Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Australian Cattle Dog Breed Overview
- History of the Australian Cattle Dog Breed. Where Australian Cattle Dogs came from
- What the Australian Cattle Dog Looks Like
- How Much is the Australian Cattle Dog Puppy?
- Best Australian Cattle Dog Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Australian Cattle Dog
- Australian Cattle Dog Growth
- What Colors do Australian Cattle Dogs Have?
- The Temperament of the Australian Cattle Dog
- How Long Australian Cattle Dogs Live
- Australian Cattle Dog Litter Size
- How Fast Australian Cattle Dogs Can Run
- Good Names for Australian Cattle Dogs
- How Intelligent are Australian Cattle Dogs?
- How Popular are Australian Cattle Dogs with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Australian Cattle Dogs and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Australian Cattle Dog
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Australian Cattle Dogs
- Other Things to Know About Australian Cattle Dogs
Australian Cattle Dog Breed Overview
The Australian Cattle Dog is a medium-sized dog.
The adult Australian Cattle Dog stands 17 to 20 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Australian Cattle Dog belongs to the Herding Dogs group.
Dogs in the Herding Dogs group, like the Australian Cattle Dog, were bred for moving livestock, including sheep, cattle, and even reindeer.
Herding dogs work closely with their human shepherds, and their natural intelligence and responsiveness make them highly trainable.
Herding dogs have high levels of energy, which needs to be channeled properly to prevent destructive behavior.
Herding breeds are protective of their people and property and make excellent watchdogs. Their intelligence, agility, and activity level make them well suited to dog sports.
The fact that the Australian Cattle Dog belongs to the Herding Dogs group is one of the reasons why Australian Cattle Dogs have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Australian Cattle Dog is generally described as:
- Brave
- Cautious
- Energetic
- Loyal
- Obedient
- Protective
History of the Australian Cattle Dog Breed. Where Australian Cattle Dogs came from
The Australian Cattle Dog was bred to drive cattle across long distances in Australia.
It was bred from other herding-type dogs that were brought from England to Australia in the 1900s.
Australian Cattle Dogs were bred to nip at the heels of the livestock they herded because the cattle in Australia were unruly and unpredictable.
Australian Cattle Dogs were bred to be quiet but aggressive in their nip-at-the-heel herding technique.
This breed is hard-wired to herd and nip and bite at the fast-moving heels of people or other animals so it is best to avoid getting this breed if there is no work to keep it busy.
They are loyal and intelligent animals but almost cannot help but to run after and bark at other animals and nip at playful children running past.
Training can curb some of this behavior but it is deeply ingrained in the Australian Cattle Dog and should be considered before getting one.
.
What the Australian Cattle Dog Looks Like
The Australian Cattle Dog is a medium-sized stocky dog that is related to the Dingo from Australia.
This dog also goes by the Queensland Heeler or the Blue Heeler and can be red or blue in color.
Their double-coats are thick, short, and super coarse to protect them while they hunt.
Coats of Australian Cattle Dogs only need to be brushed once or so every week to remove excess dirt or oil buildup.
The Australian Cattle Dog has an inherent herding and hunting instinct that can help farmers and hunters alike.
Australian Cattle Dogs are lively and full of energy and will protect a flock or drive cattle with all of their might.
They are stubborn and hard-headed dogs that need direction and something to keep them busy to minimize unwanted destructive behaviors.
The Australian Cattle Dog will benefit from obedience training greatly as well as crate training to provide boundaries and a safe place to go.
.
How Much is the Australian Cattle Dog Puppy?
The average price of a Australian Cattle Dog puppy is $840. The price of a Australian Cattle Dog puppy ranges from $500 to $996.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Australian Cattle Dog. These factors include what health records the Australian Cattle Dog puppy has, the lineage of the Australian Cattle Dog puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Australian Cattle Dog based on the many factors that determine the price of the Australian Cattle Dog puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Australian Cattle Dog puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Australian Cattle Dog breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Australian Cattle Dog Breeders
We have researched reputable Australian Cattle Dog breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Australian Cattle Dog breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Erin Eckert
Puppy Price: $450
Andrew Morris
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Jennifer Bracewell
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
BadAce Kennel
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Theresa Buzzard Couch
Puppy Price: $1500-$2000
Adopting or Rescuing the Australian Cattle Dog
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Australian Cattle Dogs included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Australian Cattle Dog named Mufasa that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Australian Cattle Dogs like Mufasa on pefinder.com.
You can find more Australian Cattle Dogs that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Australian Cattle Dog Growth
New Australian Cattle Dog owners need to know about the growth of their Australian Cattle Dogs. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Australian Cattle Dog will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Australian Cattle Dog early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Australian Cattle Dog puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Australian Cattle Dog at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Australian Cattle Dog
What Colors do Australian Cattle Dogs Have?
