Australian Cattle Dog

• ExerciseVery high

  Thrives with a job, sport or serious daily exercise.

• GroomingWeekly brushing

  A weekly brush keeps the coat healthy.

• Living spaceFlexible

  Adapts to most homes with enough activity.

• Owner experienceFor experienced owners

  Rewards owners who know the ropes.

• Commitment12–16 years

  Plan for a long, loving relationship.

Health to watch: Deafness · Progressive retinal atrophy · Hip dysplasia

The Australian Cattle Dog — the 'Heeler', with dingo in its ancestry and distinctive blue or red speckles — is a tough, brilliant, tireless herding dog whose work drive never clocks out. Bred to drive cattle across vast distances by nipping their heels, it is intensely energetic, intelligent and independent, and it is emphatically not a casual pet: it needs hours of daily physical exercise plus serious mental work, or it turns its drive to destruction, escaping, and nipping at heels (people's included). It bonds like glue to one person, is naturally wary of strangers, and needs early socialisation and consistent, engaging, positive training. Given a real job, it is an astonishingly capable, loyal partner. The short, weather-resistant double coat is easy, needing only weekly brushing, more during moults. Health-wise the breed is famously hardy and long-lived (some reach their late teens), but buy from a breeder who screens hips and tests hearing and eyes, since it is prone to congenital deafness, progressive retinal atrophy and hip and elbow dysplasia. Match an ACD only to a home that can truly work its body and mind every day, and it will be an extraordinary, devoted companion for twelve to sixteen years.

• How much exercise does a Australian Cattle Dog need?

  Very high. Thrives with a job, sport or serious daily exercise.

• How much grooming does a Australian Cattle Dog need?

  Weekly brushing. A weekly brush keeps the coat healthy.

• Is a Australian Cattle Dog suited to apartment living?

  Flexible. Adapts to most homes with enough activity.

• Is a Australian Cattle Dog a good fit for first-time owners?

  For experienced owners. Rewards owners who know the ropes.

• How long do Australian Cattle Dog live?

  12–16 years. Plan for a long, loving relationship.

• What health issues affect the Australian Cattle Dog?

  Keep an eye out for Deafness, Progressive retinal atrophy, Hip dysplasia. These are worth raising with your vet, along with any screening they recommend.

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