Content
- Australian herdsman story
- Australian Cattle: Characteristics
- Australian Cattle: personality
- Australian Cattle: care
- Australian Cattle: education
- Australian Cattle: health
The Australian Cattle, also known as blue heeler or red heeler depending on the type of coat it develops. This dog has amazing skills for training, herding and physical exercise, being an exceptional dog in different canine sports.
The Australian Cattleman is an excellent dog, but it's not for any owner. Its great physical needs, mental stimulation and education make it practically exclusive to experienced people.
In this PeritoAnimal sheet, we'll tell you everything you need to know if you're thinking of adopting an Australian herdsman: their behavior, their character, the care they need and what their education should be like. Don't forget to comment and share your opinions, keep reading.
Source
- Oceania
- Australia
- Group I
- Rustic
- muscular
- short paws
- toy
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- Giant
- 15-35
- 35-45
- 45-55
- 55-70
- 70-80
- more than 80
- 1-3
- 3-10
- 10-25
- 25-45
- 45-100
- 8-10
- 10-12
- 12-14
- 15-20
- Low
- Average
- High
- Shy
- very faithful
- Active
- Dominant
- Houses
- hiking
- Shepherd
- Sport
- harness
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Short
- Smooth
- Hard
- thick
Australian herdsman story
the australian herdsman originated in Australia. European settlers who had emigrated to Australia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries needed "shepherd" dogs capable of handling wild cattle in the harshest environmental conditions. Unfortunately for them, the dogs they brought couldn't withstand the heat and extreme working conditions.
That's why, in 1840, a man named Hall decided to cross some blue-blackbird collies with dingos. The result was the forerunner of the current Australian herdsman. Later crosses included the Dalmatian, the bull terrier and the Australian kelpie. In the end, a tireless, intelligent and courageous dog was obtained, capable of handling the most undisciplined cattle in the most extreme conditions. The Australian cattle herder is not the most popular dog these days, but he enjoys a good number of fans who share their lives with him, dog sports and working with livestock. It is an amazing dog but not suitable for any owner.
Australian Cattle: Characteristics
the body of the Australian cattle dog is strong, muscular and agile and has great strength. It is slightly longer than it is tall and has a level topline (not slanted). The chest is deep and muscular. THE head is robust, but well proportioned to the rest of the body, and its characteristics reveal that this breed has blood from the dingo dog. The nose is black. The eyes are oval, medium and dark brown. They have a cheerful, intelligent appearance, which is suspect when strangers approach. The ears are medium, broad at the base, muscular, erect and somewhat pointed.
The tail is moderately low set and almost reaches the hock. When the dog is at rest, the tail locks with a slight bend. When the dog is in action, raise the tail, but not higher than vertical.
The Australian Cattle Coat is soft and double-layered. The outer layer has hairs that are very close, hard, smooth and well attached to the body. The inner layer is short and dense. The mantle can be blue (blue, blue, black or fire spots) or mottled red (small red spots distributed throughout the body, even in the inner layer, and may have darker red spots on the head). Here is the differentiation between red heeler and blue heeler, the two names that accept the different layers of the Australian Cattle Dog.
These dogs are medium and the height at the withers for males varies between 46 and 51 centimeters. The height at the crossing of the females varies between 43 and 48 centimeters. The weight is usually between 25 and 50 pounds, depending on size.
Australian Cattle: personality
These dogs are characterized by being very loyal, energetic, tireless, courageous, tough and super smart. They are very attached to just one person, so they are considered "one-love dogs". They are excellent guardians and can be very fierce when they have to defend what is theirs. His temperament is much better suited to the work of a cow herding dog than to any other activity.
The qualities of this dog did not go unnoticed by the large number of people who enjoyed its company. Its great physical and mental abilities are a real challenge for any owner. As we said before, the Australian herdsman not a dog for anyone. Your restlessness, intelligence and physical strength will need an owner who is proactive, energetic and willing to stimulate his dog (in obedience and through games). They also need a lot of exercise and are not good pets for sedentary families or for people inexperienced in handling dogs.
If you are considering owning an Australian herdsman, you need to be sure you can meet their physical needs, which should involve several daily walks, exercise, excursions, obedience and stimulation.
Australian Cattle: care
This is one of the dog breeds in which hair care is very simple. Brushing is enough once a week to keep the Australian Cattle's coat in shape. It is not necessary to bathe very often, you only need to do it when it is really necessary. The minimum space between baths should be a month, otherwise you may be eliminating your skin's natural protective layer.
Australian cattlemen need lots of exercise and lots of attention. We must remember that they are not dogs to be left alone in the garden. They will feel comfortable in a rural setting, where they can exercise in a large garden, especially if they have a packmate to run around and enjoy nature.
If living in an urban environment, the Australian Cattle Dog will need at least 3 walks a day for it to eliminate stress and anxiety. He should also enjoy at least 10 minutes where he can run freely without a leash.
Canine sports can help channel the vast amounts of energy that Australians have. However, we can also exercise with our dog, it is a wonderful idea, as it is a breed that hates solitude and individualized life. Discover some exercises you can do with your Australian cattleman. Of course, the quintessential sport of Australian herders is herding (grazing).
Australian Cattle: education
Australian cattlemen are very close to their families, but they are often suspicious and reserved with strangers. They can also be awkward with children. Therefore, it is very important to socialize from dogs with all kinds of people, pets and with the different environments that exist (countryside, city, city, beach...). THE variety in socialization The Australian Cattle Puppy will be the key to achieving a sociable, happy, stable and fearless adult dog.
On the other hand, Australian cattlemen can reach exceptional results in some canine training specialties, but they can also be difficult to train for more housework. They are very intelligent dogs, but their strong instincts and high energy make it difficult to train to maintain self-control in everyday situations. Especially when the trainer is inexperienced. Traditional training does not work well with these dogs, after all, punishment, fights and abuse are a very negative way to develop our relationship with such an amazing dog. We should totally avoid these types of situations using positive reinforcement, patience and the dog's own development and initiative. Using the clicker, for example, is highly recommended.
Because of their characteristics as working dogs, Australian cattlemen can develop behavior problems when they are violently punished, do not receive the exercise they need, or do not have any kind of mental stimulation. That's when they become nervous, destructive and stressed out. Most Australian cattlemen have been abandoned because of owners who did not understand the needs of this dog.
Australian Cattle: health
Unfortunately, even though it is an extremely hardworking dog, the Australian cattle breeder is prone to various hereditary diseases. Among the most frequent are: hip dysplasia, deafness, progressive retinal atrophy and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Occasionally, cataracts, intraocular lens dislocation, and von Willebrand disease have also been diagnosed.