Australian Cattle Dog. Brief information about the Australian Heeler dog breed

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Australian Heeler is 114 years 8 months old today

Photos of Australian healers

International name:Australian Cattle Dog

Country: Australia

Year: 1903

Growth: 46.00 cm - 51.00 cm

The weight: 16.00 kg. - 23.00 kg.

Lifespan (in years):14.00 - 16.00

Brief descriptions

The Australian Heeler is a tireless shepherd dog, an excellent guard and a fearless defender. If you decide to get a dog, you will not find a better protector and companion. The dog loves children very much, and will always protect them. Representatives of this breed are very attached to the owner, they yearn if he suddenly leaves somewhere alone. For a healer, this is a real punishment, so take it with you if possible. These dogs are standards of devotion and fidelity, they show complete dedication, and thanks to their natural fearlessness, they become a reliable shield from dangers for all family members. These dogs are different. high level intelligence - they clearly understand human language and confirm this in every possible way. Unfortunately, many of them die under the wheels of cars - they have a shepherd instinct, so it will be safer and more comfortable for the healer to countryside. This dog needs space and fresh air, it is the best suited for country life. They are mobile and playful, on a walk the healer will always be busy looking for adventures, so you will not be bored with him. The Australian Heeler is a very hardy dog. If you go in for extreme sports and prefer outdoor activities, this dog will become your reliable companion in such an exciting business.

History of the breed

Fast, brave, smart, hardy Australian healers are very similar to their ancestors - independent, freedom-loving and fearless dingoes. It was thanks to these wild dogs that farmers in Australia had the idea to create an ideal dog in all respects, which will drive and herd herds despite the local harsh climate, long distances and others. possible difficulties. Dingo dogs caused a lot of trouble for local farmers, they quietly and silently attacked livestock, and instead of getting rid of them, the workers decided to create a similar dog as a counterweight to the dingo. Farmers crossed dingoes with smooth collies. Puppies were born that were not found mutual language with horses. And then such a mestizo was crossed with a Dalmatian and an Australian kelpie. As you know, Dalmatians have been friendly with horses since ancient times, and kelpies are excellent shepherds. The resulting breed standard was developed by herding dog expert Robert Kaleski. The New South Wales Kennel Club adopted this standard in 1903. The official standard was adopted in 1963 by the Australian National Canine Council. The new standard was written based on the Kaleska standard. At the same time, the modern name of the breed was officially approved.

Appearance of Australian Heelers

The Australian Heeler is a dog of small stature, compact build, strong and muscular. His head is strong with a wide skull, harmoniously combined with the body. The muzzle is broad and powerful. The nose is black. The jaws are strong, the lower jaw is especially well developed. The ears are medium in size, set well apart, thick and wide at the base. The eyes are medium in size, oval in shape. The neck is of medium length, powerful, muscular. The back is strong and straight. Rib cage deep and wide. The limbs are straight, parallel to each other, with well-developed muscles. The tail is set low enough, of medium length, lowered down, slightly curved, due to the long hair it resembles a brush. The coat is harsh, short and straight with a dense, close-lying undercoat. On the back side of the limbs, the hair forms feathers, on the hips "trousers". Around the neck, the hair is also longer. The color can be red, blue, blue, speckled with black, blue and brown marks.

Health, diseases

The gene pool of these dogs is extremely strong. Perhaps thanks to the genes of the wild dingo dog, these shepherd dogs are among the most hardy and resistant to various diseases. In addition, dogs of this breed are among the centenarians. An Australian Heeler named Blue is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the "oldest dog" in the world. This dog lived 29 years 5 months and 7 days (06/07/1910 - 11/14/1939), of which she devoted 20 years to her work - she was tending herds. Of course, in order for your dog to be healthy, you need to take care of him. Healer needs to spend a lot of time on fresh air. These dogs are designed to herd and drive herds. Therefore, they need intense exercise every day for their physical and emotional health. Before you buy a puppy of this breed, be sure to study his heredity. In rare cases, dogs can be born with deafness, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, and eye disease.

The lifestyle of these dogs should be very active. Of course, they will not be able to live in an apartment, especially if the owner disappears at work all day and takes his pet out for a maximum of half an hour twice a day. These dogs are ready to move 24 hours a day. Therefore, they will be much better off on a farm or in a large private house with large plot. Of course, you can keep a healer in an apartment, but if you yourself can’t live a day without sports and travel. In this case, this Australian dog will become an indispensable companion for you, even if you live with him in an apartment. Caring for Australian Heelers is not difficult at all. Their fur has the ability to self-clean. It is recommended to wash them no more than twice a year, otherwise the wool will lose its peculiarity. Instead of washing, breeders advise wiping them with a wet towel dipped in water with a little vinegar. When washing, use only natural shampoos without chemical components. During the shedding period, the coat of the healer should be combed out with a slicker brush about four times a week. Healer moves a lot, watch his paws carefully: cut claws, lubricate with olive or other vegetable oil pads of his paws to heal the cracks. Of course, do not forget about the eyes, which need to be regularly washed with chamomile decoction, and also make sure that motes do not get into them, otherwise infectious diseases may occur.

