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Skidboot, the amazing dog:
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"http://www.cattledog.com/misc/intro.html"Australian Cattle Dogs are a breed also often refered to as: Heelers, Blue Heelers, Red Heelers, Queensland Heelers, Queensland Blue Heelers and Queensland Red Heelers.
ACD standing The Australian Cattle Dog is *NOT* the same thing as an Australian Shepherd !!
The breed was developed in the mid-to-late 1800's in Australia where the stockmen were desperately in need of a dog that had the stamina to withstand the rigors of the harsh conditions in their country. While there is great controversy over the breeds actually used in the development of the ACD we know today, some of the breeds reported to have been used are: the Native Australian Dog (Dingo), Smooth Haired Scotch Merle Collies (reported to be a cross between the Rough Haired Scotch Collie and the Blue Italian Greyhound), the Dalmatian, the Bull Terrier and the Australian Kelpie. All fanciers of the breed have their theories and all are as stubborn as the breed in insisting that THEIR theory is the correct one.
The Australian Cattle Dog is a relatively hearty, healthy breed that has an average lifespan of twelve to fifteen years. They are a medium sized muscular dog that stands 17 to 20 inches (43 to 51 cm.) at the withers (shoulders). Their weight range is variant around their general build but on average falls between 30 and 50 pounds (14 to 23 kg). The Australian Cattle Dog comes in two colors: Blue or Red.
ACD bitch with pups Australian Cattle Dogs are born white with whatever face and/or body patches they will have in later life. As ACD pups age, their blue or red coloring gradually emerges. The correct Australian Cattle Dog coat is what is known as a "double coat". The short, straight outer coat is protective in nature, keeping the elements from the ACDs skin while the undercoat is short, kinky and dense. Australian Cattle Dogs are not year-round shedders, instead they "blow" their coat once a year (sometimes twice in the case of intact females) just before the summer months. While the week or two an ACD is blowing his or her coat can lead to hair everywhere, many people find it preferable to constant shedding.
While many ranchers dock the tails of Australian Cattle Dogs, to do so is an INCREDIBLE disservice to the breed. Herding Dog Just watching an ACD at work shows one how much they rely on their tails to act as "rudders" as they quickly manuever around the livestock. Such quick maneuvers have also been known to be important when chasing tennis balls (VBG).
The Australian Cattle Dog personality is often reserved with strangers and even FIERCELY protective when they perceive that their property and/or persons are being threatened. The ACD is intelligent, but can certainly often be described as hard-headed and stubborn. Once an ACD has befriended you, they are a friend for life....but that friendship must often be earned. Australian Cattle Dog are often refered to by their owners as "velcro" or "shadow" dogs...because wherever you go, there they are!!
The Australian Cattle Dog is an EXTREMELY active breed, with mental stimulation being of paramount importance. A bored Cattle Dog is a destructive Cattle Dog !! The Australian Cattle Dog is a social breed that NEEDS to be with "its people". This is NOT a breed to leave chained or penned in the back yard....such isolation will lead to SERIOUS personality problems !! Because the Australian Cattle Dog is an active breed, a firm commitment must be made to exercise. ACDs make excellent running or biking companions although care must be taken not to over exert the young dog.
Because of their intelligence, ACDs make WONDERFUL obedience prospects (although their intelligence can actually be a hinderance in this ring also). Australian Cattle Dogs are also known to excell at Dog Sports such as Flyball, Agility and Frisbee competition. The sky is the limit when your companion of choice is an ACD !!"
NOTThe fiercely protective side is often sadly all some owners want and these then become 'attack dogs' -
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
Thanks for the post, Timbo. Australian Cattle Dogs and Border Collies are great dogs but most of these animals have an almost pathological need to keep busy. Unless you have animals for them to herd or intend to regularly work with them in agility, flyball or other activities they generally are not good pets. This is also true, although to a lesser extent, of many other herding breeds such as Pulis and Bearded Collies.As PabloP notes no dog should ever be tied out. I think fenced dog runs can work if they are large enough and the dogs have regular human contact. Letting dogs run free, no matter where you live, is not doing the dog any favors unless the dog is highly trained animal actively herding or hunting.