Australian Cattle Dogs come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Merle (Blue)
- Black
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Merle (Red)
- Bicolor
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
- White / Cream
- Brown / Chocolate
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- Brindle
The Temperament of the Australian Cattle Dog
The temperament of the Australian Cattle Dog based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Australian Cattle Dog for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Australian Cattle Dog here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 85.9 percent |
| Energy Level | 82.9 percent |
| Stubbornness | 8.2 percent |
| Prey Drive | 69.7 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 67.1 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 58.6 percent |
| Excitability | 56.5 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 53.1 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 48.3 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 40.0 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 36.7 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 31.4 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 21.2 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 19.0 percent |
How Long Australian Cattle Dogs Live
The lifespan of the Australian Cattle Dog is typically from 12 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Australian Cattle Dog. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 11 pet Australian Cattle Dogs lived.
From the study, it was found that Australian Cattle Dogs have an average lifespan of 11.6 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Australian Cattle Dogs to live as long as 15.9 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Australian Cattle Dog to live long.
Australian Cattle Dogs live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Australian Cattle Dog to improve your Australian Cattle Dog`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Australian Cattle Dog live long.
Australian Cattle Dog Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 2 different Australian Cattle Dog birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Australian Cattle Dogs can have is 5 puppies. Also, the Australian Cattle Dog can have as few as 5 puppies per litter and as many as 6 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Australian Cattle Dog will have depends on factors such as the age of the Australian Cattle Dog, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Australian Cattle Dog will have and how the litter size of the Australian Cattle Dog compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Australian Cattle Dogs Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 234 different Australian Cattle Dogs, the average speed of the Australian Cattle Dog is 24.0 mph (38.7 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Australian Cattle Dog ran in a race is 29.96 mph (48.2 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Australian Cattle Dog is 13.07 mph (21.0 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Australian Cattle Dog compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Australian Cattle Dogs
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Australian Cattle Dog ranked by popularity:
- Dog
- Blue
- Hank
- Jack
- Waylon
- Ranger
- Red
- Charlie
- Ozzie
- Bo
How Intelligent are Australian Cattle Dogs?
| Australian Cattle Dog | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 10 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After Fewer Than 5 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Australian Cattle Dog has an obedience intelligence rank of 10 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Australian Cattle Dogs in the `Brightest Dogs` category.
This means that Australian Cattle Dogs tend to learn new commands after fewer than 5 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Border Collie | 1 |
| Standard Poodle | 2 |
| Doberman Pinscher | 5 |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 12 |
| Weimaraner | 21 |
| Pomeranian | 23 |
| Vizsla | 25 |
| Samoyed | 33 |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 34 |
| Norwegian Elkhound | 36 |
| Bedlington Terrier | 40 |
| Curly-Coated Retriever | 41 |
| Finnish Spitz | 43 |
| American Water Spaniel | 44 |
| Boxer | 48 |
| Dachshund | 49 |
| Ibizan Hound | 53 |
| Basset Hound | 71 |
| Beagle | 72 |
| Afghan Hound | 79 |
How Popular are Australian Cattle Dogs with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Australian Cattle Dog.
The popularity of the Australian Cattle Dog averaged over the years is Number 54 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Australian Cattle Dogs and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Australian Cattle Dog is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Australian Cattle Dog puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Australian Cattle Dog breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Australian Cattle Dogs for:
- Cardiac Evaluation
- Congenital Deafness
- Elbow Dysplasia (evaluation at two years or older)
- Eye Examination – Min Age 24 months
- Hip Dysplasia
- Patellar Luxation
- prcd-Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
- Primary Lens Luxation
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy RCD4
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Australian Cattle Dogs here.
How to Take Care of Australian Cattle Dog
To take good care of your Australian Cattle Dog, you need to make sure that you groom your Australian Cattle Dog regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Australian Cattle Dog regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Australian Cattle Dog`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Australian Cattle Dog daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Australian Cattle Dog.
Also, you need to feed your Australian Cattle Dog high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Australian Cattle Dog from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Australian Cattle Dog and how much food to feed the Australian Cattle Dog at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Australian Cattle Dog has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Australian Cattle Dog needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Australian Cattle Dogs
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Australian Cattle Dog.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Australian Cattle Dog:
- Australian Kelpie (75 percent match with Australian Cattle Dog). Learn more about the Australian Kelpie here.
- German Pinscher (75 percent match with Australian Cattle Dog). Learn more about the German Pinscher here.
- German Wirehaired Pointer (79 percent match with Australian Cattle Dog). Learn more about the German Wirehaired Pointer here.
- Jack Russell Terrier (78 percent match with Australian Cattle Dog). Learn more about the Jack Russell Terrier here.
Other Things to Know About Australian Cattle Dogs
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Australian Cattle Dog that you need to know about the Australian Cattle Dog breed: