Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog (also known as the ‘Queensland Heeler’, ’Blue Heeler’, ‘Red Heeler’, or ‘Hall’s Heeler’) comes from Ireland—no, just kidding, Australia. When the wide open plains of Australia were opened for grazing in the early 19th century, the cattle were so active and unruly that the established lines of European herders weren’t up to the task. In 1840, a man named Thomas Hall crossed some blue merle Smooth Highland Collies with dingoes to create a breed known as the ‘Hall’s Heelers.’ These were crossed with the Bull Terrier in the 1870’s, making the breed more aggressive, and later with the Dalmatian for increased ‘carriage’ capability—the ability to run alongside horses. The Australian Cattle Dog’s distinct appearance and highly capable herding skills gained it notoriety across Australia. It was later imported to America and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1980. An Australian Cattle Dog named Bluey lived from 1910 to 1939, giving it the Guinness World Record for longest canine life span.
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Australian Cattle Dogs are sturdy, compact dogs that give the impression of agility and strength. They have a broad skull that flattens to a definite stop between the eyes, with muscular cheeks and a medium length, deep, powerful muzzle. The ears are pricked, small to medium in size and set wide apart, with a covering of hair on the inside. The eyes are oval and dark with an alert, keen expression. The neck and shoulders are strong and muscular; the forelegs are straight and parallel; and the feet round and strongly arched, with small toes and strong nails.
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They should have well-conditioned, hard muscles, even when bred for companion or show purposes. Ideally, their appearance is symmetrical and balanced with no individual part of the dog being exaggerated. They should not look either delicate or cumbersome as either characteristic limits agility and endurance which is necessary for a working dog.
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Australian Cattle Club Dog Directory
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• Australian Cattle Dog Club of America, Inc.

- Information on the club and club membership. Links to other ACD web sites.

• Australian Cattle Dog Social Club of North Queensland

- Club information, message forum, articles, Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog and Australian Cattle Dog breed standards, information, and health issues.

• Australian Cattle Dog Society of Great Britain

- Society focused on the betterment of the breed and working towards sharing the ACD's special qualities with the community. Includes ACD history, breed characteristics, health problems, society news, events, pictures, and show dogs.

• Cattle Dog and Kelpie Club of Queensland

- Includes a newsletter, calendar of events, pictures, titles, breeder directory, links, membership application, and dogs of note.

• Mid-Florida ACD Fanciers

- Includes membership information, by-laws, club events, rescue, pictures, and links.

• ACD-Service Australian Cattle Dog

- Offers lists of litters, studs, and breeders. Other topics are test health results, genetics, sport activities, and international hip scores.

• Australian Cattle Dog Breed Standard

- Official description of the breed as provided by the American Kennel Club.

• Australian Cattle Dog Community Europe

- Information on the breed, show results, worldwide listings of breeders, and photographs.

• Australian Cattle Dog Web Ring

- Links to breed sites.

• Australian Cattle Dogs On-Line

- Breed information, rescue contacts, breeder directory, and lost and found listings.

• CowDogz.com

- List of breeder web sites, classifieds, pictures of dogs available through rescue, and training tips.

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