Anyone own a Blue Heeler/Australian Cattle Dog?

[Yolanda]

Anyone? DH wants to get one, but I just wanted to read up on them and see if it is the right dog for us. I have done a little searching online, but I can't find a really good site.

TIA!! (oh and I would love to see pictures if you have them)

[PG-rated]

My family used to have one, but had to give him away when my mom sold her house and moved to a place with no yard. They're wonderful dogs - friendly, intelligent, and energetic - but require a lot of attention. They're also bred to be working dogs, so you need to have a big yard where they can run, or else take them out several times a day to run (and I do mean RUN) - preferably both. And you have to give them "work" to do, or they'll find work for themselves, and it could be something like digging a series of holes in your yard, or chewing up your furniture. Ours decided his "job" was to keep the squirrels out of the yard, so when someone wasn't playing with him he'd spend his time chasing them up trees. It was very funny to watch him try to keep two or three treed at once.

I know in my family's case, it was my brother's decision to get the dog (he was still living at home at the time), and he totally underestimated the amount of time he would require, so I think the poor dog was bored a lot. But he was also really smart and read personalities very well - he would behave well for me because he knew that was the best way to get my attention, even though I only saw him once a month or less. I don't really like dogs, but he grew on me pretty quickly; he was just so incredibly friendly and loving that it was impossible not to love him back.

I don't know if you have kids, but I would keep this type of dog away from young children until they're fully trained - not because of any hostility or behavioral issues, but because they're so very strong that they could knock a child over without even meaning to.

Hope that helps!

[Scooter]

I've got a friend with one, and have read about the breed (when we were looking for a dog). They remind me a lot of border collies. VERY high energy, smart, need a lot of stimulation and a lot of exercise. They are working dogs, so if you have kids they might try to herd them, or run after you and nip at your ankles to get to to go certain ways.

A breed like that requires a huge time investment, IMHO, and lots of dog classes and activities. That said, they are very sweet, adorable, and good family pets.

[LUMBERCHIC13]

Just wanted to add that I agree with PG-rated already. I have a 3 year old Australian cattle dog/APBT mix that I adopted a little over a year ago. She is the sweetest dog I have ever had but she is a handfull. She's very smart and training her has not been to hard. The biggest problems I have had with her are that she likes to "herd" things, mainly her big brother who is a Rotti/Shep mix, and she used to nip at my heels while I was doing chores around the house but has stopped doing it. Also because we live in a less populated area she spends time walking in the woods off leash and I used to have a problem when she would get "on" something and it would be really hard to get her to stop chasing whatever and come back to me. That problem was solved by making her walk on a leash while our other dog was allowed off leash. It was like something clicked in her head that as long as she listened to me she could run and play like her brother.

Exercise is very important I have to take Lucky out every day rain or shine and let her run and play for a minimum of 30 min. It also seems to help if we rotate her toys (yes she's spoiled and has many) so she doesn't get tired of playing with the same ones. She also like to go for bike rides and loves to swim.

Cattle dogs are not for everyone. You need to live and active lifestyle to have one of these dogs.

Hope this helps!

[PG-rated]

They are working dogs, so if you have kids they might try to herd them, or run after you and nip at your ankles to get to to go certain ways.
Yeah, I forgot to mention the "herding." It doesn't hurt, but it is kind of annoying until you train them out of it. :)

[ManteoChik]

I had an Austrailan Shepard growing up. She was an amazing dog and sooo smart. They are wonderful family dogs and so great with children. My parents got her for my brother and me and I was about 6. I lived in a neighborhood and when I was out and about that dog never left my side. If we were out in the yard and anyone came up....such as the mailman or UPS guy she would walk over to where we were and put herself in between me and whoever was in the driveway. She was never agressive but she was always making sure that we were taken care of. She was also very easy to train and they are so smart that they listen very well and learning comes quickly with them.

Cattle dogs are not for everyone. You need to live and active lifestyle to have one of these dogs.

I totally agree with this. Our dog always had activity going on since she had two little kids to keep up. She was especially close with my brother who was 9 when we got her. She went everywhere with him in the neighborhood and around the yard playing and running.