Character and temperament

Australian Heelers are loyal and devoted dogs that will follow their master everywhere. They do not trust strangers, even as a puppy they are always on the alert if strangers are on their territory. These dogs have developed a protective instinct from birth, they are desperately ready to protect their loved ones. They are so self-confident that they can easily enter into an uneven fight. Healers become attached to their master once and for all.

Food

Locals in Australia believe that Heeler Blue lived for 29 years thanks to the fact that he ate kangaroo and emu meat. Of course, no one can reliably say this. However, one thing is clear that dogs of this breed are very fond of meat, especially considering that their ancestors were wild. However, in order for the diet to be complete, the pet must be given vegetables, fruits, fish, dairy products. Moreover, the healer will eat it all with pleasure. These dogs are not picky about food at all, sometimes it seems that they are ready to eat even inedible objects. Be sure to keep track of your pet's servings. Healers are prone to rapid weight gain, despite their hyperactivity. Make sure that the dog rests after eating, otherwise there may be a torsion of the stomach. Do not feed your dog with sweets, chocolate, pickled and smoked foods, in general, with everything that is sold in any supermarket and that you eat with pleasure yourself.

training, training

Australian Heelers need to be trained from an early age. These dogs quickly remember commands, almost immediately understand what is required of them, however, they are quite difficult to follow. certain rules. The blood of wild dogs flows in their veins, this should never be forgotten. Puppy in childhood must understand who the leader is, then he will obey. If you are too soft and affectionate with them, healers will always make their own decisions and do what they see fit. If you manage to establish contact with the healer and take a dominant position, then the dog will follow all your instructions. Never use physical force during training, this is unacceptable. Dogs need to be explained consistently and patiently. It happens that healer puppies begin to bite people on the legs. You must explain to the puppy that this is not the way to do it. This is not a good habit of many herding dogs; they graze livestock in this way. To be successful in raising an Australian Heeler, make sure your training is fun, light-hearted and varied. Representatives of this breed will be happy to learn if they are interested. These dogs are universal: they can be rescuers, hunters, guards, athletes, winners of all kinds of dog competitions. You can teach a healer almost anything. Especially if you encourage him with treats and affection. Healers are very fond of tasty food and receive praise from their master.

The Australian Cattle Dog was bred by English farmers around the 19th century. Its main purpose in those distant times was to manage grazing herds of livestock and their subsequent protection. Representatives of this breed are characterized by tirelessness, increased courage and extraordinary endurance. Until now, experts have not been able to breed a more successful herding animal, not only on the Australian continent, but even in the whole world.

The Australian Cattle Dog breed is loyal enough to its owner, is quick-witted and easily amenable to the basics of training. These pets have proven themselves to be responsible guardians of a large cattle. In addition, they are very affectionate and loving, can constantly please their breeders and be excellent companions. According to available data, one of the representatives of this breed lived up to 29 years. About 2,500 puppies are born in Australia every year.

Description of the breed

The Australian Cattle Dog is medium in size. It has a muscular body with well-developed fore and hind limbs. The neck is rather massive, the head is large, the ears are constantly in a standing position, the tail is predominantly lowered downwards.
Description of the breed The Australian Cattle Dog, which was officially recorded, claims that representatives of this breed have a height at the withers of up to 50 cm, and a weight of approximately 20 kg. Wool in animals of approximately medium length, characterized by water resistance, hard. In the region of the hind thighs, the coat is quite fluffy.
Australian Cattle Dog puppies are born exclusively white with small black spots. Consistently, as the dog develops, it changes its color to blue or reddish, but also with dark spots.
For people unfamiliar with this breed, the character and disposition of the Australian Shepherd very often seems unbalanced. However, as practice shows, this is far from the case. In order to fully appreciate the features of her character, it is necessary to realize not only the essence of her work, but also to remember for what purpose the breed was bred.
For this breed, the feeling of the pack is in the first place, but at the same time it has always been distinguished by increased independence. A dog can only trust one owner. Moreover, only before a devoted leader, he will be able to reveal all the positive qualities he has.
Australian Shepherds bark very rarely. So, their barking is more like the calls of an owl. After the final recognition of the absolute leadership of the breeder, the pets become very obedient, ready to absolutely always perform any task, even modest to some extent. In most any endeavors, they are able to become not only a faithful companion, but also a friend.

Australian Cattle Dog Care

These pets adapt relatively poorly to the urban environment, which is why it is recommended to keep them in villages or towns. It should be noted that shepherd dogs need constant physical activity, active games outdoors. In a word, this is not a sofa dog that will peacefully snore next to the owner.

There are practically no special health problems in these pets. As noted above, this breed is classified as long-livers. However, how long the pet will live depends solely on how you care for the Australian Cattle Dog.

