Some of the questions we frequently hear from people researching the breed:
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Is the ACD an aggressive breed? Well.... they can be. They are a tough breed, and are not a naturally social breed. This is a breed that is bred to bite things to make its point, work all day long in the conditions of the australian outback, fend off snakes and crocodiles, move rank cattle over vast distances - it takes one tough breed to do that! They are not for the faint of heart, not for the timid, not for the wishy washy owner who wants a dog that will sit and watch TV with them and be a couch potato. If you want a breed that will greet every visitor to your home with tail and tongue wagging, you may want to think about a Golden Retriever. The cattle dog breed standard clearly says suspicious of strangers - they are that, and they will not hesitate to protect family, home and vehicle if they feel any are being threatened! This is why socialization is so vitally important with this breed - it doesn't mean they will become a golden retriever, but it will help them better determine when aggression is warranted and when it is not. | ||||||||||||
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Back To Top What is the difference between an Australian Cattle Dog and a Blue Heeler? Nothing. Australian Cattle Dogs have had several common nick-names through the years: blue heeler, red heeler, Hall's heeler, queensland heeler, even just plain dingo. The correct term is actually Australian Cattle Dog, the others are just slang. They are indeed the same dog........except for the dingo - that is actually a different dog altogether, even though it was used in the creation of this breed. A red cattle dog is not a dingo anymore than a blue cattle dog would be - and there is no difference between red and blue other than color! | ||||||||||||
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Back To Top Weren't ACDs originally dingoes? Dingoes were used in the creation of the breed, but they were never entirely dingoes, no. Early settlers to Australia brought with them their blue smooth collies to work their stock. The rugged Australian Outback proved too tough and daunting for their collies, so they cross bred them with dingoes to increase their ability and suitability for the rugged terrain they needed to traverse. The rank cattle of the outback were a bit intimidating for their collies as well, so to increase tenacity and fearlessness to take on the rank cattle they were working, they introduced the bull terrier. At this point they had a tough tenacious dog, but not as much herding ability and instinct as they needed, so they brought in the Kelpie to solidify work drive. Now they had a very tenacious dog that would go after any stock moving, including the horses, and riders were being injured due to the dogs heeling their horses and being thrown from the horses. In the hopes of making it safer for a mounted person riding along with the dogs, the dalmation was added for their natural affinity for horses. Opinions vary as to the percentage of each breed, but this is the generally accepted mixture that was used in the development of the Australian Cattle Dog:
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Back To Top Why do some ACDs have a tail, and some do not? It is common to see cattle dogs that have been docked. You will run into heated debate as to rather or not a cattle dog needs its tail to properly work the stock. I have seen both docked dogs and dogs with natural tails work cattle, and I do believe that they work better with their tails on. Some believe that their tails get in the way, but that has not been my experience with this breed. The tail is usually flat out behind them while they are working, where there feet are usually not. I have run across sites that say "they are a dog, not a boat - they don't need a rutter". Well..........they don't NEED a rutter, but they do use it as a counterbalance, which is how this breed was developed to do. Think of it this way.....remove an arm at birth - you'll still get around just fine, and you'll learn to counterbalance yourself while moving without the arm, but just think how you could get around with both arms........NATURALLY. Regardless of the debate - the fact remains: the breed standard states that the tail remain natural and intact. It very clearly indicates the length, flow, brush and carriage of the tail. So.....a tail they should have. | ||||||||||||
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Back To Top What are the acceptable ACD colors? Blue / Blue Speckle / Blue Mottle Usually always, but not required to be, with tan - this is NOT red - on the face, chest, legs, inner thighs. Also may be with or without black markings in addition to the tan. Red Speckle / Red Mottle May or may not have red markings. On red dogs, the color should be a clear red, meaning no blue or black hairs in the coat. It is preferred not to have solid markings on the body, though it is acceptable.
| Back To Top I have heard that there is a temperament difference between the colors, is this true? NO. not in the slightest regard. We have heard all the theories - reds are supposedly more aggressive than blues, more wild than blues, or vise versa. The only difference between the colors is just that - COLOR. Color has no effect on temperament whatsoever, regardless of how many weird stories you may hear from people who swear that the red ones are closer related to dingoes or whatever. It just is not so!