[jh124]

Cattle dogs are not for everyone. You need to live and active lifestyle to have one of these dogs.
AMEN!!

My very best friend in the entire world, my first baby, my soul mate was a 16 year old Queensland Heeler named Roxanne. I loved this dog in ways I cannot begin to describe. But....

They are incredibly smart and energetic. Not smart and energetic like a collie or a lab/pointer (what we have now) - MUCH more smart and energetic. They need to work, it's in their blood. "Work" might be protecting the house from strangers, it might be climbing the fence and leaving on an adventure, it might be opening the fridge whenever you turn your back.

We got Rox when she was one year old and I was a jr in high school. Little did we know what we were getting into with the breed. I took Rox to college with me, and she was a fantastic guardian. Like someone said, she was always between me and whoever else was around. She even thwarted an attack once by biting this guy in the crotch. The police who took my statement/quarenteened the dog said that she saved me. Because of my flexible and active lifestyle, it was a perfect fit. But as I graduated and began working a regular schedule, it was harder to keep her entertained. Even with an hour long walk in the evenings and a dogwalker ($$) during the afternoons, she was still starved for "work." And this was when she was 10-14 years old! She didn't settle down and enjoy her senior years until she was about 14-15 or so. And the herding...she was contantly underfoot! Even when she wasn't actually trying to herd me, she couldn't stand to have me move around the room without being right there by me.

She was a one-person dog, which I hear is also common to the breed(s). She tolerated my DH, but never really took to him. As far as she was concerned, she had outlived the other boyfriends, she would outlive him, too. It might be different, since you are already married, but I'd be prepared for the dog to pick one of you over the other.

So while I must admit that my relationship with her was the most rewarding I've had (I know, people are shaking their heads that I say that rather than my DH), I have to be completely honest about the hard work and drawbacks of the breed. Like I said, we now have a lab/pointer mix and a smooth coat collie. The collie (not a border collie, he's like Lassie, with half the hair) has given me the parts of Rox that I missed without the hassle of her energy and need to work. (Sorry, baby girl, you know I miss you and I love you, but geez, you could be a huge PITA.)

Having said all that, Rox-in-a-Box sits on my nightstand and her portrait hangs in the family room, like the patron saint of our home.

[Scooter]

Even with an hour long walk in the evenings and a dogwalker ($$) during the afternoons, she was still starved for "work." ... And the herding...she was contantly underfoot! Even when she wasn't actually trying to herd me, she couldn't stand to have me move around the room without being right there by me. Ours is a mix, we're convinced she's 1/2 Aussie Shepherd & 1/2 another kind of Aussie working dog. What you wrote describes her exactly! Just always there, paying attention to what's going on, figuring things out, busy busy busy. She's got a toybox and spends a lot of time moving toys from one room to another, stacking them in piles and laying down to play with them one at a time, running from one end of the house to the other to make sure everything is ok, investigating every little noise outside...

And very protective. Not aggressive, but especially since I've been pregnant she doesn't want people around me. Even at the park when she met another dog, she actually pushed the dog out of the way to stand in between us--wouldn't even let me pet him--because she didn't like him so close to me. You've really got to be on your toes.

We've put her through 3 dog training classes, and she really picks up on the new things faster than most dogs, and loves anything where you give her a command and she has to run off by herself and do a task. It's that working dog instinct, to learn and do!

She can run for a solid 30 minutes a day for the frisbee in a park, and still want 2 walks a day. So much energy!! :eek:

ETA: Forgot to add, about the work--she really can be quite helpful if she has direction. When I'm pulling weeds in the garden, she will start pulling up plants, too, so I have to make sure she knows which ones I DON'T want pulled up. I had never seen a dog try to help weed before.

[HisSpicy]

My sister has a red heeler (she lives in australia by the way) and they love him. I have a two and a half year old niece that treats him like her personal playmate, and he usually very good with her climbing on him or under him, trying to play fetch with him, et cetera. But they have to be around when she plays with him, because he will sometimes nip at her if she takes his ball/bone/chew toy, since she continues to hold it right at his level. They also take him to a big field to run quite often. Her husband had a blue heeler before their current dog, and he was a nightmare. I'm not sure why, he just was quite mean to anyone he didn't know very well. I think there are quite a range of emotions within the breed, and a lot will depend on how you raise, train, and socialize them.
I have pictures of the red heeler and my niece on my computer, I will post them later.

