QUESTION: I have a female blue heeler, she is approx 4 months old and only weighs 13 lbs.. is this at all average? She is healthy according to a recent vet visit.
Anonymous - 4/19/2012 12:07:54 AM
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QUESTION: I have a beautiful 3 yr old blue heeler cross (male) who is the typical high energy, protective, loving dog but is also quite laid back most of the time and is over the top friendly. We are looking at possibly getting a purebred boxer (7 months old) but I understand that they too, are protective and aggressive like a cattle dog. It is a female and I'm not sure how great of an idea it is to have the two of them together. There is only one dog so far that ours has not gotten along with and had to separate them, but otherwise if a dog is willing to play, so is ours! Any thoughts or feedback?
Anonymous - 4/8/2012 10:49:07 PM
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QUESTION: Is it wise to buy two female siblings together for company and grow up together or would there be problems? Is there anything negative about the Australian Cattle Dog/Blue Heeler breed that I should know before buying these puppies? Someone please respond soon I haven't got alot of time they are going fast.Need answer ASAP
Anonymous - 3/28/2012 1:51:29 PM
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There shouldn't be any problems other than the possibility of them fighting for dominance. Other than that there shouldn't be any trouble but if there are any dominance problems let them figure it out. Once they figure that out they will play together as well as protect your home together.
Anonymous - 4/1/2012 4:54:51 PM
QUESTION: My sister has a pair off blue heelers the female is now pregnant. She was told that the male can't be around the puppies for he will kill them Is this true concerned
Anonymous - 3/26/2012 8:38:26 PM
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i just had 7 heeler puppies the mother being a red heeler the dad being a blue heeler. they are currently 2 and a half weeks old and our male blue gets along with them fine he is no threat to our puppies
Anonymous - 4/25/2012 4:50:27 PM
QUESTION: I have a male blue heeler almost two, he will not stop scratching and biting himself 24/7? Are there any allergies or skin problems that are common in this breed?
Anonymous - 3/6/2012 5:35:09 PM
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Thanks for all the comments and advice. I took him to the vet, he is allergic to fleas.
There is a pill you can get at the vet it kills fleas, and it is a monthly heart worm prevention aslo. Trifexis
Anonymous - 4/14/2012 3:14:13 PM
My blue heller did that, too. He was extremely allergic to fleas and would chew himself bloody before I saw any sign of fleas. I found that keeping Advantage flea control on him helped quite a bit, but flea collars, shampoos, and other brands did not help.
Anonymous - 4/13/2012 4:10:20 PM
Please post if you get an answer, I have a 1yr old blue heeler, who is doing the same thing. I feel so bad b/c he is always stratching and biting.
Anonymous - 4/3/2012 8:43:36 PM
My pregnant heeler is still iching. Are there bugs you can't see that bite? What can I do?
Anonymous - 3/22/2012 8:45:51 AM
My dog is doing it too. Thank you for the food advice. She is also pregnant.
Anonymous - 3/16/2012 4:10:05 PM
I have a female blue heeler. She started the same thing. We took her to vet, they said it was allergies. We started her on Buffalo Blue Lamb and Rice Dog Food. It's a little pricey but it stopped the scratching and biting. Hope this helps.
Anonymous - 3/7/2012 1:53:42 PM
QUESTION: What are the most common health issues with Australian Cattle Dogs?
Anonymous - 3/6/2012 5:31:29 PM
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QUESTION: I just found a dog and can't find her owner. I was trying to figure out what kind of dog she was. I think she looks like this australian cattle dog/blue heeler. She looks a lot like Sombra on this site. If I sent you a picture, could you tell me for sure? I'm also wondering if she will be ok to run with my pomaranian and cats. On a leash so far she seems very nice with them.
