Australian Cattle Dog Puppies For Sale

Home » Dogs » Australian Cattle Dog Puppies

Jump to Australian Cattle Dog Advertisements

The loyal, hardworking Australian cattle dog, or ACD for short, was first bred in the mid-to-late 1800s, in Australia. There, stockmen needed a dog that could withstand harsh conditions and had the stamina to put in a full day's work herding stock at the same time.

The Australian cattle dog has a hardy, healthy constitution. These dogs can live between 12 and 15 years on average, and typically weigh between 30 and 50 pounds. In regard to coloring, they can be either red or blue. When they're born, they are white, and each particular dog has the face and body patches he or she will carry through life. As pups get older, their red or blue coloring gradually appears.

Australian Cattle Dogs have coats that are perfect for working outdoors in rough weather, with a short, straight coat as the outer coat, and a dense, short "kinked" hair undercoat, for warmth. They don't shed year round and instead do a sort of "molting" called "blowing," once a year just before summer.

While ranchers in the U.S. especially have traditionally docked Australian Cattle Dogs' tails, this is actually a detriment to them and their work and in their play as pets. Australian Cattle Dogs in effect use their tails to balance and as "rudders" in their maneuvering. For the American and Canadian kennel clubs, it is specifically forbidden to dock tails for show dogs, and many think this is a cruel practice considering that the dog uses it for balance and maneuverability while working stock or otherwise engaging in running with quick turns.

Appearance

The Australian Cattle Dog is a compact and relatively small working dog that possesses the unique and enviable strength and agility, all in one hardy, hardworking dog. The cheeks are muscular, and the skull is broad, with erect ears and a strong, sturdy neck and shoulders. Ideally, Australian Cattle Dogs are very muscular and well-conditioned, an athletic breed.

As with its equally hardworking compatriot the German Shepherd, the Australian Cattle Dog has keen, intelligent eyes that don't miss a thing. Oval and dark, they're probably the first thing you notice about this loyal, protective pet.

Personality and temperament

The Australian Cattle dog is an incredibly energetic dog, with an agile, interested, inquisitive mind -- and the physicality to match. In fact, they're one of the most intelligent dogs as ranked by trainability for commands and obedience, according to the Intelligence of Dogs scale presented by Stanley Coren.

As with other working dogs, the Australian Cattle dog was bred for work, and it loves nothing better than to have a job to do. It also must have companionship and plenty of exercise; this is not a dog for a quiet, elderly apartment dweller who wants a quiet companion to simply sit with or snuggle, although it will do well with apartment living and small quarters as long as it gets enough exercise and activity "out" of the apartment. In addition to simply needing physical activity, it also likes to have something to do that engages the attention and satisfies the intelligent inquisitiveness that is so much a part of this breed. That said, though, these dogs make excellent pets and are not particularly hyperactive as long as they get enough exercise, are stimulated intellectually, and get enough attention from their owners.

An important point to note is that these dogs absolutely crave attention and affection from their owners. If you leave an Australian Cattle Dog alone a lot, he or she will be traumatized. It's also important to note that these dogs don't do particularly well with other canine companions in the same household. They prefer to be top dog and have a propensity to fight for "pecking order," which means that the best situation for them is to be in a one-dog household.

Suitability for families

The Australian Cattle dog is incredibly affectionate, playful and loyal. When firmly disciplined and given plenty of structure and training, it's a happy, playful pet that's also very protective of its loved ones. It makes an excellent guard dog and will be cautious around people it doesn't know. Properly socialized, puppies enjoy being around people and can be easily trained so that obedience isn't a problem as long as that training begins early. For example, a puppy should be taught by the time he or she is weaned that people are fun to be around and that it's a happy thing to be responding to early "obedience" cues from people.

When adopted by an owner early enough, the Australian Cattle Dog strives to identify very, very strongly with its owner, creating an intense bond that makes the dog very protective. In fact, these dogs have sometimes been called "shadow dogs," because they are loathe to leave their owners' sides. Australian Cattle Dogs are almost never aggressive toward their owners, although they will bite even their owners if they are treated badly. They will, however, be aggressive toward strangers if they feel their owners and other loved ones are in danger.

Although these dogs are high strung and always need something to "do," they actually tend to be very quiet and don't make much noise when they are absorbed in working. They will bark to attract attention or to raise an alarm, and the bark itself is quite distinct. It's intense and high-pitched, and can mean that the dog senses trouble, again making it an excellent guard dog. Dogs raised in noisy households can, however, bark more simply because it's noisy, simply kind of a "fitting in" with the rest of the pack.

Australian Cattle Dogs can be affectionate with other dogs they are familiar with, but they are most definitely not "pack dogs" in that they don't crave canine companionship. In fact, when multiple dogs are around consistently, such as in a family, a definite "pecking order" will be established, and could cause discord among dogs. For the most part, Australian Cattle Dogs do best when they can fly solo within their human families.

Grooming

The Australian Cattle dog is actually a really easy to care for dog, with very little grooming required. For the most part, you should only have to brush the coat occasionally and rarely bathe it. The one exception to its "groom free" status is in the spring, when it "blows" its fur coat, shedding for the spring. In this case, it's something that could almost be considered molting, in that hair literally comes off in chunks and is very messy indeed. During these times, frequent brushing is essential.

As for other grooming, your vet and you should pay attention to pet's ears, nails and teeth to make sure they stay clean and trimmed, as the case may be.

Health

Australian Cattle Dogs are very healthy dogs overall, with the only problems being progressive blindness and deafness as hereditary conditions. They carry excessive piebald alleles that make them prone to congenital hereditary deafness, either in one or both ears. In addition, they are susceptible to progressive retinal atrophy, a breed weakness. This condition causes blindness, although it doesn't generally occur in dogs that actually have the gene until later in life. In addition, because this is an autosomal recessive trait, these dogs can carry the gene without actually developing the condition.

Hip dysplasia is not a common problem for Australian Cattle Dogs, although it happens often enough that breeders often test to make sure this will not be a problem.

Finally, because Australian Cattle Dogs are so active, they're quite prone to accidental injury. Other than these relatively minor conditions, however, the Australian Cattle Dog is generally a healthy, hardy dog that will make an excellent pet with a long lifespan; generally, these dogs live for 12 to 15 years on average with few health problems except for those already noted.

Working as service dogs

Australian Cattle Dogs can make excellent service dogs such as Seeing Eye dogs; they are especially suitable because of their long lifespans and their propensity to stick close by their owners' sides; they have often been called "Velcro dogs" because of this unique and usually endearing trait.

In addition, these dogs thrive on having something to do; they also love change and on learning new, interesting things, meaning that their life as a service dog will never be boring -- and they'll be perfectly happy that that's the case. They also crave physical activity, such that if their (service dog) owner is someone who's out and about all the time, they'll be happy to come right along and see what's up next. That said, after a day of activity, they like nothing better than to sit at their owners' feet for a snuggle and to follow commands as needed for other duties required, too.

Tell the Breeders you found them on the Pets4You® Website!