I live next door to a single MUM, with 3 kids, 5 or less cats, and a 'blue heeler cross' bitch that is a complete PITA, barking over nothing and NOT happy.Her FW parents bought the dog for her, and I'm not at all sure she's been spayed.
"The boys HAVE to have a dog!", "Kids need a dog!" well bulltwang, especially NOT a an ACDog.
This dog is never exercised, and is NOT trained.
I love BC's and BH's and I know people who've made a success of them as companion pets.
But, they are ACTIVE people mind, and actively engaged with their dogs, who go to activities every weekend.
OTOH most suburbs have way too many 'free-range-disaster' dogs.
I'm a bike rider and I KNOW, okay?
I used to carry a good Swiss bike-tyre-pump that had a nice halberd-style head - if you noticed it! I did after being bitten quite badly and unneccesarily. I then crried the nasty little bastrad to its owner, and told HIM that I intended to sue his are off for not having his DOG under control. I had and still have no guilt at all in using the pumps head on any dog that was danger to me, or my pedals/clips, to turn IT off bothering ME, ever again, at least.
Australia has way too many 'unsuitable dog' owners, IME! Most of them are not up to bringing up their own kids, IMO.
We are working on it here in the ACT, mind. You can't have an unspayed dogs unless you are a registered and approved breeder - all dogs must be registered WITH their reproductive status.
NB Most cat owners are NO better, we live inside a nature reserve and manage to keep both our cats indoors from before dusk to after dawn. The LEAST we can do. Several families near us just do NOT bother!
I spend a lot more time than I'd LIKE, biting my tongue!
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
This is an inevitable consequence when folk of strong opinions are located in the company of folk of limited intelligence and even less consideration for others, so don't bother yourself overmuch about that, Timbo!...I heartily applaud the efforts of yourself and others in underlining the reflection that - whilst dogs from working breeds can be the most rewarding in terms of feedback to their owners - since such dogs often REQUIRE both intensive and consistent excercise and mental challenge as well as human contact, they may make VERY POOR house-pets...
I have lost count of the number of young mothers who - having been charmed by Cassie or her predecessor Jess - I have had to go out of my way to persuade that since the family attention will need to go to the children that there would very probably be nowhere near enough time or energy left to cope with the demands of an active Border Collie, Springer Spaniel, etc...
One breed I have found to be a very good family dog is the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, which routinely adores children and is willing to be poked, have it's ears and/or tail pulled, etc with genial forbearance, and genially wait for kids to climb on to it's back so that it can carry them across the living-room carpet... They can, however, be somewhat "iffy" with other dogs, though...
and, apart from being THE most stupid, incompetent, and ineveterate 'would-be cat killer' I have known, among dogs that is!, 'Loekie' is still the biggest wuss-bag of a dog I have EVER known!Because I have gone out of my way to love him, he always comes to me at fambly gatherings, plonks himeslf beside ME and whimpers whenever I get up for replenishments or whatever until I return when he whimpers and thumps his tiny little tail.
As he also has a habit of noisily / obviously 'humping legs', it is fortunate that he only does this to females! THE one thing I'd love to be able to direct him to do!!!!! ;-)!
Immensely loveable dogs - unlike ordinary BT's!!! IME&0.
Touchingly LONGGG memories for friends too IME. I have hunted BIG feral pigs with Staffies and they can be incredibly brave!
I have known 5 of these dogs well.
You know Bill, for someone who PREFERS cats, I think I don't do too badly on the understanding/liking dogs front!
Even the ones, like Jass next door, who are PITA, I still care about them.