Anonymous - 3/3/2012 4:38:29 PM
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Ok my fear is gone. She is being curious and friendly with the cats. The cats are the ones that are just scared. They are slowly coming around and Roxy my heeler is becoming used to our home and is a good family dog. Everything is ok :)
Anonymous - 3/22/2012 8:48:02 AM
She does seem submissive. So far she is getting to be best friends with my little dog and she sniffs the cats when they are still. What is still scaring me is when the cat runs, she runs and I stop her in fear. The cats are scared to death. I think they are just getting to know eachother. Chasing them could mean playing but could it mean kill if she likes them when they are still? She wags her tail and wants to get to them if they would give her a chance. I believe she is a shepard/heeler mix. She is full grown and the size of a heeler. And we found out she is having babies!!! I just love her.
Anonymous - 3/16/2012 4:17:06 PM
Well, it's great that you tried to find the owner. I'm very glad that she seems to be behaving for you. Now, about running with your other pets.... Whenever I am fostering a dog, I make sure to ask myself these questions before letting them play with my goldendoodle: If small, do they get along well with large dogs, or large with small? Does she act dominant or submissive? Is she friendly towards humans AND dogs? Does she respect the boundaries of other pets? Do your other pets respect HER boundaries? Hopefully you answered yes to all of these questions. If so, you can let her run with the others. If not, watch her behavior for a while. You'll know when she's ready.
Anonymous - 3/16/2012 3:51:59 PM
QUESTION: I have a 3 months old blue heeler...I just have a question...he's totally gray and just has a black motted eye and has brown spots behind his frontal legs....is that normal or the brown hair will grow later on? thanks and sorry for my english xD
Anonymous - 2/24/2012 7:31:38 PM
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He may also stay mostly gray. Our heeler has no brown on her at all, and I think she's the prettiest heeler I've ever seen.
Anonymous - 5/23/2012 4:01:49 PM
He'll keep changing color for 3-6 more months. Our blue heeler was mostly black at 3 months, mostly white at 4 months, and then leveled out to silver. Some of them don't have the brown.
Anonymous - 4/13/2012 4:12:47 PM
His coloration will eventually come but Heelers are normally completely white or gray when they are born.
Anonymous - 4/1/2012 4:42:20 PM
QUESTION: my blue heeler always nips at my face she goes to lick you and instead nips and you tell her no kisses she licks you then nips again she just won't stop what can I do
Anonymous - 2/16/2012 5:00:05 PM
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You should never ignore or spray your blue heeler with a spray bottle as some of the other people have suggested. The face licking indicates that your dog simply wants your attention and praise. Due to the breed of the dog she is naturally going to want to nip at you that is what she was bred to do. For example if the cattle she was herding ignored her she will nip at their heels and ignoring her will only make it worse. This will cause her to nip harder and more frequently.
Anonymous - 4/1/2012 4:48:05 PM
What you're doing is very good. As an experienced show dog trainer, I have had a few dogs like this. What I recommend is a firm "No."If this does not result in success, simply ignore her and walk away. She will then get the message that is not okay to nip and you don't enjoy it.
Anonymous - 3/16/2012 3:46:04 PM
Try using a spray scope...she will stop.
Anonymous - 2/29/2012 12:42:43 PM
QUESTION: We just bought a 6 wks old blue heeler. She is very fat. What is the approx. healthy weight at 6 wks? And How much should I be feeding her at this age?
Anonymous - 2/14/2012 12:35:39 PM
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QUESTION: How long is the Australian Cattle Dog's life expectancy?
Anonymous - 2/12/2012 1:31:33 PM
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Anonymous - 3/6/2012 11:51:58 AM
QUESTION: Just brought home an Australian Cattle Dog puppy and looking online for his coloration - not seeing any merle pattern w/ predominate cinnamon color, is this unusual ?
Anonymous - 1/21/2012 9:33:43 AM
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no, Australian cattle dog pup's are born with no coloration so after a couple weeks to a month you will begin to see his coloration.