[Yolanda]

Thanks so much for all of your replies.

We aren't worried about the level of energy. We are very active and DH wants to take her to work everyday (he works out in the field) so that would be great and she would have "work" to do. We go to the lake all of the time in the summer. We definitly want a dog who will fetch and play ball, etc.. (my chihuahua does not fetch or swim).

I only worry about our current dog. She wouldn't "put up" with being herded around, but we would teach her not to do that.

We most definitly want a dog that will protect us. Our other medium sized dog was litterally stolen from our vehicle...we want a dog who would not be that friendly to unwanted strangers.

Pics would be awesome if you have them, if not that's ok.

We are going to go look at the litter on Saturday. They have 4 females, 8 weeks old and the parents are on site.

[CTs_Punkin]

We just adopted a Aus. Cattle dog mix - he is 3yrs old and is just a love bug!! He does like to keep busy - but tires out quickly and then after a short nap is ready to roll again. He is smart and loves to chase rabbits, but follows us around and keeps an eye on us.

I never new this breed existed - but I just love him to pieces and he is great with other dogs and kids!! Although he did try to herd our neighbors kids into the dog run area... it was too funny.

He likes to run and play, but given toys when we leave, he plays by himself very well.

Good luck! Here is a pic of our Bodie! (ignore my crappy look - I hadn't showered yet!!)
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E2335%3D%3A84%3D%3C%3 B%3C%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B4885%3A4%3C%3Bot1lsi
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2335%3D%3A84%3D%3C%3 B%3C%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3A%3A6465%3B55ot1lsi

[kemorr]

Some people have mentioned Aussie shepherds here - they are a completely different breed of dog. The Aussie Sheps are much more like Border Collies than Aust Cattle Dogs. Just FYI, Aussie Sheps, despite their name, actually are a "designer" breed, originally bred in California and derived from herding dogs but never actually bred specifically for any herding purpose. Not to say that's bad - I think Aussie Sheps are great dogs!

Sheep dogs and cattle dogs are an entirely different kettle of fish. The kelpie, many heelers, border collies etc were bred to move sheep - docile small and relatively stupid animals. The Australian cattle dog was bred to move the large, tough, ornery breed of cattle that are farmed in the Australian outback. Thus the ACDs are much stockier, tougher and more aggressive than sheep dogs. They have to be to survive!

I know a bunch of people who own ACDs as pets. Every single one of them loves their dog dearly but regrets their decision to buy an ACD and never would again. They're great for what they're bred for, which wasn't to be a family pet. AND many of them are dog aggressive, so I would worry about the health and welfare of your little chihuahua.

If your husband wants a dog to play fetch with - he should look into the retriever or even the pointer breeds. ACDs were bred to herd, not fetch. I don't think I've ever seen one fetch!

I hope I don't sound mean but I would think very very carefully about this before you make the purchase.

[jh124]

I know a bunch of people who own ACDs as pets. Every single one of them loves their dog dearly but regrets their decision to buy an ACD and never would again. They're great for what they're bred for, which wasn't to be a family pet. AND many of them are dog aggressive, so I would worry about the health and welfare of your little chihuahua.

If your husband wants a dog to play fetch with - he should look into the retriever or even the pointer breeds. ACDs were bred to herd, not fetch. I don't think I've ever seen one fetch!
Rox tolerated other dogs we owned, but she did herd them endlessly - even with training. She DID NOT like strange dogs. And she did not fetch. She liked to chew - and not anything soft. She needed hooves or hard nylabones. Rawhide was gone in 20 minutes. She could entertain herself with one of those molecular balls that she'd throw in the air and chase all over the wood floor, but she didn't play fetch.

Regarding breeds: I'm from the central valley of California, and Queensland Heelers are common there. Pretty sure Rox is a mix, since we got her from the pound. Here on the east coast, people would refer to her as a blue heeler - which I had never heard of. And as kemorr pointed out, Aus Cattle Dogs are completely different from Aus Sheperds. Oh, just found this great website: http://www.cattledog.com/misc/faq.html, which has informed me that ACDs and Queensland Heelers are the same dog - and by the photos they are, although the ACDs I've met IRL differ in coloring and fur from Rox - but again, she was a mix.

