At what age do cattle dogs calm down?
Most Australian Cattle Dogs will begin to calm down on their own around 2 years of age, and will be on their way to emotional maturity at about 3 or 4.
Here are 5 things you can do to help your Australian Cattle Dog calm down.
- Provide daily exercise and proper socialization
- Teach him to walk on a leash without pulling
- Teach the down command until he will maintain it for a length of time
- Teach come, sit and stay, and to relax while spending time in a suitable kennel.
- Teach the place command until he can hold it for longer periods
How much you can teach each of these depends on their age, very young puppies just cannot take or understand as much as when they get a little older.
Without proper training and socialization, it may actually take a lot longer for an Australian Cattle Dog to calm down.
Don’t rely totally on age to help your Australian Cattle Dog calm down. It is very important that you play an active roll through training and setting boundaries.
This training not only helps you gain physical and mental control, but also is designed to help the dog develop self control.
Australian Cattle Dog puppies are perhaps the most energetic, the most lovable, and at the same time, can be the most aggravating little demons on earth.
Bringing that cute little bundle of fur home for the first time might be one of the happiest days in your life. Blue Heeler puppies are the most adorable things ever.
The Quiet Stage
However, expectations of a loving, cuddly lap dog may soon vanish. Soon he will outgrow that sweet, sleepy puppy stage, and behold, the Raptor!
In all honesty and fairness, not all Australian Cattle Dog puppies become Raptors. There are some that remain calm and well behaved their entire life and never enter the crazy, destructive phase.
Still, that is not the rule.
In a way it’s funny that so many owners joke about their Australian Cattle Dog puppies acting like velociraptors, yet in another way it is also sad that if an owner is unprepared to handle this behavior the puppy may pay the price.
It is really important to help your Australian Cattle Dog calm down.
Remember in this article (LINK), 22% of over 600 responses said that they got their cattle dog at a Rescue Shelter.
That study points out a huge number of Australian Cattle Dogs are turned over to shelters. These owners are just not prepared to handle such an extreme personality.
For this reason it is so important to learn all we can about helping that puppy.
First of all, be sure that you are not adding to the craziness.
The way that you interact with your Australian Cattle Dog on a daily basis will play a big role in development and personality.
If you want him to be quiet, then you should be quiet. Don’t raise your voice, don’t yell and don’t talk baby talk. These are definitely things that will bring out the crazy!
Be aware of the fact that a puppy is not born knowing any human language at all. Commands must be taught through association and repetition. It takes a lot of time to train and help your Australian Cattle Dog calm down.
The less you talk the better. You should be quiet and calm whenever you are in the house. Save the play and roughhousing for outdoors.
Here is a short video about promoting calmness in the house. Thanks to Milligan Valley K9 Academy.
What age do cattle dogs calm down?
Here are 3 ways to help your Australian Cattle Dog calm down:
1. Get outside and exercise!
Too much pent up energy can cause anxiety. This is usually the beginning of trouble.
It is important to get outside and exercise. Let him fetch a ball, a frisbee, his favorite toy or whatever he likes. Play chase, go for a long walk or jog. Find a herding class to join.
What ever your choice, remember, tired is good.
2. Provide basic obedience training.
It is more than just having an obedient dog. The training sets the stage for your entire relationship. It is the way you develop the idea that you are the human, the leader, the one in charge.
It is also important in developing the dogs self control. (Something that puppies don’t have very much of.)
Training needs to be done right. You should absolutely seek professional help if you are feeling stressed.
You should visit several different trainers. Watch them interact with their clients and dogs.
See who can get the job done while still maintaining a good relationship with the dog.
You will probably hear a lot of conflicting ideas and philosophies.
Do your homework and pick the right one.