Anonymous - 4/1/2012 4:50:41 PM
Australian Cattle Dog's do not have a Merle pattern. Is your puppy traditionally marked like the pictures of acd's or more like an Australian shepherd? This would make your acd a mix.
cobaltkennels - 2/7/2012 5:58:14 PM
QUESTION: I have a beautiful blue heeler pup (6 months) who has one brown and one blue eye. I know both of the parents and both are pure bred. Is the blue eye a recessive gene or is it just one of those things that are rare. My daughter looked it up and she found that only 1 in 250000 pups have this trait. Do you have any other information on this trait. if you could answer my e-mail it would be appreciated.
Anonymous - 1/15/2012 10:51:20 PM
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Our pups parents were both pure bred blue heelers. Must be a recessive gene from lineage some where...
Anonymous - 3/13/2012 3:24:49 PM
I also have a heeler with one brown and one blue eye. But my dog is a mix between a bearded collie and a red heeler. Both of his parents are pure bred but because he is mixed he got that trait.
Anonymous - 3/12/2012 8:55:58 PM
Blue eye color is a trait common when domesticating dogs, some breeds have it some do not. It is very common in Huskies and in Australian Shepherds. It is very common to mix ACDs with Aust Shephereds, since the breed standard for ACD says only brown eyes, and ALL the purebreds ive seen have only brown eyes, it is probably a mix that happened way earlier in the bloodline and is showing up now, either way it means AT SOME point the bloodline was mixed.
Anonymous - 3/9/2012 11:35:18 AM
QUESTION: I have a red mottled Blue Heeler puppy that is 6 months old. I am wondering when his full coloring will come in? I am concerned because his predominate color still seems to be white with red spots coming thru.. I assumed he would have more red in him like the Timber dogs. Anyone have expertise in coloring? Thanks for the help!
Anonymous - 1/11/2012 1:06:03 PM
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my red heeler who is almost a year old has a completely white tail and all of her legs and underside are white she has about the same amount of red as she does white
Anonymous - 4/25/2012 4:55:08 PM
most blue heelers and red heelers take a while to get their full color coat so dont worry your dog will get his/hers soon
Anonymous - 3/6/2012 11:41:15 AM
This was my question... I meant red mottled ACD (I also have a blue 5 month old puppy!)
Anonymous - 1/11/2012 3:56:23 PM
QUESTION: My Blue Heeler is really hurting and she just yelped what should I do?
Anonymous - 1/9/2012 11:45:01 PM
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you need to take it to the nearest VET ASAP if you haven't.
Anonymous - 1/18/2012 6:05:42 PM
QUESTION: I have a 5 month old female blue heeler. She has started digging the back yard up. What do I do to get her to stop?
Anonymous - 12/30/2011 11:58:14 AM
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I had a husky/lab who often dug. The only thing that helped was to bury his (or if you have other or neighborhood dogs who can donate) feces in his holes.
Anonymous - 3/1/2012 2:30:15 AM
i have found to keep dogs from diggin is to buy a roll of chainlink fencing. i took this fencing and unrolled it flat around the whole house. grass will grow up through it and you will not be able to tell its there, even when you mow. either way, there is nothing you can do about a dog diggin, even in hot climates such as Texas. dogs dig to get cool. they tend to find a spot and dig to get cool. the next day, they will dig a little more to get to the coolness. so, everyday, they dig and dig and before you know it, you have a crater. lol. underground fencing fixed that!! lol. i tried everything from moth balls to cayan pepper with no result. good luck.
Anonymous - 1/12/2012 5:51:06 PM
Good luck with that one, it's in the blue heelers genes to dig, part of their makeup is Dingo, and Dingo's dig into the ground to make caves to live in in the hot weather, mine all dig for grub worms which they eat and are considered high in protein, they also dig in the dirt because dirt is cool to he touch and a heeler can get quite warm with a dark coat, and their need to run all the time.
Anonymous - 1/6/2012 8:53:13 AM
Every time your blue heeler starts tell her no firmly and exercise her everyday
Anonymous - 1/6/2012 12:49:38 AM
My suggestion for your family and the dogs sake is to find the dog a new home. Sounds like the particular dog would do well , in a home with no children. Do you know any single/active people you could give him to?
