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Canadian Dollars
Australian Cattle Dog
Overview
Overview of Australian Cattle Dog Breed
The compact yet muscular Australian Cattle dog breed, also called the Blue Heeler or Queensland Heeler, is related to a wild dog - the Australian dingo! Created back in the 1800s to excel at herding cattle, Australian Cattle Dogs were the product of crossing the Blue Merle Collie's herding prowess with the Dingo's resilience and agility and a touch of the Dalmatian's protectiveness. The Blue heeler's dense double-coat comes in blue, blue speckled, and red speckled, with dark or tan markings. With beautiful, hanging tails, muscular legs and pointy ears, Blue Heelers commonly have black patches around their eyes, giving them a distinctive masked look. They love to work and require a solid 2-3 hours of daily activity and would excel at agility, flyball and other high-energy dog sports. To keep these dogs looking their best, brushing them a couple of times a week should do the trick. But you may need to bathe these cuties more often than you'd expect because they like to play rough. Two celebrities who are smitten with Australian Cattle Dogs are Owen Wilson and Matthew McConaughey!
Common Health Conditions & Recommendations for Australian Cattle
Paw Pad Injuries:
May develop if you have a high activity dog like an Australian Cattle Dogs. This is especially true in summer months when your pup could be running around on hot pavement for long spans of time.
Recommendations for Paw Pad Injuries in Australian Cattle Dogs:
Common Health Conditions & Recommendations for Australian Cattle
Hip Dysplasia:
Is an inherited disease in Australian Cattle Dogs aka Queensland Heelers that may cause the hip joints to form improperly. This malformation of joints can lead to arthritis.
Recommendations for Hip Dysplasia in Australian Cattle Dogs:
Common Health Conditions & Recommendations for Australian Cattle
Retinal Atrophy:
Like many breeds, Blue Heelers and Red Heelers can inherit a range of eye conditions like progressive retinal atrophy. These kinds of degenerative eye diseases can lead to blindness if left untreated.
Recommendations for Retinal Atrophy in Australian Cattle Dogs:
Personality
The Australian Cattle Dog is an extremely intelligent, athletic, and compact dog breed known to outsmart their owners! If you are planning on taking a blue heeler home, make sure to keep their minds alert by offering exciting and challenging training, or they may develop destructive behavior. Australian Cattle Dogs may not be the best option for households with small children because they were bred to bite (to control cattle) and may nip at and herd young children. However, once they develop a bond with a family member, they are devoted for life. So if you want an intelligent, hard-nosed dog who will go the distance, the Australian Cattle dog could be the pup to herd you into its heart!
