Interested in the Australian Cattle Dog Blue Heelers? Learn more about energetic and intelligent Blue Heeler Australian cattle dog…
The Blue Australian Heeler is one of the prized cattle dog that was developed in Australia. It is considered mainly a working dog and has a natural herding instinct. It works independently with little guidance and has become extremely popular for herding sheep, goats and cattle along with other kinds of livestock on ranches. Very energetic and enthusiastic the energy level of this dog goes from moderate to high.
Also bred for conformation shows, the specifications and characteristics of the show dogs are slightly different from the working dog lines. The bloodlines are maintained to vigorously preserve the traits of intelligence, loyalty and hard work ethic.
Fur Coat Colour
Often known as simply the Queensland Heeler or the Australian cattle dog Blue Heeler, its name arises because of the hair on the body, which is speckled with blue or red. Due mainly to crossbreeding it has developed a coat of fur that has blue and red specks on it.
It was initially utilized for the purpose of droving cattle. The Blue Australian Heeler cattle dog is quite feisty and full of energy. The short-coated dog is of medium size and firm built with a lot of agility and balance along with a symmetrical body structure.
Basic Characteristics
Ideally the Australian Blue Heeler Cattle Dog should be very strong with no traces of weakness evident in the breed. The structure and build of the dog should not be very heavy and the movement should be agile and light. The dog is constantly energetic and moves around with the cattle. Therefore it is essential to see that the working dog is energetic and agile. None of the body parts should appear exaggerated when compared to any other part. The dogs bred for conformation shows and companionship also retain the traits and characteristics of good conditioning as well as muscular proportion.
The reason for the unique blue specks on the coat, which result in the unique colour of the Australian Blue Heeler cattle dog are basically due to the mixture of hair. It has grey, white and blue hair mixed tightly with each other and it is completely interwoven to give it a speckled or mottled look.
Average Sizes
The average height at the withers for the male Australian Blue Heeler can vary between 18 to 20 inches while the female Australian Blue Heeler is slightly smaller at 17 to 19 inches when measured at the withers. Depending on its age and height the dogs can weigh between 30 – 60 pounds. Both the genders have a compact build and muscular body. Its body is covered with thick and coarse hair. The texture of the hair is very unruly and has a greasy sheen to it. Most of the dogs have a woolen undercoat that helps keep them warm in the winter. The tail of the Australian Blue Heeler cattle dog lies very low and ends in a white tip.