Anonymous - 1/5/2012 6:23:33 PM
QUESTION: We have a 12 wk old beagle/heeler mix puppy that bites ALOT! I have tried alot of the things people have suggested & nothing works. I'm at the point now where he spends most time in his cage because I can't have him ripping off my kids faces. We love him dearly in his moments of calm but just don't know what to do about this agressive biting. Will this pass as he gets older or should I seek some help?
Anonymous - 12/20/2011 7:51:38 PM
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Frozen butter or peanut butter work. Rub it on your hand and show it to your puppy it will encourage them to like it instead of biting you and then just tell them good dog. You can also train them to give kisses like this. Say give kiss and hold out your hand with the butter rubbed on there and then reward them with a good dog. It works great!
Anonymous - 3/12/2012 9:00:17 PM
I have a 7 month old Blue heeler, Aussie. She also was very nippy when I got her at 12 wks. She liked to jump and nip me and my kids in the face. I have taught her a new behavior instead of biting to give kisses. I would tell her no whenever she nipped put my hand to her face and get her to lick my hand and tell her good kisses. It did take a while, but I did this every time and now she will give me little kisses on the nose, and loves to give kisses to my children. She's not perfect, but really good compared to where she started out. Hope this helps. Good Luck!
Anonymous - 1/17/2012 5:09:45 PM
QUESTION: we are looking into getting a blue heeler /border collie , we have a fairly big house with a fully fenced fairly big yard.
this dog will mostly be in the care of my 13 year old daughter who is very active and loves dogs. is this dog going to be to hard for her to handle??
Anonymous - 12/13/2011 1:16:13 PM
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your blue heeler will have one owner, so if it is going to be your daughters she needs to be firm with the heeler, feed and water the heeler. make the heeler know that she is the one that trains and plays with and feeds him or her. I have a heeler that gets along great with my wife and daughter but as we speak she is laying next to me. when I move to another room she will follow. I am her master and me alone. if you buy a young heeler and she works with it daily it will be a great dog for her. they are full of energy
Anonymous - 1/6/2012 12:53:01 AM
My gal and I have a male Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog and he is extremely tenacious and he never seems to run out of energy. For adult men, a cattle dog's dominant behavior can seem obtrusive and men must show constant authority, which can be exhausting over time. If you want a dog that has energy, a pleasant personality, and an ability to be a lap dog on occasion, cattle dogs may not be for you. They are truly working dogs and they can become highly defiant without a task to perform. If ours wasn't grandfathered into the home by way of my gal, we would not have one. In my humble opinion, cattle dogs belong on the range. Besides, they shed more than most can tolerate. Everything you will read about them is true and may even be a bit understated.
Anonymous - 12/21/2011 11:13:36 AM
No. I have a blue heeler lab mix and he's a breee. Coolest dog in the world. He is the best guardian- he isn't viscious, but he makes his dominance known to other animals and men who come near me- its amazing. He won't bother dogs or people who come near him tho.
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:01:14 AM
QUESTION: how well does a heeler handle the cold weather? my dog does not like to be indoors but it has been so cold out latley...
Anonymous - 12/9/2011 5:18:14 PM
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I've had a few blue heelers and for being so tough they're actually big babies! Mine get too cold and just sit in they're dog houses. My red heelers are the same way. I usually bring them in for the winter.
Anonymous - 12/18/2011 10:24:26 AM
QUESTION: I have a year old blue healer. I am wondering if this breed would progress in a search and rescue training
Anonymous - 11/21/2011 7:53:20 PM
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They do great, but in a lot of Search and Rescue circles 1 year is an "old" pup to start training
Anonymous - 3/1/2012 2:33:59 AM
Yes. my husand works for coast guard and our dog is his prized possession. Mixed with lab, but I hear blue heeler is the most intelligent and driven part of him.
