australian cattle dog!?!?!?

Question

I have done alot of research on Acds.and they herd alot, and are very active. I have a 2 yr. old neiphew that is over everother night, and i was wondering if they would be safe with kids. And does any one know anything bou them personaly bout there behavior, that i should know about? plz tell me all you know about them!

Answer 1

Hey there!

Yes, it is true that they are herding dogs and it is in their nature, but I wouldnt be too worried about ur nephew. Did you know that the border collie and the blue heeler (red heeler's counterpart) are two of Australia' most favorite family pets? Border collies are also herding dogs.

Also, I lived and worked on a farm with collies and red & blue heelers (in Australia-I'm Aussie) and they take A LOT of training to be able to herd properly. While it is in their nature, it is still hard to teach them. They are very intelligent and tend to 'herd' children away from things they arent supposed to be doing. They rarely nip at heels of children, as they DO know thay are children and not cattle - they CAN tell the difference.

Also, remember that any puppy is safe with children if they are bought up together. if u get ur cattle dog and introduce it to ur nephew while it is young, there will be nothing to worry about, as they will grow together, therefore the pup will more than likely have no herding instinct with him as they know each other.

herding dogs dont herd eachother, and usually only herd on command. if theygrow up together, in some way ut dog will see ur nephew as one of his own and not herd him.

i hope i was able to help with ur question. cattle dogs are fantastic pets! very loyal, loving and protective. also, highly intelligent! =)

Answer 2

Jason, they are wonderful dogs. Awesome with children. I would definitely consider one. Yes they are a working class dog, but they are still puppies. They will learn to live in your environment just fine. It is learned behavior. You will WANT to walk them on a leash. They do need some exercise...ALL dogs do. The disposition of these dogs is such, I wouldn't worry about the biting factor only because of the breed. ALL dogs can and do bite. Not exclsive to Australian Cattle dogs. The Blue Heeler part of them, while their dispositions are equally awesome, they tend to be more of a "runner" than the Cattle dog is. They also have extordinarily keen senses. If you cannot give the time for walks, then another choice might be better. Other than that, I see no reason why one of these pups couldn't fit into your family. Remember.... a dog is only as good as it's training and the care and love from it's owners. It is a serious committment. Good luck with whichever dog you choose.

Answer 3

Like everybody else said, they do have a tendency to herd anything moving, including kids..This also can include cars, buses, etc..which only means you need to be prepared for some quality training and exercise time! This breed absolutely has to have a job to do, which could just be a long run in a field a couple times a day with a Frisbee or agility training. They are not laid back, relaxed dogs so if you are that type of person, find a different breed. The ones I have met have been very sweet and easily trainable though.

Answer 4

I know several people who own them and they are great dogs.
YES they do love to herd and are a VERY active dog that requires LOTS of playing and walking and running time. They need to be woth someone with an active lifestyle as they love to run and work.
They do really well at agility and some do fairly well in obedience. Most are fine with kids but if the child is out running in the yard they can have the urge to chase them and try to herd them. It is instict and it can run really high in some dogs.
Supervision of the kids and dog is the best thing and you should not have problems.

Answer 5

They are generally okay with kids, but keep in mind they are HERDING dogs and will very often try to "herd" the kids, which sometimes involves light nipping as they would do to cattle. Nothing mean-spirited, but something to watch for. Intelligent, hardy, hard-working breed. NOT couch potatoes!! Don't own one unless you have a job waiting for him/her! That can mean guarding your house or herding......just don't plan on crating an Australian Cattle Dog and expect him/her to be content.

Answer 6

this breed, YES is hyper and is a hearding dog. you nephew wont be in harms way but....the cattle dog will be more likely to chase him and nip at his heels. could possible knock him down or bark at him alot. Herding breeds are one of the most difficult breeds to own. they need alot of work and ALOT of training. if you dont have time to keep them constantly trained and exercised then i would NOT suggest getting one. I LOVE herding breeds..but I have worked with many of them..My personal favorite is an australian shepherd. and border collies but they are ALOT of work...so dont take that lighty. if you dont keep then occupied at ALLLLLLL times they will easily get bored and could turn to chewing up your home and getting into things...its just their nature...you should also have a BIG yard for them and they LOVE frisbees :) also most herding breeds are excellent in dog agility. so siging her up for some class like that would help to get out some of that energy. also I would recomend getting one of the back packs for dogs to let her wear on a walk..you can put a water bottle or something in it and it will make her feel like she is working..since cattle dogs usually need a job...but she would much rather be herding sheep....just be carful about the niping...you dont want it to turn into biting..but you cant blame the dog...its the breed.............so be prepared...but she should be fine with your nephew...just dont let her chase him or get too rowdy :) I would also recomend buying her a KONG you can get them at any pet store and they are hard rubber and hollow you can put peanut butter cheese or yummy goodies and they use their tounges to get it out so it stimulated their braines. ALSO look into buying some sort of treat Puzzle ball that they have to roll around to get the treats out. a buster cube you can get from pets mart and you can change the difficulty level your dog will LOVE It! I promise..and the kongs you can freeze for when you leave the house for hours of fun!! :) hope that helps

Answer 7

They are very very laid back and would be good with children but it depends on the dog you choose. Make sure you pick one that is very calm and not too hyper. The only thing I don't like about cattle dogs is that they will kill every small animal they see and can get their hands on (rats, squirrels, rabbits, mice, snakes etc.) They will bring it back to you too!! They also shed and need room to run around. They are my most favorite type of dog!! Hope this helps.

Answer 8

I use to raise blue heelers. They are very gentle with kids. They try to herd them but they herd them aways from the bad stuff. If youhave one that has puppies the mother will housebreak her pups to paper traning or dog door. Blue heelers are ver protective of their family. I had a red heeler and a blue one. Small babies pulling on the hair of the dog sometimes the dog might get ticked off and snarl but will not hurt or bite the child.

Answer 9

I have 2 australian cattle dogs and they are the best dogs ever in my opinion!! just keep in mind that they are herding dogs!! mine are very loving and im not sure if this is just my dogs or other cattle dogs but mine are very protective over me.

Answer 10

I have one, she is adorable and so well behaved! One of the best dogs I have ever had, so don't always believe what you hear. A dog can be a great dog or a bad dog depending only on the owner. If you raise it right and teach it well, your dog will be great no matter what kind it is! ALL HERDING DOGS ARE WONDERFUL!!

welsh corgi's too!!