United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and Australian Cattle Dog: Difference between pages
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<!--- The following markup is for the breed table displayed on the page. Scroll down to get to the main text --->
{| border=1 cellspacing=0 align=right cellpadding=2
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!Australian Cattle Dog
|-align="center"
|[[Image:AustrCattleDogBlue_wb.jpg|thumbnail|250px|none|Blue coat color; this dog's tail is docked.]]
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!Alternative names
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{| align=center
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|Australian Heeler
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|Blue Heeler
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|Red Heeler
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|Hall's Heeler
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|Queensland Heeler
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|- align=center bgcolor=pink
!Country of origin
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|[[Australia]]
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!Common nicknames
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|Bluey, ACD, Cattledog
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!Classification and breed standards
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{| align=center
|[[Fédération Cynologique Internationale|FCI]]: ||Group 1 Section 2 #287
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|[[American Kennel Club|AKC]]: ||Herding
|[http://www.akc.org/breeds/australian_cattle_dog/index.cfm Std]
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|[[Australian National Kennel Council|ANKC]]: ||Group 5 (Working Dogs)
|[http://www.ankc.aust.com/austcat.html Std]
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|[[Canadian Kennel Club|CKC]]: ||Group 7 - Herding Dogs
|[http://www.nwstar.com/~acdcc/standard.htm Std]
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|[[Kennel Club (UK)|KC(UK)]]: ||Pastoral
|[http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/discoverdogs/pastoral/p835.htm Std]
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|[[New Zealand Kennel Club|NZKC]]: ||Working
|[http://www.nzkc.org.nz/br504.html Std]
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|[[United Kennel Club|UKC]]: || Herding Dog Breeds
|[http://www.ukcdogs.com/breeds/herdingdogs/australiancattledog.std.shtml Std]
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The '''Australian Cattle Dog''' (ACD), also known as the '''Queensland Heeler''', '''Blue Heeler''', and '''Red Heeler''', is a [[herding dog]] developed in Australia for controlling [[cattle]]. It is a medium-sized dog with a lot of energy and an independent streak.
==
[[Image:AustrCattleDogBlueFace_wb.jpg|thumbnail|left|One variant of Blue face markings]]
The Cattle Dog's coat comes in a variety of markings, sometimes quite striking. The basic coat colors are ''blue'' and ''red speckle''. For dog owners whose interest is primarily in their qualification for [[dog show]]s, even markings are preferred over uneven markings, and large solid-color marks on the body are undesireable. For owners who are more interested in their dogs' performance in activities such as [[herding]] or [[dog sports]], the breed's strong work ethic and intelligence are of more importance than the exact coat markings.
The mask is one of the most distinctive features of an ACD. This mask consists of a darker red patch over one or both eyes (for the red speckle coat color) or a black patch over one or both eyes (for the blue coat color). These are called, respectively, ''single mask'' and ''double mask''. ACDs without a mask are called ''plain-faced''. Any of these is correct according to the breed standard, and the only limitation is the owner's preference.
[[Image:AustrCattleDogRed_wb.jpg|thumbnail|left|Red speckle coat color with undocked tail]]
Many Australian Cattle Dogs have a stripe of white hair in the center of the forehead, usually 1/2 inch to 1 inch by 2 inches to 3 inches (about 2 cm by 7 cm) called the ''Bentley Mark''. This is similar in appearance to the blaze markings sometimes found on [[horse]]s. According to legend, a popular dog owned by Tom Bentley passed on this distinctive mark to all Australian Cattle Dogs.
A female Australian Cattle Dog should measure about 17 to 19 inches (43 to 48 cm) at the [[withers]]. A male Australian Cattle Dog should measure about 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) at the [[withers]]. An ACD is a well-muscled, compact dog with a short, dense coat and a naturally long tail. An ACD in good condition should weigh roughly 40 to 50 pounds (18 to 23 kg).
Some breeders [[docking|dock]] ACD's tails. This is a controversial practice and, in some countries, is illegal or is prohibited for dogs in the [[dog show|show ring]].
Docking Australian Cattle Dogs' tails is a practice peculiar to the United States - ACD tails are not docked in their country of origin, Australia. This is not to be confused with the Stumpy-tailed Cattle Dog, which is born with a naturally docked, or 'bobbed' tail; this animal strongly resembles the ACD in colouring, but has a slightly taller, leaner conformation.