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:02:38 AM
QUESTION: I have an ACD who is 17 months old. We have been taking him to the dog park since he was 3 months old and is very well socialized. He always played rough at the dog park but recently it has escalated. He barks at the dogs if they are standing around, and when they play chase with him he constantly nips them on the butt and on the neck. He growls really loudly while he is playing and it makes all the other dog owners nervous. He also does this much more aggressively with some dogs than others and can't play normally with any dog at the park unless we are alone playing fetch. Is this normal? is he trying to herd them? or is there anything I can do about this other than only taking him on hikes and playing fetch instead of going to the dog park anymore?
Anonymous - 11/21/2011 5:34:24 PM
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i have the same problem with my ACD. You are right, he is trying to herd them and he is obsessed with his ball because they were bred to have a job and do it very very well. He thinks that ball is his job and those other dogs need to heed his commands because he is there to control them. Thats what he would be doing on the ranch- controlling the population :) Mine barks beyond me being embarrassed. He will protect you til his heart stops. Sometimes though it seems less of an aggression thing and very much of a playful thing.
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:05:41 AM
QUESTION: When do blue heeler puppies open their eyes? My 2 week old puppy slightly opened one of her eyes and her eye is a foggy blue. Is she going to be blind and is it normal?
Anonymous - 11/19/2011 2:21:43 PM
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I have a blue heeler something mix whose eyes are foggy blue and white everyone said it was normal for him being a puppy. Had him 3 years now and he is completely blind and born that way.
Anonymous - 4/28/2012 4:28:44 PM
no she is not going to be blind. it is normal for all babies- dog or not.
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:06:16 AM
it is normal because my 12 week year old has one blue eye and one brown eye
Anonymous - 12/14/2011 9:00:50 AM
Anonymous - 12/8/2011 9:30:18 PM
QUESTION: Is it true pure cattle dogs have a black palate
Anonymous - 11/17/2011 3:41:15 AM
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QUESTION: I have a 10 day old blue heeler puppy and we have been bottle feeding her since her mother has very little milk but she is so weak and we have been worried. The father is the brother of the mother. Does it play a role in this? I need advice on what to do soon! Please help!
Anonymous - 11/13/2011 8:18:31 PM
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QUESTION: My heeler has had frequent diahrea with dirt in it. We caught her a few times eating cat poop and in our oleander trees. Could either one of these be the cause of it?
Anonymous - 11/6/2011 3:25:40 PM
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oleander is also extremely poisonous (it can kills humans and cows), she might be eating sits of the leaves along with the cat poop and getting sick.
Anonymous - 4/13/2012 4:16:44 PM
the answer is pretty obvious- you sound like you have it figured out. your heeler is doing this because he is looking for more protein than is in his diet. if you aren't feeding a premium food- it is the same as giving your kid nonstop mcdonalds- eventually their body is going to crave the real things it needs. try canidae food. it is a small company that puts natural products in the foods- two of which are fruits that supress the dog's appetite to look for additional protein. always make sure dogs have water available at all times.
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:09:43 AM
OMG, laughing my guts out about "kitty Roka"!
Anonymous - 11/12/2011 10:38:56 PM
Yes, It tends to be the cat littler. My Heeler gets into the little box every now and then and that shows up in her scat when she consumes the kitty roka
Anonymous - 11/10/2011 4:13:23 AM
QUESTION: I have a 4yr. old red heeler & would like to have another dog. Anyone have a suggestion as to what other type of breed would work for me?
Anonymous - 10/26/2011 9:23:44 AM
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The breed doesnt matter we have a blue Heeler, wiener dog, lab, and a chihuahua. My heeler gets along with all of them. As long as you have the Alfa roll, there wont be any problems! enjoy!!
Anonymous - 2/28/2012 10:23:22 PM
another heeler they are the best
Anonymous - 1/6/2012 12:55:47 AM
brittany spaniel. similar in many many ways
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:10:28 AM
Any breed would do. I would suggest another heeler they just need to be socialized
Anonymous - 10/31/2011 10:29:05 AM
QUESTION: I have a 4 month 3 week old blue heeler and I have been trying to train him for 7 weeks. He has the "sit" trick down but every time I try to get him to shake or lie down he just jumps around and wants to play. It seems impossible for him to focus! How can I make him learn?
