Hardly anything is as beautiful or expressive as the face of a Blue Heeler cattle dog.
Here are some beautiful Blue Heeler photos and their individual real life stories.
Check out each of these beautiful Blue Heeler photos and their individual stories.
Many thanks to each who shared their stories and photos!
Are Blue Heelers the same as Australian Cattle Dogs?
Yes, Blue Heelers are the same breed as Australian Cattle Dogs.
Check out Cattle Dog World HERE to see if Blue Heelers are the same as Australian Cattle Dogs.
Lucille and Karacel Hayman
Hello, my name is Karacel Hayman and I want to share the story of my dog, Lucille, and how she became my heart dog. Lucille is my first Australian Cattle Dog, purchased from a reputable breeder as a show and performance prospect. She brought so much more, introducing me to this wonderful breed and starting me in a multitude of dog sports. Together Lucille and I have tried or competed in; conformation, obedience, barn hunt, rally, fast CATs, coursing ability, herding, dock diving, scent work, and therapy dog. We have traveled to multiple states to show or compete and every trip has been a wonderful adventure. Some of our biggest brags so far include; best in show at a UKC conformation show, high in trial at a barn hunt trial, and multiple titles in rally, barn hunt, and coursing events. Lucille is also a wonderful farm dog and beloved member of the family and really enjoys hikes, playing with her big purple ball, and being within sight of her humans. Thanks to Lucille I now have four Australian Cattle Dogs including her two daughters, Clarice & Demi whom I also compete with. Lucille is four years old, so we have a lot more adventures together!
Karacel Hayman
and Redstart ACDs HERE
Blue Heeler photos compliments of Karacel Hayman
Are Blue Heelers Aggressive?
No. According to Blue Heeler owners, the are not aggressive. But, they are extremely protective and brave and will stand their ground when necessary.
Check out Cattle Dog World HERE to see if Blue Heelers are Aggressive.
Misty, Porsche, and Kristyn Kay
Above-Misty
Below-Porche
I live in a household that includes two blue Australian Cattle Dogs. The oldest is Misty. She was our first ACD which we adopted from a local rescue at the age of 2. Now 15-years-old, she’s the matron of the house, now retired from competition. Our second blue is Porsche. Porsche was also rescued, coming home to us at 14-weeks of age. Both dogs tell the story of someone getting an ACD, ill prepared for what that means. Porsche is a workaholic, who competes in disc and dock diving. Although she trains in agility and has two legs towards her virtual AKC Rally Novice title, she is very wary of other dogs and strangers. So while we are working on this, we are not actively competing in indoor dog sports. I love these dogs, for their work ethic, their extreme intelligence and trainability and their companionship.
Kristyn Kay
Blue Heeler Photos compliments of Kristyn Kay
Are Blue Heelers good with children?
Yes. Blue Heelers can be very good with children if they are properly socialized, especially as puppies. Here are 5 important traits to be aware of:
Check out Cattle Dog World HERE to see if Blue Heelers are good with children.
Hank and Lindsay Michael
The Heeler Hank
Meet the Blue Heeler, Hank! Hank is an 8 month old Australian Cattle Dog that lives in Butler, PA. I got him from a reputable farmer in West Virginia where both of his parents were working dogs.
I knew I wanted a dog to fit my active lifestyle, take on adventures, and do well in a farm setting. I made sure to socialize Hank from a very young age with other dogs and people. I also made sure to “desensitize” him to many environments such as water, being on a boat or kayak, and in a park with other dogs/ people. Hank learned all his basic commands (sit, down, stay, come, etc..) fairly quick and easy.
We practice these every night and different environments, so he knows he has to be obedient in any location even if there are distractions.
It takes hard work, time, and dedication in training these dogs. They definitely require a lot of exercise and mind stimulation. Hank loves to go hiking and camping in the Allegheny National Forest at Kinzua. We also spend many weekends on the river boating and kayaking.
Hank is adjusting to the cows and his drive instinct is starting to kick in. This is Hank’s first winter and he absolutely loves the snow.
Hank is my best friend and I could not imagine having any other kind of dog. I can not wait to see what other adventures we will go on together. Follow us along on Instagram at The_Heeler_Hank!
Lindsay Michael
Blue Heeler Photos compliments of Lindsay Michael
Are Blue Heeler Dogs Good Pets?
Is a Blue Heeler a good family dog?
Yes. When a family wants to choose a new pet or add an extra member there are several important considerations to examine. Here are 5 reasons why the Blue Heeler is a good family dog.
