Is Blue Heeler (Australian Cattle Dog) Smart Dog? Breed Guide & Top Facts

According to Karen Shaw Becker, the author of Real Food for Healthy Pets, “Australian cattle dogs are intelligent working dogs as well as a herding breed, so they need jobs to do daily. As their guardian, if you don’t create positive, engaging, and appropriate work for them, they’ll create their own destructive tasks – like dismantling the couch.”

Also known as Blue Heeler, the Australian Cattle Dog is known for their efficiency, agility, and brainpower. They not only run around you in circles but also herd up and down across the driveway and sidewalk, then jump inside your car.

If you wanna know more about this amazing, working dog, then scroll down and read more about this Australian Cattle Dog or the Blue Heeler.

Breed Overview

Known for their “High energy levels and active minds!” the Blue Heeler is a great working dog. But before we get to know more about this dog, here are a few important details you should know about.

Physical Appearance Of The Blue Heeler

With big oval brown eyes that sparkles when these dogs are in full attention, their ears are also raised and tapered at the same time. The blue heeler dogs will give you their whole attention when they want to talk to you. This habit is to know what their next job is.

Australian cattle dogs have curved and broad head with sharp and short muzzles. They also have a slightly bushy tail that hangs loose behind their hindquarters. With a lean body, the dog seems full of energy, with a double coat beneath them.

These dogs are not brawny or stocky but have solid frame with a proportioned body that is full of endurance and power. With a bristly and short outer coat, the undercoat is soft that provides temperature and insulation.

Blue heeler dogs represent the color of a multicultural heritage, with the colors of a collie, Dalmatian, and even an Australian dingo. The two coats of the blue heeler dogs are not the same, but the only similar element is that they have color patches all over the coats.

Temperament & Behavior

It is important to start obedience training for the Australian cattle dog, but these dogs highly require positive reinforcement and guidance at the same time. Australian cattle dogs are known to be very smart and intelligent, they are also great at problem-solving and are known to take great responsibilities as a guard.

With normal training for obedience, agility, and tracking games, the dogs are taught to have leadership qualities and to do important jobs. They also have a strong physical and mental game and health.

To train the blue heeler dogs, you can try out a doggie training course that has tunnels, bean poles, ladders, and high jumpers. With the amount of agility that these dogs have, the blue heeler dogs can finish the obstacle course in just about 30 seconds.

But as for their personality, cattle dogs are known to be affectionate, pleasant, and loyal to their owners and family members. At the same time, Australian cattle dogs are not easily accepting of any strangers.

And that is the only time you will hear them give out a sharp bark. They are always on high alert and will always give a quick sweep of the whole territory if they feel any kind of threat to their family.

Care & Health

Australian cattle dogs are known to have a thick double coat, but the coat is functional and short. The coats are sleek and neat, and at the same time, they are without any oils. So it is quite important to have weekly grooming sessions and brushing.

These dogs tend to smell quite good at the same time, even though they require to have a bath once every month. Most double-coat dogs have a blowout twice each year, as they shed twice a year, mainly during fall and spring.

So these blue heeler dogs require intense care and grooming at the same time, it is important to comb and brush the dead hair off the dog more than once each week. But at the same time, proper dental care is very important for the dog to have healthy gums and teeth and, at the same time, fresh breath.

Blue heeler dogs are known to live in one of the most harshest and unpredictable environments in the world. These dogs tend to tolerate extremely cold and hot climates, this is why the dogs are bred with intense resilience.

But these blue heeler dogs are known to have certain medical conditions, according to Becker, “In addition to congenital hereditary deafness, Australian cattle dogs who have puppies should be screened for hip, eye and heart problems, as well as patellar luxation, or slipped kneecap. They’re also prone to a heritable eye condition called progressive retinal atrophy. Make sure a puppy’s parents have been screened for these diseases. Please don’t buy a puppy until you personally review copies of these test results.”

Training

Blue Heeler is a dog that is known for its high energy levels. Therefore, you need to ensure that your dog leads an active lifestyle. When your dog is bored, it can demonstrate destructive behaviors like chewing shoes or furniture. even though this breed enjoys living in homes, and can function quite well. Still, this is an outdoor breed in essence. In fact, without enough outdoor play sessions. These dogs can become aggressive and agitated. Also, please do not leave your blue heeler alone in smaller spaces alone, it is a dog that does not function well in burrows or small spaces.

When it comes to training your Blue Heeler, this is a dog that is quite easy to train. The reason behind this is its intelligence and easy going nature. These dogs were specially bred for herding. therefore, it is a dog that will herd anything and everything that is moving. It is like a compulsion for the dog. As a result, make sure that your dog is well-socialized. Therefore, please take your dog to dog parks in order to make the dog familiar with other dogs and human beings. This would help the dog to differentiate between a threat and a friend. If the socialization part of the training is ignored, the dog can become hostile.

These are essentially dogs that are meant for canine sports including agility and speed. Therefore, it is seminal that your canine undergoes rigorous physical training in order to keep the dog nimble on its feet. Some of the best sport including these dogs include fly ball, herding competitions, timed hurdle trails, fetch and obedience trail. Therefore, you can keep your pooch engaged in such activities will help them to develop physically as well as mentally.

 Diet And Nutrition

Being active is important for blue heelers. But maintaining a proper diet is of equal importance as well. Since these are active dogs that require a lot of energy on a day-to-day basis, you need to make sure that you are supplying enough nutritional value to your four-legged pal. Most of the commercial foods that are available on the market do offer balanced nutritional value. However, if your dog is a working dog that leads an active lifestyle, then you must opt for more performance-based dog foods. These dog foods are specifically meant for working dogs that spend hours on end working or doing strenuous activities.  

Pros & Cons Of Owning An Australian Cattle Dog

Now that you have got to know a lot about the Australian cattle dog or the blue heeler, are they great as pets? That is what we are here to know. To know more on why you should or shouldn’t get a blue heeler for your own.

Wrapping Up!

Now that you are well aware of the facts and guides of the blue heeler dog, then you should definitely think the article is quite helpful for you. So if you wanna know more about different dog breeds, then follow our website to find great articles on your favorite animals. If you liked this article, then give us a like and comment down below whether you would like to own a blue heeler dog or not.

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