==Temperament==
Like many [[herding dog]]s, Cattle Dogs have high energy levels and active minds. They need plenty of exercise and a job to do, such as participating in [[dog sports]], learning tricks, or other activities that engage their minds. Some individuals find repetitive training frustrating and dull, so owners should aim to make training sessions varied and more exciting in order to keep their Dog intrested. Cattle Dogs who do not receive the appropriate exercise and entertainment will invent their own, often destructive, activities. These Dogs are, by nature, timid or wary. They are naturally cautious, and grow more so as they age.Their aggresive nature on strangers make them perfect gaurd dogs.
Cattle Dogs drive cattle by nipping at their heels, but they have also been known to herd other animals, such as ducks or chickens without instruction when left to their own devices. When around people, their instinct to herd is sometimes hard to suppress and they can nip at people to herd them. If these dogs will be around children, they and their owners must have sufficient training to know how to manage or avoid such situations.
==Australian Cattle Dog activities==
[[Image:Acd_diving.jpg|thumbnail|left|ACDs need and enjoy any activity, such as diving and swimming.]]
Australian Cattle Dogs not only tolerate a high level of physical activity, they almost demand it. Like many other [[herding dog]] breeds, they have active and fertile minds that turn mischievous if not properly channeled. ACDs are highly intelligent and can be very bossy.
When not active, an ACD can be kept occupied with mental puzzles such as a [http://www.kongcompany.com Kong] stuffed with treats or a [http://www.sitstay.com/store/toys/toysd.shtml Buster Cube].
Among the most popular activities for Australian Cattle Dogs is [[dog agility]]. While the ACD is ideally suited for this work, since it is a [[herding dog|herding breed]] and thus very reactive to the handler's body language, some ACDs become easily frustrated at the repetition and routine necessary to hone agility skills. As for many breeds, frequent brief training sessions are more effective than infrequent long training sessions.
For this reason, many handlers find training an ACD to be challenging. It is important to always change the methods and exercises and not allow the dog or handler to get into a rut. ACDs thrive on change and new experiences.
[[Image:Acd_scent_articles.jpg|thumbnail|right|An ACD finding a scent article as part of obedience competition.]] Only a few ACDs, therefore, have excelled in [[obedience training|obedience competition]]
For example, the [[American Kennel Club]] awards an "Obedience Trial Championship" (OTCh) to the dog-and-handler team that defeats a large number of other teams in open competition. A handful of ACDs have reached this level. While ACDs enjoy the challenge of obedience competition, such as retrieving a scented article, the majority of ACDs are easily bored with precision drilling.
===Australian Cattle Dogs in movies===
* ''mad dog'' (blue) and a Dingo (red) in ''[[The Sundowners]]'' ([[1960 in film|1960]])
* ''Dog'' in ''[[Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior]]'' ([[1981 in film|1981]])
* ''Zip'' in ''[[Last of the Dogmen]]'' ([[1995 in film|1995]])
==External links==
*[http://www.acdca.org Australian Cattle Dog Club of America website]
*[http://www.acdcc.ca Australian Cattle Dog Club of Canada website]
*[http://www.cattledog.com CattleDog.com Centralized repository for all things ''"Cattledog"'']
*[http://www.acdagility.com ACD Agility website]
*[http://www.australiancattledog.com Australian Cattle Dog website: Breed FAQ, Photos, Breeders]
*[http://www.cowdogz.com/ CowDogz.com]
==References==
*Buetow K. ''The Australian Cattle Dog : An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet'' ISBN 0876054467.
<gallery>
Image:ACDRedChampion.jpg|Champion Red face markings
Image:Acd_a_frame.jpg|A young ACD at the top of a dog agility A-frame
Image:Acd_jump_chute.jpg|An ACD in a jump chute, practicing [[dog agility]]
Image:Stripepuppy.jpg|Puppy with blue coat color
</gallery>
[[Category:Dog breeds]]
[[de:Australian Cattle Dog]]
[[nl:Australische veedrijvershond]]
[[pl:Australian Cattle Dog]]
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