Cattle Dogs (Queensland) Changing?

[Skyesrocket]

Mine was raised in a house, sleeping in the owners bed. He had only ever seen cats before and was afraid of them because he got scratched....lol. Not a very promising start to try to turn him into a farm dog. His owner was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and died 2 months after I brought Phoenix here.
Phoenix hung close to me the first four days afraid of everything. My rooster terrified him and enjoyed it...lol.
He just sat and watched. He saw the boundries I wanted the goats to stay inside of. He really studied the way of pigs..lol.
By the second week he was herding and doing a great job of it. A completly different dog. He knew when it was time for the pigs and goats to go inside. And if I left him out alone with the animals he does what yours did with the chickens. He herds them up and keeps them together until I go back outside.
Your new dog will amaze you everyday. And she will have days where her brains are up her butt and she does everything wrong. Those are the days you need patience...lol.
Enjoy her!

 

[queenchick16]

Good morning; Dolly is a beauty. I had a Blue for 14 years Just had to put her down last year. It still hurts. She was mine and I was hers. I would love a red but my husband says that I have picked all our dogs and now it is his turn. He wants a Great Dane. First of all we have a house the size of a postage stamp and second for 34 years he has brought home ever animal imaginable.At one point I had 13 of them and a son. He is a vet so I get all the rejects.He even took his dead uncles dog 3 days after he died 'cause his aunt wanted him to kill it. He told me he had to and that the dog was so ill that it would only live about 6 months....6 years later and one damaged living room rug later he was still alive and hating me.He has brought home snakes,lizards,dogs,ferrets,birds,turtles etc. The only thing that was mine was one blue ACD and a parrot. Oh ya and some chickens(6) thats why I'm here...AM I ranting ;Sorry.

Both Sidney and my parrot were truly mine and I miss them. Carol

 

[seviesnape]

Good morning; Dolly is a beauty. I had a Blue for 14 years Just had to put her down last year. It still hurts. She was mine and I was hers. I would love a red but my husband says that I have picked all our dogs and now it is his turn. He wants a Great Dane. First of all we have a house the size of a postage stamp and second for 34 years he has brought home ever animal imaginable.At one point I had 13 of them and a son. He is a vet so I get all the rejects.He even took his dead uncles dog 3 days after he died 'cause his aunt wanted him to kill it. He told me he had to and that the dog was so ill that it would only live about 6 months....6 years later and one damaged living room rug later he was still alive and hating me.He has brought home snakes,lizards,dogs,ferrets,birds,turtles etc. The only thing that was mine was one blue ACD and a parrot. Oh ya and some chickens(6) thats why I'm here...AM I ranting ;Sorry.

Both Sidney and my parrot were truly mine and I miss them. Carol

I think you need anothe Blue ACD, I have to say I have friends who show Great Danes and I just can't see getting a dog with such a limited lifespan, maybe you should mention that 7 year verses 14-15. My ACD's came from good breeders who did all the health testing. My oldest are 10 and 9.5 and have never had ANY Health problems. I DO feed grain free food with o by products but there is a lot to be said for genetics, I hope you can have ACD friend soon!

 

[seviesnape]

It is my understanding that while not standard, color mutations occasionally show up in the breed such as blond, chocolate, and the black and white dogs discussed earlier in the post.

Whatever they are, they are beautiful! http://www.hnrworkingkelpies.com/ACDGenetics.html

I know people who have been breeding ACD's before they were accepted by AKC , they have NEVER had a chocolate or yellow dog in a litter. Sometimes you can get a predominately white dog with reverse speckling, it is not desire able but not a disqualification. All I can say id this article on Australian Cattle dog .com http://www.cattledog.com/misc/history.html where it talks about the Mc Nivens dog may explain a lot of this. As you will read none of these dogs now refereed to as heelers were accepted into the purebreed registry. None of the dogs in the link you sent look purebred at all , a friend f mine who has bred ACD's for over 20 years agreed. This is why I tell people looking for a puppy to steer clear of the heeler breeders,they are not purebred and they do NOT hip or elbow displasia, hearing or PRA . It is a personal choice but if I buy a dog I want to know it is healthy. My oldest is 10 and has never had any issues. Personally I hope I never have to see a chocolate ACD, I love the beautiful deep brown almost black eyes this breed my dogs have and the gross yellow eye on a chocolate background is just ugly to me!

 

[CailetTempest]

I am not sure on the heredity of Dolly since we found her on side of road. But so far, hubby is pretty sure she is purebred, and she is a lover. Although at times I swear she thinks she is a french poodle with her kisses. Our landlady's 3 jersey calves wander all over the property except for the fenced garden and chicken pens and dolly is figuring out just how to move the calves. It is fun to watch. She also helps me when I tell her "Bring em here" She will herd the cows or loose chickens to me. It is so cool!

 

[seviesnape]

Here is Dolly and Hubby's bird dog Chase. they are such goofs!

