Australian Cattle Dog

Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog is considered an extraordinary cattle dog in his country and has great qualities and aptitudes that allow him to please numerous families with children and large properties to protect. The defense of large Australian farms and the protection of its occupants have made his reputation for many years and it is only just beginning to cross the Australian borders. The first specimens have just made their appearance at exhibitions in Europe. Despite his wild looks, he is quite charming. He is a dog to be discovered for his loyalty, faithfulness, intelligence and great courage.

Height 43 to 51 cm
Weight 20 to 30 kg
Life expectancy 13 to 15 years
Hair Loss Medium
Excercise Need High
Home country Australia

Index

Personality Appearance Characteristics Price Tips Health History

Quick Overview of the Australian Cattle Dog

Temperament

  • Intelligent and patient
  • Resistant and courageous
  • Gentle and faithful
  • Great sentimental

Appearance

  • Very strong and robust
  • Straight, hard hair
  • Dark brown eyes
  • Wide straight ears

Health

  • Generally enjoys excellent health
  • Rarely sick
  • Excellent life expectancy

Temperament of the Australian Cattle Dog

Intelligent, resistant, courageous, patient, gentle and endowed with excellent aptitudes for survival in very extreme conditions, the Australian Cattle Dog is loyal and very attached to his family but he is rather distrustful of strangers even if he never shows unnecessary aggressiveness.

He is a great sentimentalist who adores children and will easily settle for the leader of the pack spot if hierarchy is not taught to him early in his education.

This excellent guardian dog protects his family and their property at all times. He's a sensitive dog who simply worships his family. Even if he is not naturally aggressive, he has a protective soul with great courage and tenacity. He will stop at nothing.

bouvier d'australie personnalité

Breed Appearance

Australian cowherd

This worker has a constitution adapted to the needs of his country. He is strong, harmoniously built, balanced and very powerful. Of medium size and compact, he is however very robust.

Even if his head is rather large, his overall constitution is in harmony with his size. Except for the colour, he has kept the wild look of his ancestor, the Dingo.

Height

Between 46 and 51 cm (18.11 to 20.08 inches) for the male
Between 43 and 48 cm (16.93 to 18.90 inches) for the female

Weight

Between 20 and 30 kg (44.09 to 66.14 pounds) for the male
Between 20 and 30 kg (44.09 to 66.14 pounds) for the female

Color

The colour of his coat can vary between blue, spotted or blended blue and red mottled. It is sometimes spotless or with blue, black, brown or reddish spots on the head.

Hair

His short coat is harsh and straight and is very rich in undercoat.

Morphology

His skull is very large and has a light stop. His eyes are medium size and of a beautiful dark brown colour. His medium size large ears are straight and slightly pointed, like those of the Dingo.

His nose is black. His long tail falls naturally and almost reaches the hock.

According to the FCI breeds nomenclature, this breed belongs to group 1, section 2 and is #287

Characteristics of the Australian Cattle Dog

Does this dog suit your lifestyle?

Every dog breed has its own characteristics. However, the actual character of a dog can vary from one to another within the same breed.

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Life in an apartment
Good first dog
Tolerates solitude
Tolerates cold weather
Tolerates hot weather
Affectionate
Friendly with children
Friendly with strangers
Friendly with other animals
Hair loss
Drooling level
Easy to care for
Robust health
Easy to train
Intelligent
Tendency to bark
Tendency to nibble
Protective
Instinct to hunt
Adventurous spirit
Energy level
Level of intensity
Need for exercise
Playful

Price and monthly budget

Price you can expect to pay for a Australian Cattle Dog puppy: between 900 € / $ 1 / £1 and 1100 € / $ 1 / £1
These prices are indicative and may vary from breeder to breeder
Average monthly budget for a Australian Cattle Dog: 90 € / $ 1 / £1
The monthly budget includes the average expenses for food and hygiene products (grooming, anti-parasite...)

Tips About this breed

As he needs a lot of exercise and usually lives on large Australian farms, it is best to take him running regularly if he lives indoors.

His wild ancestor, the Dingo, is very present in his temperament and exercise must be part of his daily life in a rather intensive way.

His physique enables him to withstand very extreme conditions which make him a very resistant dog who does not fear severe weather conditions.


He can live outside without any problem, but he needs to count on the presence of his loved ones, big and small.

The Australian Cattle Dog must benefit from an early and good education that promotes family hierarchy. As he tends to settle down as the head of the family, he must understand very early on, where exactly is his position in the family hierarchy.

He is easy to train but his socialization must be done early because his distrust of strangers is quite naturally present. He is a born protector.

Health of the Australian Cattle Dog

Robust, hardy and able to survive in all conditions, this dog generally enjoys excellent health. He is rarely sick and does not suffer from any pathology directly related to the breed. His life expectancy is also excellent.

GROOMING

A good brushing from time to time to maintain his dress is enough. No particular maintenance is necessary for its health and beauty.

History of this breed

Native of Australia, as his name suggests, the Australian Cattle Dog is a cross between the Dingo, the Australian wild dog, and the herding dogs brought by settlers from England in the late 19th century.

The Collie and Kelpie would also have been used later to create the current type.

This unique cattle herder obtained his first standard in 1903 and the breed continued to develop and was finally adopted by the Australian National Kennel Club around 1963.

He was created to guard the herds of the great Australian territory and is still widely used today on Australian farms for protection and defence. He is an excellent cattle dog.

The Australian Cattle Dog has even been in the movies, as he appeared in the film production "Mad Max 2" where he is the dog of "Max Rockatansky".

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Related Breeds

Australian kelpie Australian Kelpie
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entlebuch cowherd Entlebucher Cattle Dog
Dalmatian Dalmatian
australian shepherd Australian Shepherd
bourbon braque Braque du Bourbonnais
border collie Border Collie
Alpine basset hound Alpine Dachsbracke
Last Updated: 17/08/2022

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