Australian Cattle Dog
Breed Profile
Size: Medium
Origin: Australia
Colour: Blue, red speckle
Lifespan: 12 years
Australian Cattle Dogs are loyal, protective, amenable, biddable, alert and courageous.
Owner's Guide
Reactive and responsive, but robust and courageous, Australian Cattle Dogs are strong-willed and tough. They are very active dogs and need a job to pour their energies into.
Originally bred for cattle herding.
Special characteristics
This playful dog has great strength of character. It is particularly suspicious of strangers.
Exercise requirements
Very high. Needs a great deal of stimulation and play.
Attitude to
Owners: affectionate, loyal
Children: tolerant, but not of their friends unless well socialized
Other pets: alright if raised with them
Strangers: suspicious, territorial
Unfamiliar dogs: can be problematic unless well socialized
Perfect owner
Experienced, strong-willed, considerate owner who has enough time and energy to give this powerful dog a job to do and an outlet for its strong drives through play and training.
Potential problems
May be aggressive to strangers and other animals unless properly socialized. May display status-related aggression to gentle owners, and may nip at heels in play.
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