Australian Cattle Dog, also known as Queensland Heeler or Blue Heeler. Originated in Australia, it holds the record for the longest living dog, living up to 29 years.
Intelligent, energetic, brave, loyal, and has strong guarding abilities. These characteristics make the Australian Cattle Dog an excellent working dog. In its home country of Australia, it is the best assistant in herding cattle over long distances and shows no fear in harsh and challenging wilderness environments.
About the origin of the Australian Cattle Dog, there are different opinions. Some say it evolved from a blue-colored heeler from England, which used the method of biting the front and rear limbs of livestock to drive sheep and cattle onto ships. Then in the 19th century, an Australian named Thomas Smith Hall sought to breed a dog similar in appearance and physical strength to overcome the difficulties of herding cattle. He utilized the ability of Australian dingoes to crawl and quietly capture food and bred a dog breed very similar to the current Australian Cattle Dog. This dog has a strong sense of alertness, so early training was necessary.
The Australian Cattle Dog of today is the result of crossbreeding various different breeds. These include Australian dingoes, Highland collies, Dalmatians, Australian Kelpies, Old English Sheepdogs, among others, with Australian dingoes being the most important.
The Australian Cattle Dog was registered with the American Kennel Club on May 1, 1980, and obtained show qualifications from the Working Dog Association on September 1, 1980. Finally, on January 1, 1983, the Shepherd Dog Association was formally established.
Australian Cattle Dog, active and with strong biting power, belongs to outdoor type of dog breed, so it is not suitable as a household pet dog, let alone accompany children, it should be more suitable as a guard dog.
1. Canine Infectious Diseases
Common infectious diseases in dogs include canine distemper, canine coronavirus, etc. The common clinical manifestations are: fever, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, lethargy, difficulty breathing, bloody stool, purulent eye discharge, dry nose, cracked paws, and other symptoms.
Generally, these types of infectious and fatal diseases occur in dogs during the weaning period or around 1 year old. Puppies have a high susceptibility and a low cure rate, and they are prone to leaving sequelae.
How to prevent:
When bringing a dog home, it is recommended that the owner choose a dog through formal channels, vaccinate the dog on time, do regular disinfection at home, do not take the dog out for a walk until it completes its vaccination, avoid contact with unfamiliar dogs, and do not let others touch the dog's mouth and nose at will.
2. Canine Skin Diseases
Because dogs often walk outside, they may accidentally contract various skin diseases. If a dog is infected with mites, bacteria, or fungi while outside, there is a risk of difficult and prolonged treatment. Therefore, dog owners must pay attention. Clinical manifestations of canine skin diseases include greasy skin, peeling, redness, itching, papules, erosions, purulent discharge, hair loss, scabs, and so on.
How to prevent:
In daily care, it is necessary to keep the dog's living environment clean and tidy, avoid dampness and darkness. In addition, regular disinfection of the dog's living environment should be done, and internal and external parasite control for the dog should be carried out. Use dog-specific bathing liquid, regularly groom the dog, and supplement vitamins and fish oil.
3. Canine Parasites
Common parasites in dogs include roundworms, heartworms, ticks, fleas, etc., which often cause skin diseases and gastrointestinal diseases in dogs. They may cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs, affecting their quality of life and physical development. Dogs with parasites are generally weak and listless.
For more pet care questions, click to join the mini program for online consultation with pet doctors.
How to prevent:
When feeding, dog owners should pay attention to not feeding the dog non-sterilized raw meat and unknown meat sources as much as possible. The dog's internal deworming should be done once every 3 months, and external deworming should be done once a month. When going out, prevent the dog from eating and licking indiscriminately, and avoid going into the grass. After returning home, carefully check the dog.
1.Bathing: Once every two weeks in summer and once a month in winter, taking a good bath can effectively clean up the accumulated new and old dandruff on the Australian Cattle Dog's skin. However, it is not advisable to wash too frequently, as it can easily damage the oily protective layer on the dog's fur.
2.Special shampoo: It is recommended to use pet-specific dandruff shampoo containing various special ingredients. Human dandruff shampoo should not be used.
3.Hair care spray: If the living environment is relatively dry, you can buy some oily hair care sprays and spray them on the fur, which can effectively prevent excessive evaporation of moisture from the dog's fur.
4.Brushing: Regularly brush it with a comb that is not too hard, which can not only brush off the old dandruff and dead hair in time, but also help distribute the natural oils secreted by the dog's skin evenly to every inch of skin.
5.Adding fish oil: Adding a spoonful or half a spoonful of pet-specific fish oil to the dog's food every day can help restore normal metabolic function of the skin.
6.Changing dog food: Poor quality feed is actually difficult to meet the nutritional needs of Australian Cattle Dog, resulting in unhealthy hair conditions. You can change to dog food with higher nutritional content for the dog.
1. Do not wash frequently
When bathing your dog, of course, you should not do it too often. The frequency of bathing your dog depends on its hygiene. In hot weather in summer, you can bathe it one or two more times, while in winter, you can reduce it by one or two times. But overall, it should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Groom regularly
Dogs shed almost every day, especially in spring and autumn. To ensure good hair growth, regular grooming is an important step. Pet owners can use a dedicated pet comb to help the dog remove natural shedding hair and avoid tangling. Grooming once in the morning and evening for about five minutes each time is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of a dog's fur. Besides making the fur shinier, allowing the dog to sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let the dog exercise a bit, which can improve the dog's physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier fur.
4. Deworming
Poor fur condition is closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from a dog's body, depriving it of nutrition. Therefore, deworming is essential. It is recommended to do internal and external deworming together. Also, deworming medication can cause significant damage to a dog's digestive system, so it is advisable to feed it with probiotics on a regular basis to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
In order for the dog to have a beautiful coat, it is necessary to establish a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to its daily diet. On the one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a brand that is suitable for the dog and provides adequate nutrition to meet its needs. On the other hand, you can also feed the dog with lean meat, cooked egg yolks, and vegetable oil in moderation.
Pet Encyclopedia