Anonymous - 10/24/2011 4:16:42 PM
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i have a heeler i trained SO EASY.
1. patience. 2. positive feedback- when he does the right thing, you need to be ecstatic. he needs to be able to tell without a doubt from the smile on your face, you petting him, and saying good boy! yay! and being very excited about him making the right move. 3. actually put his body through the motions and give him the right positive recognition even though you helped him. he'l start to pick up on it and do it himself without your help. you need to still praise him when he's doing it on his own. get a healthy treat that breaks down into small peices and use it as a reward. i now dont even need to reward him- he just does it. they are so smart. yours is still pretty young, but mine is over a year and he learns every new trick the same day it is introduced. he can do a lot of brag- worthy stuff now.
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:14:56 AM
You can't make blue heelers pay attention unless you run or throw something. your best bet is to teach a trick in 5 minute sessions (or less if your dog loses focus) their attention span is very short, however the are really smart dogs. good luck with the shake thing, the 2 i have had hate their feet or legs being touched...
Anonymous - 11/4/2011 2:29:13 PM
QUESTION: I heard that it is impossible to raise an Australian Cattle Dog in an apartment?
Anonymous - 10/15/2011 8:25:39 PM
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Absolutely. ACD's is a breed that needs to have a job and spend lots of time with it's owner. Wether you live in an apartament or a farm is not what makes the difference. What does is how busy you keep the dog. Lots of excersise, mental stimulation and companionship and you will have a fenomenal experience with this dog, which you will never forget.
Anonymous - 3/2/2012 10:42:11 PM
My Australian Cattle Dog has been raised in an apartment and he's the coolest dog ever. He knows every trick in the book, he guards me like his life depends on it, he doesn't put anything in his mouth that is not his.... he's the best. We do hit the dog park at least once a week and when its warm we swim and run. He has toys that are geared toward intelligence and durability. Nylabones are best for chewing. He works puzzles for his food and he enjoys it- this breed wants the satisfaction of having a job. He has a kong ball that he has to roll his kibble out of, another I cannot remember the name of, and a busy buddy waggle by premier. It is the hardest- its also his favorite. Always give your dog enough water. If they play too hard after eating, without enough water in their stomach, they could twist the organ and die.
Anonymous - 12/15/2011 2:20:36 AM
Anonymous - 12/8/2011 9:33:29 PM
Nooo my ACD lives in an apartment,she is happy and still gets alot of exercise. we take her out every two hours.
Anonymous - 12/8/2011 9:32:27 PM
We raised our blue heeler in an appartment. We went to the dog park and walked a lot so it is possible as long as they get the amount of exercise and stimulation they need to be happy.
Anonymous - 11/4/2011 9:08:22 AM
Pretty much...the Australian Cattle Dog needs a LOT of exercise or it will get bored and chew on things and be a ball of furry destruction! I tried raising mine inside, initially, but I gave up and put him outside on a 15 foot leash in my backyard. He's waaay happier out there, and my things no longer get torn up
Anonymous - 10/21/2011 1:43:55 PM
QUESTION: I have an 11 month old red heeler mixed with german shepherd - can they be outside all the time in winter like in north dakota in the cold temps in winter?
Anonymous - 10/15/2011 12:51:39 PM
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are u crazy ? I am from North Dakota and you cannot leave an animal, and i dont care how thick her or his fur is its COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The humidity alone with make it even colder for everyone.
Anonymous - 10/19/2011 8:52:40 PM
QUESTION: I have a 4 month old female, red heeler/beagle mix . I am having a hard time getting her to use the bathroom outside. We even put a chain out to try but as soon as i bring her back in she goes on the floor. What should I do?
Anonymous - 10/9/2011 4:19:13 PM
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