You must be a leader yourself if you plan to share your life with an Australian Cattle Dog. This is a smart and independent breed who can be a challenge to raise and live with. He has a reputation for being stubborn, but the corollary is that he never gives up when he puts his mind to something. The ACD is suspicious of strangers, making him an excellent watchdog who will be protective if necessary.
The ACD has high energy levels and needs much more activity than a simple walk around the block. Choose this breed only if you are a high-energy person yourself who enjoys long periods of active daily exercise such as running, bicycling and hiking and can take your dog with you once he is physically mature. Remember that this breed is meant to be able to work long days herding unruly livestock.
Mental stimulation is important, too. He’s well suited to just about any dog sport or activity you can teach, including agility, flyball, herding, obedience, rally and tracking. When the ACD’s energy is not channeled in these ways, he will chase cars or bicyclists, remodel your lawn or do other destructive acts that will make you very unhappy and cost you a lot of money.
Begin socialization and training early to make the most of the ACD’s intelligence, rapid learning ability and drive. Be firm, fair, and consistent, and use positive reinforcement techniques such as praise, play and food rewards. Don’t let him be mouthy. Redirect his attention to an appropriate chew toy.
When the ACD is raised with children, he can be good with them. Don’t forget that he is a herding breed and may have the tendency to chase or nip at children or people in general. This should never be permitted. He is best suited to a family with older children who can understand how to treat him with respect. If he is raised with them, he can learn to live with cats, but he does have a strong prey drive and will chase small furry animals outdoors.
Australian Cattle Dogs have a strong sense of adventure and they think they are invincible. Be prepared for your dog to incur a lot of injuries. Fortunately, he is truly tough, but living with him and wondering how he will hurt himself next can be nervewracking. Get used to it.
As far as grooming, he’s an easy-care breed. Brush the Australian Cattle Dog’s coat weekly to remove dead hair. Trim his nails as needed, and keep his ears clean and dry to prevent infections. Good dental hygiene is also important.
This is an indoor/outdoor dog. While the Australian Cattle Dog should certainly have access to a securely fenced yard, he should be with his family when they are home. The ACD is one of the breeds often referred to as “Velcro dogs,” and he will be unhappy and destructive if left in the yard all the time with little human interaction.
Other Quick Facts
Australian Cattle Dogs have a strong sense of adventure and they think they are invincible. Be prepared for your dog to incur a lot of injuries. Fortunately, he is truly tough, but living with him and wondering how he will hurt himself next can be nervewracking. Get used to it.
The Australian Cattle Dog is compact but powerful. He has a broad skull, muscular cheeks, a black nose, dark-brown eyes that glint in suspicion when a stranger approaches, medium-size prick ears, and strong teeth for biting cows. The muscular neck leads into a rectangular body with strong shoulders and a deep chest. The tail hangs in a slight curve when the dog is at rest, which doesn’t happen very often.
The ACD’s double coat is smooth and comes in two colors: blue and red speckle. The blue coat can be solid, mottled or speckled, with or without black, blue or tan markings on the head and tan markings elsewhere on the body. The red speckle coat is even all over the body, with or without darker red markings on the head.