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
The straight-nosed English Bull Terriers I have met have been stroppy and aggressive, and a real challenge for the owner to establish a permanent dominance...One of the very few fights to the death I have witnessed (and could do nothing about since both dogs had gone "berserk") was between an English Bull Terrier and a very stroppy Dobe/Rott cross... The Dobe/Rott cross was the fatality, possibly because even when it was obviously no longer able to either attack or defend itself, the EBT was still in a killing rage, and we simply could not keep it from continually savaging the injured dog... It did not bother to try to go round us, it went through us with an unpleasant implacability just to be able to inflict yet another tearing bite on the other dog...
As you may have guessed, I would NOT recommend the English Bull Terrier breed as a family pet!...
Staffordshire Terriers and the closely related breeds have been demonized in the U.S.. They are actually illegal to own in some localities. It also can be quite difficult to get homeowners liability insurance here short of policy that specifically excludes the dog if you own one. The problem also extends to Rotweillers although to a lesser extent. I would agree that these are lovely dogs in the hands of a proper but their reputation as "tough dogs" has made them popular with people who should never own an animal of any sort. Bad owners can ruin any dog.
huming beans!, we ain't what we crack ourselves up to be, eh?
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
along with the greyhound - 'adopted' I ween.A Beagle is also a possibility.
I've gunned over a pair of Beagle, rabbitting in open / blackberry-bush country.
The female of this 'entire' pair, would also retrieve the bunnies, and was unerring about 'whose' each one was.
How she knew how to prop / stop -'before entering the shot-pattern zone - I will NEVER figure out!
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
You should hear what some of them say about their owners. Seriously, all dogs are social and need to be with their people. None should be chained or penned in the back yard.
________
"Occasionally we list eccentrically, all sense of balance gone."
I'm afraid I can't speak "cat" though. I am convinced that I do not want to know what they are really saying.
The Australian Cattle Dog is really a relatively new breed and as such, numerous records were kept on its development. The writings of Mr. Robert Kaleski are invaluable for researching the history of the development of the ACD in its native Australia. Robert Kaleski fell in love with the breed at the age of sixteen and spent his entire life breeding and studying the Australian Cattle Dog.Despite the availability of many documents about the development of the Australian Cattle Dog, there is continuing controversy over which breeds were actually used in its development. One of the difficulties in researching the history of this breed is that there was a lot of experimentation going on in trying to find the perfect combination of dogs to make up the ultimate heeler that could live and work in the Australian outback. While it is said that certain breeds were tried as a cross and subsequently found unsuitable (Bull Terrier being the most notable), I cannot bring myself to believe that all progeny of that experiment were truly taken out of all the breeding programs. Another problem lies in the names used for the breeds used back then versus the names used now. A "collie" in the mid-1800's is not the "Lassie-dog" that we think of when we hear the name collie. I think that this factor has led to a lot of confusion in the translation of early writings.
The Need for Stamina
The early settlers in Australia brought with them both livestock and the dogs they used to work them. These sheepdog-type-canines were wonderful herders in the British Isles, but were not built to withstand the rigors of the rugged Australian outback. These dogs were known as "Smithfields", a name taken from the central Smithfield meat markets of London. Smithfields were described generally as heavy, black, flop-eared, bob-tailed dogs with white around the neck and sometimes on the tip of the tail or on the feet. These dogs were decent herders but their heavy coat and bulk resulted in a lack of stamina when the colonizers moved inland toward the harsher climates of the outback. Ranchers complained that the Smithfield's bite was too severe and rustlers complained that they were too noisy when working.The first attempt at breeding a Cattle Dog suitable for the conditions in Australia came from a man by the name of Timmins, who decided to cross the Smithfield with the native Australian Dingo. Timmins was eager to breed a silent working dog. The resulting dogs were a red bob-tailed breed that became known as "Timmins Biters," and they were indeed silent workers. Unfortunately, their name was appropriate, as it was quickly found that these dogs were severe biters who could not be trusted not to kill calves when out of their owner's sight.