Largoo and Yvonne Nilsson
This is a story about a blue Australian Cattle Dog named Snjos Blue Largoo who lives in Sweden. Largoo is a very good and personal Cattle Dog who knows many different things. We train Swedish Protection at the moment mixed with obedience and tracking. We also train special search (red kong). We have trained search and even there he is a good guy. Our journey together started in 2015 and we have had time to do many different things together over the years we got to know each other and built a team. Largoo and I live alone with a cat, so we are very close in our relationship for both good and evil. He guards the yard, home and of course me, but works very well when you tell him that it’s okay to visit and in situations as when the conformation judges want to touch him and look at his teeth etc. When it comes to visitors, he wants to get to know people first before he becomes friend with them and after that he is happy to share his toys if anyone wants to play with him for a while. There are also people he never befriends, so he chooses his friends carefully. He is not a dog who shows aggression towards those he doesn’t like, but he walks away and shows that he doesn’t want to be petted by that particular person. He is also a clown who likes to balance things on his head and nose and do circus arts. Largoo is a smiling Cattle Dog who loves when you laugh at his mischief. What have we done together?? Well, we have tried to herd cows and he is checked on an aptitude test (unofficial in Sweden) where he got the result “very good pasture”. We have done the NHAT with the result “VG” and Largoo is Sweden’s first Cattle Dog who did NHAT. We have also competed in tracks and there he has advanced to the highest class(Eliteclass) in Sweden. We have competed in obedience and also there with very good results but in the lowest class that exists in Sweden, as I am not so fond of that kind of obedience. He has been to shows where the judges gave both CAC and Cacib which was enough for the title SE UCH in Sweden just because his workingmerits.(Sweden does not give a Championship without merits). We have done two different mentality, a mentality description(MH) as a young dog and a Mentality test(MT) as an adult with very good results. We have done health tests on hip joints, elbows, back and eyes and even there Largoo is approved. Have we had any difficulties together? Yes we have. When we trained search, I discovered that Largoo did not like some of the people we trained with and he stopped being happy to run out into the woods to look for people. We solved this quickly by starting to train with others and his joy came back quickly and the training became fun again. A Cattle Dog is special and can’t be trained like all other dogs and it is a little difficult for some humans to understand. It also requires that the driver / owner is quick in their mind & handling as most the dogs in the breed acts quickly in all situations, so I have struggled with it and am still struggling because as a human being I will never be complete. We learn things all the time together me and my blue friend Largoo. Something I think is important with my dog and the breed in general is precisely the health and the mental part. It is so important for him to feel as good as possible, dare to work independently and still be compliant when required and of course look like the breed standard requires. He is my best friend in all situations and I am so happy and proud to be the owner of a dog like Snjos Blue Largoo, a dog who does everything for me.
Yvonne Nilsson
Blue Heeler photos compliments of Yvonne Nilsson
Blue Heeler breed profile and Information
The Australian Cattle Dog, also known as the Queensland Heeler, Blue Heeler or Red Heeler, is one of the most intelligent, energetic, loyal, hard-working dogs in the world.
Boomer and Meghan Siver
Boomer is my 3 year old ACD. He is the sweetest dog I have ever met. I got him October of 2019. I rescued him from what I believe was an abusive situation. He has some issues with men. He is also missing an eye from an accident when he was a puppy. I didn’t need to train him much only to stay in the yard and leave it. An obstacle that I have had to face is his EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency). So, he has to have pancreatic enzymes on everything he eats. Other than that, he is the most loyal, loving and sweetest dog!
Meghan Siver
Blue Heeler photos compliments of Meghan Siver
Where did the Blue Heeler Originate?
The Blue Heeler is from Australia, developed by the Hall Family in the 1800s. See what breeds make up the Blue Heeler.
Addy Mae and Sydney Bartolet
Addy Mae-My sweet girl.
Miss Mae is my nickname for her.
She is a wild one for sure and requires my full attention whether we are inside relaxing on the couch or doing chores outside taking care of the animals.
Addy Mae had a rough start to life at first being diagnosed with puppy strangles at just 11 weeks old. She recovered and healed over time and then at just 6 months old was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. Although it doesn’t slow her down at all, she does face some challenges from time to time.
Miss Mae likes to run around and be my right-hand girl no matter what we decide to do that day, especially if there is water involved. Miss Mae loves to swim and play in any bit of water she can find or when we go to the creek in the summertime. Although Mae is about half the size of her two German Wirehaired Pointer brothers she bosses them around like it is her job.
She enjoys playing with them no matter what time it is especially when it is time for bed! Blue heelers can be a handful at times but I wouldn’t trade Miss Mae for the world, she always keeps me going and keeps me on my toes with whatever life decides to throw at us next.
I can’t wait to see all the adventures and memories we make over the years and I am thankful she picked me as her person
Sydney Bartolet
Blue Heeler photos compliments of Sydney Bartolet
Do Blue Heelers shed a lot?
Blue Heelers shed everyday, 24/7. In a recent survey “Do Australian Cattle Dogs Shed?” 200 owners said their dogs NEVER STOPPED SHEDDING! They shed a lot more than twice a year. Let’s see why:
Hilda, Koda and Elena Kleman
Hello,
My name is Elena Kleman and I am here to share how I came to find this breed. Hilda is my first Australian Cattle dog, I adopted her from a high kill shelter where she had a litter of puppies and someone had found her on the streets. Hilda is the dog that started it all for me, the love and passion for the breed. Although she isn’t eligible to be AKC registered I was enrolled in 4-h where I had been training dogs two years prior. I decided to enroll her and that where I found my roots in something that I loved. She was eager to learn and we won 4 state obedience titles coming in her career. Jump forward 8 years is when I got my first purebred ACD Koda. She is currently two years old and starting to get into FASTCAT, agility, obedience, and dock diving. Some of Koda’s favorite things to do are to hike, swim, and play with all of her toys. I plan on becoming a breeder and am searching for the perfect dog to begin that journey. I cannot wait to go on this journey with my two heart dogs!
Elena Kleman
Blue Heeler photos compliments of Elena Kleman
The Amazing Loki and Jarmila Martinková
Check out Loki’s YouTube channel Here.
Thanks to Jarmila Martinkova’ for sharing.
Do Blue Heelers bark a lot?
Blue Heelers bark when they feel threatened by the sight or sound of approaching danger. But, they do not normally bark a lot except when playing chase or fetch.