What to feed

In general, like any other dog, representatives of this breed are carnivores. But even predators cannot constantly eat exclusively meat. What to feed an Australian Cattle Dog?

First of all, the diet should be as balanced as possible, that is, it should contain proteins, fats and even carbohydrates, as well as, to some extent, minerals and vitamins.
On the other hand, food should be of high quality and fresh. That is why, if the breeder prefers natural food, you should not prepare a diet for a week. It is recommended to cook every day for your dog.
Particular attention should be paid to the amount of food. So, an adult dog needs to be fed twice a day, and if the load was increased on that day, the portion can be slightly increased.
Experienced breeders recommend feeding the dog only natural food. For example, for breakfast, you can give cottage cheese with kefir, and for dinner, meat with raw vegetables. It should be noted that the main difficulty of this feeding option is the lack of a balanced diet. In this kind of situation, dogs are prescribed real vitamin complexes that completely compensate for the lack of certain substances or vitamins in the body.

What to feed Australian Cattle Dog puppies? In fact, from the very first months for a small dog, there is nothing better than mother's milk. From about two months old, you can begin to transfer the puppy to "adult" food. Initially, it may be low-fat cottage cheese, but always with kefir. Later, you can start giving meat and some vegetables in the form of carefully ground minced meat. Literally from six months, the shepherd can already switch to normal feeding twice a day.

Training

Despite its character and natural instincts, this breed is very easy to educate and train. This is due to the fact that the dog always wants to please only his master. How to achieve this? Of course, perform all the necessary tricks. The training of the Australian Cattle Dog implies properly organized lessons with a load. As a result, the breeder receives an obedient dog that obeys him implicitly.

Experts do not recommend taking a shepherd dog as not only the first, but also a working one, since not all breeders as a result manage to direct its energy in the right direction. For example, the desire to periodically bite cows on the legs is so strongly fixed in the psyche of the animal that it is often transferred even to the owners.

It should be noted, no matter how badly a puppy behaves, in no case should it be assimilated to the principles of violence. The thing is that initially this breed was bred exclusively for independent work. If the puppy believes that it is unnecessary or inappropriate to do this, then it can never be forced. The basis of animal training is always built on the basis of the characteristics of the breed, the personal qualities of a particular pet and the obligatory reward for the tricks performed.

Australian Cattle Dog

Name healer (heeler) reflects the peculiarity of the dog's work with the herd: it directs the animals, biting them on the lower parts of the legs (in English "heels" - "heels"). This property is reminiscent of the way Corgis work - small shepherd dogs from England.
are highly rated among farmers in areas of New South Wales and Victoria. The work of the dog is calm, businesslike, reasonable and economical. - this is a smart worker - perhaps this is how you can define the essence of the breed.

Description of the dog breed Australian Heeler

The Australian Heeler has an unbalanced character. However, with the right upbringing, behavior is directed in the right direction. Despite his friendliness, the dog is distrustful of strangers. Very attached to the owner and his family. Everything is easy to learn. You can learn to execute different commands. The dog is hardy, smart, quick-witted. She has a strong hunting instinct. Heel biting is an inborn trait that can sometimes turn into a problem if the dog suddenly decides to herd family members and pets together. With insufficient attention, it starts to get bored.

Around 1850, Scottish blue marble collies, also known as heelers, were introduced to Australia. The dogs coped well with the protection of livestock (at the same time, they differed in a characteristic way of biting the animal's limbs), but they turned out to be not hardy enough and great lovers of voicing. At first, they decided to mate them with dingoes in order to get calm dogs that could endure the Australian heat. Later, the Dalmatian was used for crossbreeding, from which the dogs are believed to have inherited a love of horses. Until the moment the breed acquired a single finished appearance, kelpie blood was mixed with it. The result was a strong, hardy, temperamental dog, industrious and inquisitive, which turned out to be capable of managing huge herds of hundreds of cattle in the conditions of a not very favorable Australian climate. The Australian Cattle Dog has a friendly disposition, with strangers and keeps himself, as a rule, reserved, in his family and at home - a vigilant watchman. The desire to bite her heels is innate, which sometimes causes quite a bit of trouble when the dog tries to “drive” together members of his family, other animals, even a car. Vacuum cleaner or lawn mower. It is necessary to wean her from this habit in a timely manner: you can, for example, give her the task of grabbing one or another toy, or collecting several toys together. It should also be noted that this dog has a highly developed instinct for hunting small animals.
The Australian Cattle Dog is attached to "their" people, she constantly wants to be liked, and she is easily trainable. This breed also willingly undergoes obedience training. At correct loads- This is a balanced and calm dog, whose behavior, due to natural instincts, can be directed in the right direction. Recently, the popularity of the Australian Cattle Dog has been gradually growing, although this breed is still considered quite rare.

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Australia.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE CURRENT ORIGINAL STANDARD: 09/15/1989

PURPOSE: the very name of this breed determines its primary purpose. In particular, the Australian Shepherd Dog has no equal in the ability to guard and drive herds, both in open field, and in limited areas of pastures. Liveliness, attentiveness, sharp intelligence, caution, courage and devotion, combined with a developed sense of duty, make this dog an ideal companion.

