The Australian Cattle Dog – Workaholic on Four Paws

The Australian Cattle Dog is everything but a couch potato. Constantly on the lookout for activity and exercise, the charming herding dog expects his master and mistress to be involved in sports. Your new personal trainer from Down Under will thank you with loyalty and obedience.

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Australian Cattle Dog: Its originality is its nature

In the middle of the 19th century, the triumphal march of the Australian Cattle Dog began as a courageous companion of Australians on the hunt and as a guardian of their herds. As part of the settlement of the continent by sheep and cattle herd owners, the compact powerhouse was at your side. As a guardian and driver at the same time, he rarely needed a command to do his job successfully. Crosses with the indigenous dingo and collie as well as the Dalmatian transformed the British import dog named Smithfield into a herding dog perfectly adapted to the heat and harsh environment.

The character of the Australian Cattle

The dingo blood still throbs in his veins today and wants to be tamed. He is clever and forward-looking and only accepts dominant pack leaders. The dog has always had an unmistakable sense of dealing with herd animals. He knows how to drive them prudently, but also to lay down and convey calm. Even after a long day of work in the pasture, the dog hardly seems tired. Replacing this task – physically and mentally – is a demanding task for the owner in everyday life without cattle and the like.

Similar well-known herding dogs are, for example:

• the Border Collie,
• the Australian Shepherd or
• the Australian Kelpie
• the Australian Koolie

Education and keeping of the Australian Cattle Dog

Its close relationship to the Australian dingo gives this dog a touch of untamedness. First and foremost, however, the heeler – the Australian word for herding dog – has enormous intelligence. And it is precisely this that needs spiritual food to keep the dog species-appropriate. Nice walks in the sunshine and in icy temperatures cuddling nicely on the sofa? The nature of this active “intelligence beast” does not play along. However, if you live an active life yourself and love working with dogs on a daily basis, you will find the perfect partner for every adventure in the Australian Cattle Dog. An early, consistent and daily consolidated education is indispensable. The Cattle Dog requires a pack leader to look up to. The self-confident Australian Cattle Dog is reluctant to find his way into a family with children and shows displeasure very clearly.

Caring for the Australian Cattle Dog

The “jack of all trades” loves fast movement and enduring work programs. Its compact body supports this passion perfectly. Not too big and relatively light, the power dog takes tight curves, makes lightning-like turns and falls to the ground like a board when it becomes necessary to pull the brake. So it is not surprising that the Australian Cattle Dog successfully conquers the human-dog sport of agility. Here is a valuable substitute for its former task. Accordingly, high-quality food is part of it from the very beginning.

Special features of the Australian Cattle Dog

The selection of an experienced breeder is very likely to prevent breed-typical hereditary diseases such as blindness or deafness. By means of genetic tests, it has been possible in recent years to push back this predisposition through responsible breeding.