Here is a photo of Roxanne in her retirement:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b1da37b3127cce9fcdfaaf11e400000106128AaMmzZizaMh

I hope our comments aren't too negative. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just give you my honest opinion about the breed and expectations.

[Cricket4]

I just adopted a rescued Australian Cattle Dog (and if I had to guess, I'd say he's mixed with Australian Shepherd).

You mentioned that you are going to look at breeders, but one thing I might suggest, if you aren't sold on getting a puppy, is adopting a dog about one to two years old. (And I say that not only because I work at a Humane Society). :D

One thing you learn quickly in shelter work is that if you are getting a puppy, you are buying into the BREED. So breed traits and personalities are pretty important. If you are getting a dog a year or older, you are really buying into that SPECIFIC dog. So, for example, if you are getting a puppy golden retreiver, you can be pretty sure its going to be sweet and good-natured, and you can be pretty sure a puppy Jack Russell is going to be pretty high-energy. The odds are good, but they aren't definite. On the flipside, there are Golden Retreivers that don't like strangers, and lazy Jack Russells. If you adopt a dog at a year old that is showing traits uncommon to the breed, well, that's probably just your dogs personality, and you won't be able to change it.

My ACD is a 70 pound lap dog. He has energy, but compared to my smooth-coat collie mix, he's a slug. Once I get home, he's happy to cuddle up next to me on the couch, and he spoons with me at night. He likes his morning walk, and wrestling with his sister the collie, but if you are rubbing his belly, the only thing that will get him up off the couch is hearing a noise outside of the fence (he uses his loud bark to protect "his" home, like most ACDs). We got him specifically because he had the gumption to wrestle with our wild and crazy, hyper collie, but he wasn't nearly as high-maintenance as she is.

So if you like certain traits about ACDs, but are concerned about others, it IS possible to find a great fit, but you can't always guarantee how a puppy will turn out. If certain traits are VERY important to you, getting a little bit older dog can be a great thing.

But either way, it sounds like y'all would be great ACD owners. Be sure to teach them lots of tricks - my herding dogs love to jump through hula hoops. They're very smart, and they are so worth the exertion. Best wishes!

ETA that at the shelter where I work, if you are looking for a pet you can bring your CURRENT pet with you, and go in a little enclosed area and see if the two animals get along. Particularly helpful for dogs, no?

[jh124]

Hyper excited and crashing the thread...

He has energy, but compared to my smooth-coat collie mix

You have a smooth coat collie and I have a smooth coat collie!! How rare is that? Let's be lifelong best friends!!!:D :p
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b5d910b3127cce937e7b15a7a700000016108AaMmzZizaMh

[HisSpicy]

Came back to post photos of my sister's red heeler and my niece and nephew.
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C3%3A4723232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2357%3D%3B45%3D%3A 56%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B644586%3B9ot1lsi
She refuses to let anyone else walk him

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C3%3A4723232%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3266%3E%3A54%3E965% 3EWSNRCG%3D3232%3C55372653nu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C3%3A4723232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2357%3D%3B45%3D%3A 56%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B644%3A7999ot1lsi

[Yolanda]

We ended up not getting an Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler. We went to look at a litter of 9 week olds last night and just fell in love with a female Australian Shepherd/Pit Bull Terrier mix. If we wouldn't have see the litter last night, we were going to get the Blue Heeler.

Thank you all so much for your replies and pictures!

[Cricket4]

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos983/1/68/18/15/55/6/655151868105_0_ALB.jpg

This is my smooth coat collie little girl (though she weighs a lot more now).

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos860/1/96/96/4/94/6/694049696105_0_ALB.jpg

And here is her brother, the blue heeler about whom I intended to post!

http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1530/2/78/92/24/51/8/851249278205_0_ALB.jpg
That picture is of him at the shelter, the day I fell in love with him and went home and talked DH into getting another dog. Since he's still relatively new, I have no good pictures of the two of them together, but you just wait!

JH, DONE. Now I'm gonna hold you to it. :D