She is actually a very beautiful girl. I would say that she is purebred Australian Cattle Dog. I have seen breeders in my area sell puppies who were much poorer examples of the breed for 1200.00 no kidding, she has nice bone and a pretty head, consider her a real find and I am so happy you did not return her to her supposed owners!

 

[kimmie6067]

Below is a picture of my cattle dogs. The blue Tommie came from a breeder here in Michigan Kurpa's kennels. She is one of the best dogs I have ever owned, my other dog Rustee was a red he left me this last winter at 12+ years. Miss my boy





This is Rustee when he was about 9 years old.



Rustee saying please get her away from me! He never like Tommie would only tolerate her.

I am from Australia and have a Blue Hall's Heeler. Most people don't realise there are different classes of dog within the ACD Breed.

A Hall's has a white star mark on his forehead and a spot on their tails - and tend to be a bit more stocky. Hall's ACD's are a New South Wales dog where as

the thin lanky ones are Queensland Heelers. The difference is due to the requirements needed for temperatures and ground - NSW is Colder than QLD and the dog needed more

muscle for rockier terrain where in QLD its hot as and long flat plains that requires looping long distances.

Hope this is helpful...... I Love my Blue - He is called Sam and watches over my flock.





That's awesome that your dog is so great with your chickens, I hope my dog will do the same.

Good morning; I live on Long Island NY had my cattle dog shipped from Fl. I just had to put her down this past summer after 11+ years.She was the best dog I ever owned.I tell my husband we had a connection mentally. Could not get her to stop working if I wanted to. She would even herd anyone that ever came to my house. Miss her more than anything

So sorry to hear about your doggy, I lost my Rustee this winter he was 12+ my red shadow until he got to old to fellow me around he would pick a spot and watch from there, man I miss my boy!!

Hi All ,


I just skimmed through this thread and will read through all of it later.i have been breeding and showing ACD's here in Fl for 9 years now. I have only had 2 litters because I believe in breeding responsibly. I do all the DNA and health testing recommended.
My dogs are MODERATE and come from good lines where many of the dogs have herding titles, I live too far from stock to compete in but always have my dogs instinct tested. I agree that SOME people are breeding for overly heavy dogs with piggy heads, these dogs can't move for the life of them. Fortunately a lot of the judges look at movement as a huge part of our breed. My girl Emmie ( my avatar ) who is expecting a litter May23rd. is a bit leggy and doesn't have a huge head but finished her championship very easily with 4 majors beating the winners dog for 2 of those wins. So there is hope , I will always choose a dog that is a little longer that can move rather than a overdone dog with a huge head!

There is no reason why you can't have a nice looking, healthy dog that can do the job it was bred to do. I find the people in Fl who advertise "Heelers " are usually backyard breeders who do no health testing at all. I have seen blind dogs, deaf dogs and dogs with hip dysplasia come from these places. They are also usually huge. I have 2 heelers that come to me for grooming , both are females and weigh over 65lbs. One is severely displastic and he dieted her down from 75 lbs. They are too big and even if healthy would be unable to be quick enough to work stock.

Oh and by the way I do believe Skidboot went blind of PRA ( I saw a video of him in his old age and you could tell he couldn't see well ) but not before he went ahead and bred him ! Yes he was an amazing dog but there is no excuse for breeding dogs with PRA witht the testing we have now! I now see they are breeding puppies like crazy but see no info at all that any are tested for PRA, hip, elbow problems or deafness. I may be wrong but good breeders post all of this info on their sites ........

Missie

I couldn't agree with you more. These dogs must be bred right not willy nilly.

This is my baby Dolly. When we found her on side of rode she was super skinny and had a rope around her neck real tight. She was timid and shy and also had problems with breathing. Took her to the vet and found out she had 3 cracked ribs and was dehydrated. Vet said the ribs were causing the breathing problems. We took care of her and she bonded to me. She still had her puppy teeth and itty bitty puppy toenails. vet estimated she was around 4 - 6 months old. Several weeks later as she is playing in the yard someone showed up claiming she was theirs and they wanted her back. Dolly his behind my hubby and he refused to give her to them. Told them we got her after someone had beat her. They left and never came back. Dolly herds my chickens and is learning how to herd the cows (they are young calves that are super friendly) I just love her to death. She acts and looks like a red heeler. Still timid at times and has nervous piddling but she's healthy and happy. I am glad we found her and were able to keep her.

This is my
Dolly girl...

Dolly is purebred ACD she is beautiful!! My Rustee was a red with a half mask.

hubby used to own heelers.. He says they pick who they bond with. Seems she picked me . Which is pretty cool in my books because even though I had dogs before they were the family's dog. Dolly is definately my dog. Its a new feeling to know that she picked me to bond with.. Oh she absolutely hates being corrected or told no but after one time she doesn't do it again...I fell in love with her and for her to pick me for her human is awesome. She loves on the kiddos and even on hubby but no matter what she comes to me and really wants lots of love.