The next breed the ranchers tried crossing with the Dingo were purebred rough collies. It was found that these dogs had a tendency to bark at the head of cattle and work them into a frenzy. This was of particular concern when the feeder cattle being taken to market were several pounds lighter than they should have been because of all the extra exercise.
HALL'S HEELERS
In 1840, Mr. Thomas Hall of Muswellbrook, New South Wales imported a couple of Blue Smooth Highland Collies. It should be noted that these dogs were not the rough or smooth collies we think of today. They are described as blue merle dogs similar to either the border collies or bearded collies of today. These Blue Smooth Highland Collies were a bit better than the previous herding dogs they had tried, but they still had the heading habits that were found in the earlier collies. Mr. Hall took the progeny of these two collies and crossed them with the Dingo. The resulting dogs were either blue or red speckled pups that became known as "Hall's Heelers". These dogs, described as blue or red thickset dingoes, crept up on the livestock silently, nipped and then would immediately 'clap' or flatten to the ground to avoid the backlashing kick of an angry bovine. Mr. Hall continued his experimental Highland Collie-Dingo breedings until his death in 1870.
THOMAS BENTLEY'S DOG
Mr. Tom Bentley's dog was said to have been of the pure Hall strain and was both beautifully built and an incredible worker. Bentley's Dog (known by only that name) was reportedly widely used at stud to retain these outstanding characteristics. It is said that the white blaze seen on the forehead of all Australian Cattle Dogs today (now refered to as a "Bentley Mark") and the black tail-root spot seen occasionally in blue dogs can be directly attributed to Tom Bentley's dog.
MORE NEW BLOOD
Word spread of these "Hall's Heelers", now also referred to as "Blue Heelers" or "Queensland Heelers", and in the early 1870's a butcher named Fred Davis brought a pair of Hall's dogs to work in the stockyards of Sydney. It was there that Mr. Davis and his colleagues infused a bit of Bull Terrier blood into the dogs for added tenacity. These dogs were gradually fazed out of the breeding programs because they were said to grip the cattle and not let go and because they had limited mobility due to their stocky build. Evidence of the Bull Terrier influence is occasionally evident even in today's ACDs.
Two brothers, Jack and Harry Bagust, went in another direction with the crossing of these dogs. They bred a Hall's Heeler bitch to an imported Dalmatian, with the intent of instilling the love for horses and faithfulness to their master into the breed. This cross was successful, but it cost the breed some of its working ability. The Bagusts admired the working ability of the Black and Tan Kelpie, a breed in development itself at the time, and added this blood to these Blue and Red Heelers. This final infusion set the breed type, gave the blue dogs the distinguishable tan "points", gave the red dogs deep red markings instead of black and were the direct forebearers of today's Australian Cattle Dog.
The breeders of the day included Jack and Harry Bagust, Alex Davis (son of Fred) and Robert Kaleski. These men continued the breeding of "Queensland Heelers" or "Queensland Blue Heelers" and kept only the pups that were closest to the ideal and culled the rest. In 1902 Robert Kaleski drew up the first breed standard for the Cattle Dog. He based his standard on the Dingo type, believing that this was the ideal to strive for in the conditions of the country in which it was developed. The breed became known as the Australian Heeler and, eventually, as the Australian Cattle Dog. Robert Kaleski continued to preserve, write about and champion the breed until his death in 1961.
The McNiven Dogs
In the 1940's, Dr. Allan McNiven, an Australian veterinarian, decided to infuse Dingo blood back into the Australian Cattle Dog as he felt the breed was getting soft in both temperament and body. McNiven's dogs were imported heavily by ranchers in the United States for work with cattle and other livestock. When the Royal Agricultural Society Kennel Council (R.A.S.K.C.) discovered that Dr. McNiven was crossing purebreds with the Dingo, he was banned from showing and all his dogs were removed from the registry.
The Australian Cattle Dog in the U.S.
