Pet Health And Care >> Dog Breed >> Blue Heeler

Blue Heeler

Commonly referred to as the Australian cattle dog, blue heeler was developed in Australia to drive cattle to long distances.

The blue heeler breed was developed by a cattle breeder in Australia to meet his need of a droving dog. He crossed his drover dogs with dingoes, the resultant breed was used by the family for years, which was popularly known as Halls heelers.

Blue Heeler Dog, Puppies, Temperament and Nature

Blue heeler dogs are medium-sized, with their color ranging from brown to black. They have a short and smooth coat and are not very hairy. Blue heelers are compact, but possess enormous body strength and nimbleness.

Their skull and the jaw bone are broad and imposing. They have sharp eyes and long ears, which are hairy within. Their forelegs are straight with feet that are round and have small toes. They have an undocked and long tail, which helps them balance while they pull the unwilling cattle across distances. Blue heelers stand at 18 to 20 inches in height, and they weigh somewhere between 23 and 28 kg.

Blue heeler temperament is cheerful and pleasant; it loves being around with people and enjoys the company of children. Blue heelers are playful, affectionate and happy, and as such, make good family pets. However, blue heelers are generally reserved to strangers, and hence, they may be aggressive on any nuisance created by an unknown person. So, if you want your dog to socialize, the blue heeler puppies must be made accustomed to people while they are in the weaning phase. Blue heelers are perfect house guards, and these dogs are loyal to their owners and are obedient.

Blue Heeler Puppies For Sale, Training and Average Life Span

Blue heeler training can be strenuous. They have an urge to nip, and in order to satiate them, you may allow them to chew a toy or ball. That said; blue heelers are low maintenance pets. They do not require frequent washing, and brushing their coat once a week is good to groom them. They do not shed often, and as such, they do not make your house messy. You must also check their nails, ears and teeth regularly for cleanliness to avoid health problems.

The average life span of a blue heel ranges between 10 and 11 years, though they may live up to 13 years in rare cases. One of the diseases that affect blue heelers includes recessive piebald alleles, which is a genetic disorder causing deafness. The Blue heelers dog breed may also suffer from progressive retinal atrophy, which causes weakening of rods and cones in the retina, leading to blindness. Blue heelers may also suffer from hip dysplasia, reproductive disorders, and certain musculoskeletal diseases including arthritis. You must take your blue heeler to a vet every three months for check-up to maintain its health and diagnose any medical illnesses before the appearance of signs.

As these dogs are highly energetic and possess physical agility and strength, they are used for a variety of purposes. However, they have been mostly used to pull reluctant cattle to distant locations, attributed to their strength. Nevertheless, only properly bred blue heelers are suited for this task; incorrect breeding results in smaller hind legs in the dogs, making them less agile. Blue heelers may also be used for dog sports like flyball, weight pulling, and bikejoring.

Blue heelers serve a lot of commercial purposes and are good as family pets. If you have blue heeler puppies for sale, you may put up an advertisement on the Internet or contact local blue heeler breeders. On the other hand, if you are looking for blue heeler puppies, the Internet is the best place to find classifieds. You could also contact your local pet store or kennel club.

Submitted on September 13, 2011