Australian Cattle Dog puppies

About the Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog was built in the nineteenth century for droving cattle across long, hot distances, crossing British herding dogs with the native Dingo for stamina and toughness. The result is a compact, hard muscled dog of 43 to 51 centimetres, blue or red speckled, with a weatherproof double coat and a level, calculating stare. They work by nipping heels, and that instinct arrives with the puppy. Cattle Dogs bond hard to one person and stay suspicious of most others.

Very high energy paired with a bark rating of one makes a deceptive combination: the dog is quiet, but they still need a job. Daily running, herding, agility or obedience work rather than a stroll round the block. Grooming is a weekly brush with a thorough strip out twice a year when the undercoat goes. With children they rate three out of five, and the heel nipping needs redirecting early. A garden and a short walk will never be enough, so plan for a lot more before you bring one home.

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 them 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 they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their 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

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.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 22.7 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Australian Cattle Dog

Previous: Australasian Bosdog · Next: Australian Kelpie

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Australian Cattle Dog breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/australian-cattle-dog/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Jgrabbs, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.