F.C.I. CLASSIFICATION:
Group 1 Guard and racing dogs (excluding Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs)
Section 2 Racing dogs (excluding Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs)
No working test

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Strong, compact, well proportioned working dog, loving and zealous in his work. The combination of strength, strength, balance and muscularity should give the impression of mobility, strength and tenacity. Any tendency to be heavy or unclean is considered a serious fault.

BEHAVIOUR: A natural sense of loyalty and devotion, combined with an innate instinct for protection, makes this breed an indispensable guardian of the herd and property of farmers. By nature, it is distrustful of strangers, while it must be obedient in training, in particular at exhibitions. Any features of behavior or structure that are not typical for a working dog are regarded as a serious defect.

HEAD: Massive, consistent with the proportions of the dog and its general build.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: Broad, slightly arched between the ears.
The transition from the forehead to the muzzle: towards the muzzle, the skull becomes flatter, the transition is clearly defined.

FACIAL AREA:
Nose: black
Muzzle: Broad, well filled in under the eyes; medium length, deep, powerful, gradually tapering towards the nose; forehead and muzzle lines are parallel.
Lips: tight and dry.
Cheeks: Muscular, but not rough or protruding.
Teeth: healthy, strong, evenly set; scissor bite. In the process of managing a rebellious herd, the Australian Shepherd sometimes bites the cows on the legs, encouraging them to follow in the right direction, so it is especially important for representatives of this breed to have healthy and strong teeth.
Lower jaw: Strong, deep, well developed.
Eyes: oval, medium size; not protruding, not deep set, express intelligence and alertness. When strangers approach, the expression of the eyes becomes warning and suspicious. The eyes are dark brown.
Ears: Medium size, (more small than large), broad at the base, tight, erect, moderately pointed, not rounded, not ear-like bat. The ears are set wide apart, turned to the sides, and stand up when the dog is alert. The skin is thick. The inner part of the ear is densely covered with hair.
Neck: Exceptionally strong, muscular, of medium length, widening at the base, without dewlap.

BODY: The length of the body (from the front of the sternum to the buttock) is greater than the height at the withers, approximately 10 to 9. The topline is level.
Back: strong, firm.
Loin: Broad, strong, muscular. The dog is very well built.
Croup: Fairly long and sloping.
Chest: Deep, muscular, moderately broad.
Ribs: Rounded, but the chest is not "barrel-shaped".
Sides: deep.

TAIL: Set moderately low, continuing the contour of the croup; reaches the hock joint. At rest, lowered, slightly curved. When moving or excited, it can rise up without crossing a vertical line drawn through the base of the tail. The tail ends in a well-defined "tassel".

FOREQUARTERS: Seen from the front, straight and parallel. The forearms are rounded in cross-section, noticeably widening towards the paws.
Shoulders: Strong, obliquely set, muscular, markedly sloping towards the shoulders; in the area of the withers, the ends of the shoulder blades should not be too close together. Despite the muscularity of the shoulder blades and the natural strength of the skeleton, too loaded shoulder blades and a heavy forehand interfere with correct movements and limit the working capabilities of the dog.
Pasterns: Seen from the side, they have a slight inclination, providing elasticity of movement.

HINDQUARTERS: Broad, strong, muscular. When viewed from behind, the limbs are straight and parallel; not close and not apart.
Thighs: Long, wide, well developed.
Knees: Well angulated.
Metatarsus: strong, sheer.
Paws: rounded; fingers are short, strong, arched, in a lump. The pads are hard and deep, the nails are short and strong.

MOVEMENT: free, flexible, tireless and balanced. The ability to move quickly and suddenly is important. Congestion, weakness, sheer shoulder blades, weak elbows, paws or pasterns; a straightened knee, cow or goat posture are considered serious defects. At the trot, as the speed increases, the limbs approach the midline. But in the rack, the paws are located in a rectangle.

COAT COAT: Smooth, double, with short dense undercoat. The outer hair is straight, hard, close-fitting, waterproof. In the lower part of the body towards the hind limbs, the hair lengthens and forms small fringes on the thighs. On the head (including the inside of the ears) and the front of the limbs, the hair is short. Along the neck, the hairline is thicker and longer. Too long or too short coat is considered a defect. On average, body hair should be 2.5 - 4 cm (approx. 1 - 11/2).

COLOR:
Blue: Blue, blue flecked or blue spotted with or without other markings. Black, blue or fawn markings on the head are acceptable, preferably evenly distributed. The forelimbs are covered with tan to the chest and throat, with tan on the jaws; tan marks on the inside of the thighs to the front of the knee and on the outside from the metatarsus to the toes. Black markings on the body are not desirable.
Red speckling: uniform speckling along the entire length of the body, including the undercoat (not white, not cream), with or without darker red markings on the head. Uniform markings on the head are desirable; red markings on the body are acceptable but not desirable.