In the late 1960's, two Australian Cattle Dog owners, Esther Ekman and Christina Smith-Risk, sat ringside at a California dog show and discussed their love for the breed. Talk turned to forming a parent club for the breed in the United States with the express purpose of drawing up a breed standard and moving the Australian Cattle Dog out of the American Kennel Club's (AKC's) Miscellaneous Group. Seeing as it takes at least two members to form a club, the Australian Cattle Dog Club of America (first named "The Queensland Heeler Club of America") was born. Chris and Esther set out to find other like-minded fans of the breed and in two year's time they had a total of 12 members or families interested in pursuing the recognition of the Australian Cattle Dog by the AKC.
The American Kennel Club explained to this group that all dogs entered into their stud books must be traced directly back to those dogs registered by in Australia. As the potential new club members started doing extensive research, they discovered that many of their dogs were not actually traceable to the registered dogs in Australia. At this point, the members faced a painful decision as most of the dogs they had were not going to be able to be entered into the AKC stud books as purebred Australian Cattle Dogs. Putting their love for the breed and their desire to do justice to its purebred heritage before their own personal investments, they took a firm stand that all dogs accepted into this initial registry must be traceable on paper to their Australian roots. This meant that many of the dogs currently in the U.S. as "Australian Heelers" or "Queensland Heelers" were seen as not truly purebred, as many traced their ancestry to McNiven's dogs or other suspected crosses.
The American Kennel Club took over the breed registry in 1979 and the Australian Cattle Dog was fully recognized in 1980.
It should be noted that there are several other registry bodies in the United States that have registered this breed since the decision in the 1960's to use the AKC as the true keeper of the Australian Cattle Dog studbooks.
Registries other than the AKC, however, do not require any sort of documentation that these "Heelers" were at all truly traceable to pure roots. Many of these dogs sprang from McNiven's dogs or other crosses and cannot be guaranteed to be truly pure Australian Cattle Dogs. These dogs can be registered with the American Kennel Club under their Indefinite Listing Privilege (ILP) program as long as they are spayed or neutered.
The Australian Cattle Dog Club of America (ACDCA) is still a vital force in the promotion and protection of this breed. Membership is open to anyone with a love for or interest in ACDs. The ACDCA sponsors yearly National Specialties, in which a week of activities highlights the versatility of this marvelous breed.
The Australian Cattle Dog Today
The versatility and intelligence of the Australian Cattle Dog is quite remarkable. These dogs are capable of performing many different jobs with and for their human companions. The Australian Cattle Dog's trainability, intelligence and problem solving skills coupled with their medium-size-build, overall health and easy to care for coat make them a delightful companion. When the Australian Cattle Dog was admitted to the American Kennel Club in 1980, it became fully eligible for participating in AKC sponsored activities and competitions such as herding, obedience, agility and tracking. See the Activities page for more information about these events.
Last Updated
30-December-2005This site has been designed, is maintained and is Copyright © 1995-2006 Katherine Buetow Branson with All Rights Reserved. Pawprint animation Copyright © 1996 Gary A. Loescher for Katherine Buetow. Reproduction of ANY materials contained in the index www.cattledog.com is prohibited without express
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
... and thank you for the good information on this particular breed.
from down under, aka Queensland Cattle Dog, Australian Cattle Dog.Heeler? 'cos they'll nip yer ankles when they try to herd you away, or IN to see the boss!
The really memorable bit is how the dog made sure it got some WORK to do! This breed is NOT a backyard pet, they get bored very easily and become destructive. They just don't KNOW how to slow down or stop until they are tired.
They have some Border Collie in them, and BC's are the same with boredom, too. I also think there may be a bit of Corgi, in there too!
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
Those characteristics do indeed strongly hint at a portion of Border Collie in their blood-line...I agree that working breeds, irrespective of how attractive they are, should ONLY be taken on if the family has the ability and the motivation to give them as much time and/or jobs to do as they would give to a pretty bright and energetic infant...
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