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| Dax and Popper |
Back in the day, when I worked at a pet store, we were allowed to bring our dogs to work. One of my co-workers had a blue heeler puppy. The thing was obnoxious. She had the most high-pitched bark (if you've never heard an Australian Cattle Dog bark in its most annoying, pay-attention-to-me-or-I'll-continue-this bark, count yourself lucky), she was borderline aggressive, she was hyper and jumpy, the list goes on and on. That was my first experience with the breed. Not a positive one. She also tried to eat my Old English Sheepdog, who was terrified of her.
Not too terribly long after, my dad adopted his Aussie/Heeler mix, an insane dog he calls Libby. She's actually a VERY good dog, and tends to display all the heeler traits rather than the Australian Shepherd ones. She is wary of strangers, fiercely loyal to and protective of my dad. And yet, she still has that extremely annoying high-pitched bark when she feels she's being ignored or urgently needs to get a message across. I don't mind Libby, but she isn't a dog I would want for myself.
It wasn't very long after that, while at a Bird Fair looking for rare mutation cockatiels for my breeding program, that I came across a crate full of Blue Heeler/Beagles. Now, I was sort of looking for a small dog at the time, though not very actively. The idea of a beagle/blue heeler honestly made me ill. I was not extremely fond of either breed - beagles having a certain odor, being hard to train, and being prone to incessant barking. The concept of combining the two seemed like an awful idea. They were an accidental litter, however. Unfortunately, I chose to hold one, a little, red, six week-old puppy who just laid on my chest and gave me kisses as sweet as can be. I never put him down. He came home with me. And that's how I got Popper.
The next Cattle Dog cross that came into our lives was my parents' dog Bently. I was at the time on a list for "euthanasia alerts," so when a dog in my area was going to be put to sleep at the pound, because nobody wanted him, I'd get an e-mail. This dog looked like the black and white version of Libby. It said he was ten years old (a fact we later found out to be incorrect), and having a fondness for dog that looked like Libby, as well as old dogs, I went to save the guy. He was covered in urine and fecal matter, sopping wet, and looking miserable. As soon as we left the building, he turned around, heisted his leg, and peed all over the door. I knew this dog was going to be awesome. After I got him cleaned up, and after I had tried a few overnight visits with potential adopters, I took him to my parents' house, hoping to entice them to adopt him. I was not disappointed. The big guy saw my mom, and immediately ran up to her, tail wagging. He had not shown any interest in anyone before - this was meant to be. My mom told me to just "leave him with her" for the night, and it was there he stayed. He is now petted, cossetted, and otherwise completely spoiled. And that suits him just fine.
Dax was the first purebred red heeler to enter my home. Having finally been persuaded by Popper, Libby, and Bently, that maybe red heelers were okay, I began to chat with Australian Cattle Dog owners, look around a breeders, and seriously consider getting myself a puppy for my birthday next year. It was not to be. I was perusing Craigslist when I came upon a small red heeler that wasn't being treated well in his home. I steeled myself to foster the little guy, that was it. I'd already made arrangements for a puppy from a litter next year. I took Popper with me, to make sure the new dog wasn't dog aggressive, as this breed is extremely prone to be. To my surprise, the 10 month old puppy was extremely playful, LOVED Popper, but was excessively shy, even for a heeler. He was the complete yin to Popper's yang, being white with red instead of the typical cattle dog coloration. I loved him. I brought him home, where he continues to terrorize us all. He's recently started dog agility classes, and is learning to become a disc dog.
This breed is definitely not for everyone. ACD puppies are something like pets from another planet - I've never had a dog quite like Dax, ever. I kind of doubt most people have. Red heelers need a TON of exercise, and even more than that, a job to do. If I take Dax on a four mile hike, he'll come home and do laps around the yard. It doesn't even remotely phase him. If Popper doesn't get a sufficient amount of exercise each day, he'll find things in my house to destroy, no matter where they are. These dogs are stubborn, not great at dog parks (even if you overcome dog aggression, the herding instinct is so strong, and these dogs were bred to bite, that most likely it'll lead to trouble), and probably the most intelligent canines you could own. Like in Jurassic Park, when the velociraptors would figure things out. Australian Cattle Dogs are the velociraptors of the dog kingdom. I wouldn't recommend them around little kids, and they're really not the kind of dog you can just "have" and not do anything with. They need constant training, constant activity. They do make awesome agility dogs, disc dogs, obedience dogs, and pretty much any other dog sport you'd like to do.
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