THE SIZE:
Height: Height at withers for males: 46-51 cm (approx. 18-20 inches), for females 43-48 cm (approx. 17-19 inches).

FAULTS: Any deviation from the above points should be considered as a defect. The severity with which a fault will be regarded must be in exact proportion to its severity and its effect on the health and performance of the dog.
Dogs with physical or behavioral abnormalities are subject to disqualification.

N.B.: Males must have two normally developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

ORIGIN: Australia.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 09/15/1989

UTILIZATION: As the name applies the dog's prime function, and one in which he has no peer, is the control and movement of cattle in both wide open and confined areas. Always alert, extremely intelligent, watchful, courageous and trustworthy, with an implicit devotion to duty making it an ideal dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. :
Group 1 Sheepdogs and Cattledogs, except Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs.
Section 2 Cattledogs (except Swiss Mountain-and Cattledogs).
Without working trial.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: The general appearance is that of strong, compact, symmetrically built working dog, with the ability and willingness to carry out his allotted task however arduous. Its combination of substance, power, balance and hard muscular condition must convey the impression of great agility, strength and endurance. Any tendency to grossness or weediness is a serious fault.

BEHAVIOR/TEMPERAMENT: The Cattle Dog's loyalty and protective instincts make it a self-appointed guardian to the stockman, his herd and his property. Whilst naturally suspicious of strangers, must be amenable to handling, particularly in the show ring. Any feature of temperament or structure foreign to a working dog must be regarded as a serious fault.
HEAD: The head is strong and must be in balance with other proportions of the dog and in keeping with its general conformation.

CRANIAL REGION:
Skull: The broad skull is slightly curved between the ears.
Stop: The skull flattens to a slight but definite stop.

FACIAL REGION:
Nose: Black.
Muzzle: Broad and well filled in under the eyes, tapering gradually to form a medium length, deep, powerful muzzle with the skull and muzzle on parallel planes.
Lips: Tight and clean.
Cheeks: Muscular, neither coarse nor prominent.
Teeth: The teeth, sound, strong and evenly spaced, gripping with a scissor-bite, the lower incisors close behind and just touching the upper. As the dog is required to move difficult cattle by heeling or biting, teeth which are sound and strong are very important.
Underjaws: Strong, deep and well developed.
Eyes: The eyes should be of ovale shape and medium size, neither prominent nor sunken and must express alertness and intelligence.
A warning or suspicious glint is characteristic when approached by strangers. Eye colour: dark brown.
Ears: The ears should be of moderate size, preferably small rather than large, broad at the base, muscular, pricked and moderately pointed, neither spoon not bat eared. The ears are set wide apart on the skull, inclining outwards, sensitive in their use and pricked when alert ; the leather should be thick in texture and the inside of the ear fairly well furnished with hair.

NECK: the neck is extremely strong, muscular and of medium length broadening to blend into the body and free from throatiness.

BODY: The length of the body from the point of the breast bone , in a straight line to the buttocks, is greater than the height at the withers, as 10 is to 9. The topline is level.
Back: Strong.
Loins: Broad, strong and muscular. Dog strongly coupled.
Group: Rather long and sloping.
Chest: Deep, muscular and moderately broad.
Ribs: Well sprung and carried well back, not barrel ribbed.
Flanks: Deep.

TAIL: The set on of the tail is moderately low, following the contours of the sloping crop and of length to reach approximately to the hock. At the rest, it should hang in a very slight curve. During movement or excitement the tail may be raised, but under no circumstances should any part of the tail be carried past a vertical line drawn through the root. The tail should carry a good brush.

FOREQUARTERS: The forelegs have strong, round bone, extending to the feet and should be straight and parallel, viewed from the front.
Shoulders: The shoulders are strong, sloping, muscular and well angulated to the upper arm and should not be too closely set at the point of the withers. Although the shoulders are muscular and the bone is strong, loaded shoulders and heavy fronts will hamper correct movement and limit working ability.
Pastern: Pasterns should show flexibility with a slight angle to the forearm when viewed from the side.

HINDQUARTERS: The hindquarters are broad, strong and muscular. When viewed from behind, the hind legs, from the hocks to the feet, are straight and placed parallel, neither close nor too wide apart.
Thighs: Long, broad and well developed.
Stifles: Well turned.
Hocks: Strong and well let down.
Feet: The feet should be round and the toes, short, strong, well arched and held close together. The pads are hard and deep, and the nails must be short and strong.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: The action is true, free, supple and tireless and the movement of the shoulders and forelegs is in unison with the powerful thrust of the hindquarters. The capability of quick and sudden movement is essential.

Soundness is of paramount importance and stiltiness, loaded or slack shoulders, straight, shoulder placement, weakness at elbows, pasterns or feet, straight stifles, cow or bow hocks, must be regarded as serious faults. When trotting the feet tend to come closer together at the ground level as speed increases, but when the dog comes to rest he should stand four square.

