fetch them on command. Bluey, an AustralianCattleDog who was verified as the world's oldest dog by Guinness World Records. She died in 1939...
kangaroo dog or kangaroo hound is an Australian type of sighthound purposely crossbred from a variety of sighthound breeds to produce a hunting dog. Kangaroo...
Gates is accompanied by his horse and faithful companion Zip, an Australiancattledog. Gates tracks three armed escaped convicts into Montana's isolated...
Global Information