My first ACD Rustee was my dog and I was his human, but he also like the other people in the family. He mostly listened to me though. He didn't go out our property either I never even trained him he just knew. That's were the indepentent thinker comes in.

Here is Dolly and Hubby's bird dog Chase. they are such goofs!
What a cute picture!

Oh yeah, they surely tend to be one people dogs! It was one of the reasons I was nervous to adopt an ACD, as my husband and I like our larger pets to bond with us both. We had to be careful to do absolutely everything with her together, and it worked. Maybe a bit too well, because she then got the idea that we always had to be together. x). Had to invent a game for her where we walk apart and call her back and forth between us. This stopped her anxiety when we aren't always side by side. She has stayed devoted to us both over the years despite us alternating between who has more time working and who has more time with the dog. Once they forge that trust in you, it seems to be stronger than steel. Enjoy your Dolly shadow. You are hers and she is yours, and she is never going to leave your side! <3

Good morning; Dolly is a beauty. I had a Blue for 14 years Just had to put her down last year. It still hurts. She was mine and I was hers. I would love a red but my husband says that I have picked all our dogs and now it is his turn. He wants a Great Dane. First of all we have a house the size of a postage stamp and second for 34 years he has brought home ever animal imaginable.At one point I had 13 of them and a son. He is a vet so I get all the rejects.He even took his dead uncles dog 3 days after he died 'cause his aunt wanted him to kill it. He told me he had to and that the dog was so ill that it would only live about 6 months....6 years later and one damaged living room rug later he was still alive and hating me.He has brought home snakes,lizards,dogs,ferrets,birds,turtles etc. The only thing that was mine was one blue ACD and a parrot. Oh ya and some chickens(6) thats why I'm here...AM I ranting ;Sorry.

Both Sidney and my parrot were truly mine and I miss them. Carol

You need another ACD for sure. You know what they say "if it isn't a Australian Cattle Dog it's only a dog", lol

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Quote: Maybe someone can do a DNA test on some of the chocolate and yellow/cream heelers to help determine if it is just a mutation in the breed. I wonder if they may already have done that though since I hear some ACD breeders who breed for conformity shows test for the e versus E and b versus B alleles mentioned. They look like working line ACDs to me, including the very clean mouth corners, and these are the sorts of dogs (body types) I am used to seeing on working ranches. They definitely are not from show lines though, and definitely would not do well in conformation showing. Aye, I've read that link before, and found it very interesting.

I'm not really sure why a chocolate dog would be surprising though? Just seems like it is a dilution of the black patches:
http://newacdgazette.com/2011/01/17/do-we-still-breed-the-right-colours/ (do a text search for "chocolate", cream is mentioned as well).
http://www.adcb.au.com/acdcoat3.htm (Chart breakdown specifically for ACDs if scroll down a bit. This one also mentions the black and white with no tan that was mentioned a bit earlier in the thread)
This seems to be similar to what happens in other breeds:
http://www.borzois.com/coat.color/brown.dilute.html

Chocolate ACD from purely working lines: http://www.bchfarms.com/siteimages/205_1138 Reba 2010 resized.JPG


No worries, you won't be seeing them in breeders geared for conformity showing. They are not to standard, and I seriously doubt that would change, and I personally have no desire to see that aspect change. But for someone like me looking for a good working dog from solid working lines, I'll take 'em in any color they come so long as they are hardy, balanced, smart as a whip, and of the less bulky head possibly older-styled build I like.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Quote: Beautiful dogs Kimmie, but so sorry to hear about Rustee.


Quote: It's so interesting how that trait seems to be there on a wide scale! I really, really like that about the breed.




Quote: Agreed! In fact...right now I have an ACD staring at the back of my head as I type this. XD

 

[CailetTempest]

My dolly loves car rides. If I am not looking while trying to get the kiddos 8 and 10 to get into the car, she will jump in and hide in the back. Then after we leave she pops her head up like she's saying Hi I'm here. ugh! but cute. She knows where our property lines are. Hubby's dog constantly jumps or digs under the fence... The one time she decided to go out of the fence like her buddy she freaked out. Was running back and forth in front of the gate and whining to be let back in. She hasn't done it sense.

I am loving all the pictures of everyone's babies. The heelers are such a beautiful breed of dogs.

When I was married to my kiddo's dad, I had wanted a corgi so bad. His mom even promised to give me one out her dog's litter. So I made all the preparations and got ready for when my baby could come home. She even let me give the girl a name. That was Molly. Then she decided she wasn't giving me one because she didn't think we could handle that breed of dog. UGH talk about major disappointment because I went over every day and held my molly and loved on her.

I am glad I have dolly, because after the corgi mess, I decided I had wanted a cattle dog and was just waiting for the right one. Well she found me.