HAIR: The coat is smooth, a double coat with a short, dense undercoat. The outer coat is close, each hair straight, hard and lying flat, so that it is rain-resisting. Under the body to behind the legs, the coat is longer and forms near the thigh a mild form of breeching. On the head (including the inside of the ears), to the front of the legs and feet, the hair is short. Along the neck it is longer and thicker. A coat either too long or too short is a fault. As an average, the hairs on the body should be from 2.5 to 4 cm (approx. 1-1 S) in length.

COLOUR:
Blue: The color should be blue, blue mottled or blue speckled with or without other markings. The permissible markings are black, blue or tan markings on the head, evenly distributed for preference. The forelegs tan midway up the legs and extending up the front to breast and throat, with tan on jaws ; the hindquarters tan on inside of hindlegs, and inside of thighs, showing down the front and the stifles and broadening out to the outside of the hindlegs from hocks to toes. Tan undercoat is permissible on the body providing it does not show through the blue outer coat. Black markings on the body are not desirable.
Red speckle: the color should be of good even red speckle all over, including the undercoat, (neither white or cream), with or without darker red markings on the head. Even head markings are desirable. Red markings on the body are permissible but not desirable.

SIZE:
Height: The height at the withers should be Dogs 46 to 51 cm,
(approx. 18-20 inches). Bitches 43 to 48 cm ; (approx. 17-19 inches).

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioral abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

In the 19th century, Australian farmers needed a dog that could carry out the shepherd's service: protect the herd and protect it from loss - this is how the Australian shepherd dog was bred.

Today, the name of this breed has many options, for example: Australian Heeler, Queensland Heeler, Blue Heeler, Australian Herd Dog.

Breeding work on the breeding of this breed was not without the participation of the famous dog. In addition, when creating the Australian Heeler, dog breeds were involved: Australian Kelpie, and Collie. Such a "motley" mixture gave the new breed a mass positive qualities Therefore, Australian Cattle Dogs are distinguished by endurance, courage and tirelessness.

The name "healer" did not happen by chance. Translated from of English language"heel" means "heel", so "healer" is something like "heeler". It all started from the fact that these savvy "four-legged shepherds" nibbled on the heels of naughty sheep or cows if they did not want to go in a given direction. Now you see that these dogs are considered extremely smart for a reason.

The Australian Heeler is another name for the Australian Cattle Dog.

About character... Australian healers - incredible loyal dogs. They are intellectual by nature, which means they have no problems with obedience or training. These dogs are unusually affectionate, they are hardworking, and they also managed to become famous for their ability to carry out guard duty. In addition to service qualities, Australian healers are real beauties, they have an unusual coat and a variety of colors. Today, many use these dogs not for their intended purpose (as shepherds), but as companions. Also, one cannot fail to note the unique performance of Australian shepherd dogs.

If strangers come to visit you, they may think that the dog is looking at them suspiciously and that it is not quite balanced. This is not true. From history, we know that these dogs are used to keeping order in the herd, perhaps this quality has been preserved to this day on a subconscious level, so the dog carefully monitors everything that happens around it.

In the color of these dogs, "traces" of Dalmatians are visible.

Healer Appearance Options… These dogs grow about 51 centimeters at the withers, the weight of an adult Australian healer is from 16 to 23 kilograms. The coat is short, the pile is straight and hard. The colors of representatives of this breed can be: red with black marks on the head, blue and blue with marks of black or red shades in the head area. Newborn puppies of this breed have one incredible feature: they are all born white with black spots, and then they begin to acquire the color that will be in adulthood.

About upbringing... For dogs of the Australian Heeler breed, a sense of hierarchy is important. These dogs are naturally endowed with intelligence and fortitude, so they only need an authoritative owner with a "firm hand". Do not forget that these dogs are not devoid of temperament, this must be taken into account when training, although, according to professionals, this quality does not affect the trainability of healers in any way, they are one of the most diligent pupils.

About the content... In order for your healer to feel comfortable and healthy, do not forget that he regularly needs walks in the fresh air (which is why healers are recommended for living in a private house or countryside). In addition, the Australian Cattle Dog needs exercise, it must move in order to develop its muscular apparatus.

Subject to all standards of keeping the Australian Heeler, this dog will delight you and your family for many years, because it is considered one of the long-lived breeds.

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Australian Cattle Dog or Australian Heeler (eng. Australian Cattle Dog) breed originally appeared in Australia. A shepherd dog that helped drive herds through harsh lands. Medium-sized and short-haired, they come in two colors - blue and red.

Abstracts

Australian Cattle Dogs are extremely active, both physically and mentally. They need constant work, fatigue, to keep them from behavioral problems.
Biting and biting is part of their natural instinct. Proper upbringing, socialization and supervision reduce such manifestations, but do not remove them at all.
Very attached to the owner, they do not want to be separated from him even for a moment.
Not good with small children and pets. The only way to get them together is to raise them together. But it doesn't always work.
For maintenance, you need a very large yard, no apartments. And from it they can escape in search of adventure.
If you decide to buy an Australian Heeler puppy, then choose only proven kennels. Buying an Australian Heeler from unknown sellers, you risk money, time and nerves. The price of a puppy is quite high and it is better to overpay for a healthy and well-mannered dog.

