Australian Cattle Dog puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Australian Cattle Dog puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed for
• Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA), detectable by DNA test
• Genetic deafness, detectable by BAER testing
• Other inherited eye diseases, detectable by a veterinary ophthalmologist exam

From Australian Cattle Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/australian-cattle-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Australian Cattle Dog puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Australian Cattle Dog.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 15.9 to 22.7 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other medium breeds

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