The Blue Heeler, or Australian Cattle Dog.

Source : https://pixabay.com/en/blue-heeler-dog-pet-animal-canine-450537/

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The Australian Cattle Dog may look rather unassuming, fairly friendly and an all around nice guy. But don't let that happy face lure you in.

They have been bred for generations to herd cattle across very long distances and stony ground, to follow direction well, and to recognize patterns in the animals they are herding in order to best maneuver them to where the owner directs.

Highly intelligent the Blue Heeler stands about knee high, with the males slightly taller than the females.

They tend to live about 11-12 years, with some hereditary conditions causing declination in the latter stages of life. You would typically see blindness and deafness, milky cataracts or lumpy/cauliflower ear from the occasional stray hoof.

My personal experiences with the Australian Cattle Dog is that they need constant attention,
Be it walking along the street, please use a leash at all times.
Running about the yard, believe me they will tire you out!
They do enjoy playing with toys such as tug-of-war and chasing balls.
One thing is they are very good jumpers and require a fairly large area to roam in.
So keep that in mind if you have a small yard a low fence and a bored heeler.

They tend to chase small children and nip at them. You should always take caution with small kids near animals but this particular breed is no exception. They have been trained to chase cattle and bite at ankles, so it is not uncommon to have them chase after children and herd them in a similar manner. Please look after your kids and particularly babies near a cattle dog.

Thanks for tuning in,
Doctor out.

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