History of the breed

The history of the Australian Kettle Dog began in 1802 when George Hall and his family emigrated from England to Australia. The family settled in newly colonized New South Wales with the goal of raising livestock to sell in Sydney, at the time Australia's largest city. The difficulty was that the climate is hot and dry, in no way comparable to the green and humid fields of the British Isles. In addition, cattle had to graze on vast and unguarded plains, where danger lay in wait. Plus the problems of collecting and transporting livestock, through hundreds of kilometers of harsh lands.

The brought shepherd dogs were poorly adapted to work in such conditions, and there were simply no local dogs. Animal husbandry was located near major cities where cattle grazed under the supervision of children during the day. Accordingly, all the service of dogs was reduced to guard and protection from wild dingoes.

Despite the difficulties, the family remains determined, courageous and demonstrates strength of character. The most distinguished seventeen-year-old Thomas Simpson Hall (1808-1870), he explores new lands and pastures, lays routes to the north of the country.

While moving north promises great benefits, there is one problem to get to millions of acres of land. At that time, it was not possible to bring cattle from there to Sydney. Railways does not exist and the only way is to carry the herd hundreds of miles. However, these animals are different from those that grow in pens, they are semi-wild, they scatter. Thomas realizes that in order to get his cattle to market, he needs hardy and smart dogs, able to work under the scorching sun and manage the bulls. In addition, they are horned bulls, which creates problems for both shepherds, dogs and the bulls themselves. A large number of they are killed on the way.

To solve these problems, Thomas starts two breeding programs: the first line of dogs for working with horned animals, the second for hornless ones. Europe is famous for its herding dogs and Smithfield collies come to Australia. Outwardly very similar to bobtails, these collies are widely used in England for livestock. However, Thomas Hall finds them unsuitable for use, since in England they work at much smaller distances and stages and they simply do not have enough endurance for hundreds of miles of travel. In addition, they do not tolerate heat well, because in England the climate is completely different. It is for these reasons that Thomas Hall decides to create a dog for his needs and starts the program.

It is worth noting that he is not the first to try to create such a breed. James Timmins (James "Jack" Timmins 1757-1837), before him crosses dogs with wild dingoes. The resulting mestizos were called "Red Bobtails" , and inherited the endurance and heat tolerance of dingoes, but remained semi-wild, afraid of people.

Thomas Hall shows more patience and endurance, and in 1800 he has many puppies. It is not known for certain what kind of breed was the basis, but it is almost certainly one of the. At that time collie breeds were not yet standardized, as they are today, but rather a mix of native breeds, valued for their working qualities. He also starts by crossing them with each other and with the new-to-country Smithfield collies. But, there is no success, the dogs still cannot stand the heat. Then he solves the problem by crossing collies with domesticated dingoes. Wild dogs - dingoes, are incredibly adapted to its climate, but most farmers hate them, as dingoes prey on livestock. However, Thomas finds that the mestizos show remarkable intelligence, endurance, and good working qualities.

Hall's experiment succeeds, his dogs are able to control the herd, and become known as Hall's Heelers, as he only uses them for his own needs. He understands that these dogs are incredible competitive advantage and despite the demand refuses to sell puppies to anyone but family members and close friends. This would be until 1870, until Hall died, the farm fell into disrepair and it was sold. Dogs become available and other breeds are mixed into their blood, the number of which is still being debated.

In the early 1870s, Sydney butcher Fred Davies crossed them with the , to add tenacity. But, as a result, stamina drops and the dogs begin to hold the bulls instead of guiding them. Although the Davis line would eventually be ousted from the blood of the Australian Heelers, some dogs will still inherit its traits. At the same time, two brothers, Jack and Harry Bagust, crossed their Australian shepherds with those brought from England. The goal is to increase their compatibility with horses and soften their character a bit. But again the working qualities suffer. By the late 1880s, the term Hall's Heelers was almost out of use, with the dogs being referred to as Blue Heelers and Red Heelers, depending on the color.

In 1890, a group of breeders and hobbyists organized the Cattle Dog Club. They focus on breeding these dogs, calling the breed the Australian Heeler or the Australian Cattle Dog. Blue healers are valued much more than red healers, as it is believed that red healers still have a lot of dingoes. In 1902, the breed was already sufficiently strengthened and the first breed standard was written.

During World War II, many units of the military kept these dogs as talismans, sometimes breaking the charter. But, they get real popularity after they get to America. The US military visits Australia and brings home puppies, as there are many farmers and ranchers among them. And the working abilities of the Australian Cattle Dog amaze them.
In the late 1960s, the Queensland Heeler Club of America is formed, which would later become the Australian Cattle Dog Club of America (ACDCA). The club promotes healers in the United States and in 1979 the American Kennel Club recognizes the breed. In 1985, the United Kennel Club (UKC) joined him.