| Back To Top What health concerns do ACDs have? Eyes - cattle dogs have a breed history of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), which is the disease that causes older dogs to go blind. There is a DNA test available through Optigen that can test for the markers of this disease, to determine if the dog is clear of the disease, a carrier, or affected by the disease. Also, dogs can be examined by a licensed veterinary opthalmologist to determine if they are showing any symptoms of eye disease. Ears - Deafness is not uncommon in the breed, though it is getting less and less common with proper breeding practices. All pups should be hearing tested to determine their hearing as normal, unilateral or deaf prior to being sent to new homes. Hips & Elbows - all breeds are susceptible to hip & elbow displasia. OFA testing (hips and elbows) and/or PennHip (hips only) testing is the best guarantee of providing future generations free of this dibilitating and painful affliction. CHIC - CHIC stands for Canine Health Information Center. In order for an ACD to get a CHIC number, they must have the following tests done: PRCD-PRA testing through Optigen, CERF exam from a veterinarian opthalmologist, OFA Elbow exam, OFA or PennHip hip exam, and OFA BAER hearing certification. When all 5 of these minimum criteria are met, regardless of if the dog passes each, then the dog will get a CHIC number issued to show that this dog has been tested, and the results are made public knowledge.
| Back To Top I only want a pet puppy, why should I choose a puppy from health tested parents? Regardless of what you plan to do with your puppy, you have a much better chance of having a happy healthy puppy when the parents have been tested for congenital defects. So you have a pet puppy, and you start flyball or agility competition with it? GREAT! After a few years, your dog starts acting painful, isn't as eager to go as they once were. You take your dog to the vet, and find it has hip displasia. Or let's say that you've had your dog for a few years, and all of a sudden they have a hard time catching the treat, or they start bumping into things and seem disoriented in the evenings. Upon evaluation, the vet says your dog has PRA and is going blind. THAT is why we test. That is why you as a buyer should buy your puppy from a breeder who does test their breeding dogs - regardless of who the breeder is.
| Back To Top What do all these health testing terms mean? PRCD / PRA - This stands for Progessive Rod and Cone Disease form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy. This is the disease that causes blindness in cattle dogs and some other breeds. We have a marker now known in cattle dogs that can tell us if our dog is either a pattern A-clear, B-carrier or C-affected. This can be tested with either a blood sample or a cheekswab. So when someone says that their dog is a "DNA pattern B-carrier" that means that their dog was directly tested, and that was the result. If someone says that their dog is an "Obligate parrern B-carrier" this means that both of that dogs parents were tested, and based on the parents' results, the offspring are genetically obligated to be that pattern. When an A is bred to an A, all puppies will be obligate A. When an A is bred to a B, all puppies will be obligate either A or B. When an A is bred to a C, all puppies will be obligate B. At lease one of the parents of any breeding should be a pattern A, so that there is no chance of producing a C-affected, as seen below: When a B is bred to a B, puppies could be pattern A, pattern B or pattern C. When a B is bred to a C, puppies could be B or C When a C is bred to a C, all puppies will be a C. BAER - This is Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response test - this is a procedure by which puppies and dogs are tested to evaluate the hearing in each ear. You can read more on BAER here. OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals - OFA evaluates x-ray films of the dog's joints - they are also the testing database for most of the genetic testing that is done on dogs. OFA grades joints of elbows and patellas (knee caps) as normal (passing grade) or grade 1 displastic, grade 2 displastic this can be unilateral or bilateral (NOT passing grades). Hips are graded as Fair, Good, Excellent (all 3 passing grades) or grade 1 and grade 2 displastic - this can be unilateral or bilateral (NOT passing grades). Hearing is graded as Normal, or unilateral deaf, or bi-lateral deaf. Uni-lateral means one side - Bi-lateral means both sides. You can search dogs listed in the OFA database by going to the OFA website here. PennHip - This is the University of Pennsylvania's Hip Improvement Program. They have another method of evaluting hips based on the passive luxation of the hip joint - meaning how far it will move out of the socket passively, when the dog is under anesthesia. This is not a painful procedure for the dog - they are not forcefully pushing or pulling the hips out of the socket or anything like that - they apply simple pressure to see if the joints ligaments are strong or weak in holding the joint together. They then measure the distance that the hip ball will move from the hip joint, called the distraction index (DI). Obviously the smaller the number the better the results.
| Back To Top How do ACDs do with trainers? Most trainers do NOT have a clue about cattle dogs. They say a dog is a dog, and that they know herding breeds or that they know ACDs specifically. If you are interested in going WITH your dog to a trainer, find out from your local cattle dog club who they recommend in your area. Someone who does not truly know this breed can do a lot of damage to your dog, and you may or may not be able to undo that. If you are going to take your dog to a trainer, always go WITH the dog and go through the training right along with your dog.
| Back To Top What is NILIF? NILIF stands for Noting In Life Is Free. The NILIF program is an accepted standard in dog training/behavior but it is not, and is not intended to be, a substitute for an in-person, professional evaluation of your dog's behavior. This technique is intended for dogs in good health and of sound mind and stable temperament. Check out these links for further information: www.k9deb.com/nilif.htm www.greyhoundlist.org/nothing_is_free.htm Back To Top |
