Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog is generally an extremely hardy breed with few health problems. As with many breeds, occasionally hereditary eye disorders, and hip dysplasia (a condition that can lead to mobility problems) can arise. Eye testing and hip scoring of dogs prior to breeding is therefore advised. 

The breed club monitor the health of the breed carefully and should be contacted for the most up-to-date information and details of any DNA or additional testing they recommend. Breed Clubs can be found on the Kennel Club website. 

The Australian Cattle dog needs at least two hours exercise per day, including mental stimulation and training. They have great stamina and endurance and will happily accept much more. This is a very agile dog, and an independent thinker, it is better not to leave them unsupervised or bored for long!

The Australian Cattle Dog is not difficult to house, providing outdoor space is securely fenced. They have been bred to work out how to get around or over obstacles in the course of their work, and so are excellent escape artists and very skilled counter-top opportunists!   

Given their natural desire to react to movement and control moving objects, this is a breed better kept away from busy roads and bustling pavements. Quiet rural or farm homes will suit this breed much better than town or city. 

Your dog's diet needs to have the right balance of all the main nutrient groups including a constant supply of fresh water. It's important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed him at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of his particular food.

Hard wearing and easy to maintain, the Australian Cattle Dog needs brushing weekly to bring out dead hair. If wet and muddy, allow to dry and the dirt will easily brush off. It is always a good idea to get any dog used to grooming from an early age, no matter how low maintenance their coat, and paws and ears should be checked daily for foreign bodies such as thorns or grass seeds.

The Aussie is a dog who will enjoy a variety of dog sports (especially agility) and activities and thrives on training and working closely with their person. Finding an activity this breed excels at is not difficult, teaching them to relax and switch off may be harder. Early work on teaching a soft mouth, and not to chase or nip is essential.

The Australian Cattle Dog is a herder, they prefer that groups of animals, including people, stay together and move along at a pace they dictate. With adults and older children who can be involved in training this can be overcome, but younger families and those with toddlers will find this difficult. This breed requires a lot of time to exercise and train which may conflict with family time commitments. 
 

While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.