Since its introduction in the US, the Australian Cattle Dog has become quite popular and is ranked 64 out of 167 breeds according to AKC statistics. At the same time, these statistics reflect dogs that have been registered with the AKC, and not all. As is the case with other fashionable breeds, Australian Kettle Dogs become pets, they are especially popular among rural residents. However, they retained their working abilities, and in their homeland they became legendary dogs.

Description

Australian Cattle Dogs resemble Collies but are distinct from them. This is a medium-sized dog, the male at the withers reaches 46-51 cm, the female 43-48 cm. Most of them weigh from 15 to 22 kg. They are quite short in length and noticeably larger in height.

Attention! It is primarily a working dog and everything in it appearance should talk about endurance and athleticism.

They look very natural and balanced, do not suffer from excess weight if they get enough activity. The tail of the healers is short, but thick enough, in some they are docked, but they rarely do this, since when running they use the tail like a steering wheel.

The head and muzzle resemble a dingo. The stop is soft, the muzzle flows smoothly from the skull. It is of medium length but wide. The color of the lips and nose should always be black, regardless of coat color. The eyes are oval in shape, medium in size, brown or dark brown. The expression of the eyes is unique - it has a combination of intelligence, mischief and wildness. The ears are straight, erect, set wide apart on the head. In the show ring, small or medium sized ears are preferred, but in practice they can be very large.

Wool is designed to protect them from harsh conditions. Double, with a short, dense undercoat and an all-weather overcoat. It is slightly shorter on the head and front parts of the legs. Australian Heelers come in two colors: blue and red speckled. The blue has black and white hairs arranged so that the dog looks blue. They may have tan marks, but they don't have to.

Red speckled, as the name implies, are covered with speckles all over the body. Red tan marks are usually located on the head, especially on the ears and around the eyes. Australian Heelers are born white or cream and darken with age, a trait inherited from the dingo.
In a study of 11 dogs, average life expectancy was 11.7 years, maximum 16 years. According to owners, when properly maintained, the life expectancy of a shepherd healer ranges from 11 to 13 years.

Character

Being one of the hardiest and hardest-working of all dog breeds, healers have a personality to match. They are very loyal and will follow their owner anywhere. Dogs are very attached to the family and extremely poorly tolerated. long periods loneliness. At the same time, they are not intractable and will rather lie at their feet than try to climb onto their knees.

Usually they are more attached to one person than to the whole family, but with another they are friendly and accommodating. But with those whom they love, they form such a strong friendship that their owners adore them. That does not prevent them from being dominant and poorly suited for inexperienced dog breeders.

Attention! They are usually unfriendly to strangers. They are naturally suspicious of strangers and can be quite aggressive.

With proper socialization, they will become polite, but almost never friendly. They accept new family members well, but need some time to get to know each other. Dogs that have not been socialized may be too closed and aggressive towards strangers.
They are excellent guard dogs, sensitive and attentive. However, they are ready to bite anyone and poorly understand where power is needed and where not.

Usually they get along better with older children (from 8 years old). They have a very strong hierarchical instinct, forcing them to pinch everything that moves (including people) by the legs, and small children can provoke this instinct by their actions. At the same time, they are also suspicious of other people's children, especially when they scream, rush about and do not respect the space of the healer.

Australian Heelers always want to dominate and this often leads to problems with other dogs. They are incredibly dominant, territorial and have a developed sense of ownership. Although they are not looking for a fight, they will not avoid it either. Usually they are kept alone, or with one individual of the opposite sex. It is very important for the owner to occupy a leading, dominant position in the house.
Although they are designed to work with other animals, Australian Heelers must be trained so as not to cause problems. They have a strong hunting instinct and chase small animals such as cats, hamsters, weasels and squirrels. They can tolerate domestic ones if they grew up together, but not all of them.

But they are very smart, and often fall into the top ten most intelligent dog breeds. Except for tasks that require special strength or sense of smell, there is nothing that a herding dog cannot learn. However, training may not be that easy. They do not live to serve man, they serve only those who are respected. Too many healers are stubborn and mischievous in training, and will only listen to the master who rules them as more dominant. The biggest test here is to keep the dog interested in learning. They get bored quickly, especially with repetitive tasks, and just stop listening.

heeler puppy

They need a lot of work or walks. For most, the absolute minimum is 2-3 hours a day, and running, not walking. And this is the minimum. Australian Cattle Dogs need a very large yard in which they can run all day and its size should be at least 20-30 acres. They also love to run away. Being very territorial, they love to dig and have a strong curiosity. Almost everyone loves to study the world and just give a chance in the form open gate or gates. The yard must be very reliable, as they are not only able to undermine the fence, but also climb over it. And yes, they can also open the door.

Attention! Owners who are not able to provide them with activity or work should not get such a dog.

Otherwise, she will develop serious behavioral and psychological problems. Destructive behavior, aggression, barking, hyperactivity and other pleasant things.