Australian Cattle Dog
FCI:
Australian Cattle Dog Group I. - Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs, Section 2 - Cattle Dogs. Recognized business in 1893.
General Appearance:
The Australian Cattle Dog is an intelligent, vigilant, watchful, courageous and trustworthy, incredibly durable and totally devoted to his owners and their responsibilities. It is surprisingly remarkable adaptable, it is brave, manageable, it is docile and still very bright. It excels immense diligence at work behaves forcefully, responsibly, it is a calm and reasonable, courageous and very strict to itself.
Temperament & Behaviour:
The education and training is no problem. It's a very docile dog learns to love and willing to fulfil orders, but its owner some experience with dogs, as well as the necessary socialization is also a kind, but its owner should have experience in training and leadership.
To strangers it behaves indifferently, suspiciously, so it should be, if it grows from a companion dog, from early youth age , early socialization is very important. To children it is usually generous. To dogs, it knows, it is friendly, knows where it is, ignoring them, it is incredulous, and usually with them or play.
It needs a lot of movement, it must be something to do. Locked up alone in an apartment can get bored and it can cause the devastation. It should go out with it on long walks on a leash at a regular pace (there are more burdensome than the free-running) can also run at the wheel, fetch objects, etc.
Different dog sports are suitable for it, for example. Agility, frisbee, flyball, etc., Which allows it to drain as much power. Because it is diligent and honest work, it is successful in competitions, it has an obvious interest not to spoil anything. It can also be a reliable and avalanche rescue dog. On walks, it can run freely, does not tend to roam, however. It follows calling back.
Devotion and defensive abilities make it a hardworking helper herder and a perfect guard owner´s flock and property. Although it is naturally suspicious of strangers, it must be under all circumstances handling well, particularly in the show ring.
Body:
This is a strong, compact, symmetrically built of a working dog. Overall, the image of a balanced combination of strength and flexibility, its muscles show great agility and extraordinary perseverance. Height at withers male 46-51 cm and 43-48 cm in female.
The head is massive, but it must match the size of the overall size of the individual. The skull should be broad and the earlobes slightly arched. The frontal slope is gradual, but distinct. Under the eyes should be well filled (slack), gradually narrowing and moving in a medium long, deep and strong muzzle. When viewed from the side must be the top line of the skull in the imaginary extension of the line of the muzzle.
The nose is black, lips are thin and fitting to the jaws and teeth. Cheeks should be well-muscled, but they may be neither coarse nor prominent sideways. The teeth must be strong, healthy and regularly spaced in the jaws. Requested is a scissor bite. The lower jaw is strong, deep and very strong.
The eyes should be of oval shape and medium size, may be neither protruding nor sunk, their view should express alertness and intelligence. Flash of warning or suspicious glint in its eyes is typical when stranger is coming nearby. The colour of the iris is dark brown.
The earlobes should be of medium size, rather small than large, broad and muscular at the base, pricked and moderately pointed. They should be broadly deployed and directed to the sides. When it hears sensitive sounds, its ears pricked.
The neck is extremely strong, muscular, medium length, at the transition to wide body, with no free skin on the neck. Topline body should be straight, back firm. Loins are broad, strong, muscular and should not be long, because the dog must be very compact. The croup should be quite long and steep.
The tail is set rather low in the line of the croup. Long about the hock. It should bushy, longer hair on its underside forms called - Brush. The rest is suspended and only very slightly upwards saggy. On the move or in the heat of passion may be raised, but never no part interfere vertical passing through its root.
The chest is deep, muscular and fairly broad. Ribs are properly sprung, never shall not be barrel-shaped. The forelegs are strong, the blades should be strong, oblique and muscular. Pasterns should be flexible, when viewed from the side slightly askew.
The hindquarters are broad, strong and muscular. Thighs are long, broad and strong, properly knees bent. Feet should be round, toes short, strong and adequately arched and tight. The pads are durable and high, nails must be short and strong. The movement is pointing straight forward, it is free, supple and tireless.
The coat is waterproof with a short soft undercoat and thick outer coat. The body has to have a hair length of 2.5 - 4 cm. Colouration may be blue, blue merle or red merle.
In blue and red merle colour can be black, blue or tan, preferably symmetrically spaced markings on the head. Blue or tan markings on the trunk and limbs may be black on the body side. Forelegs called strikes. Burning the fingers over the front and back of the wrist to the elbow. It can move forward on his chest, and be well on the neck and jaw. The hindquarters are tan on the inside, including the thighs and knees on the front side and from the hock to the exterior and rear side down to his fingers. Tan undercoat is permissible if it does not show through the blue outer coat.
When red merle colouring all over the body evenly red roan and undercoat must be neither white nor cream. The head can be symmetrically red markings. On the body are red markings permissible but it is not acceptable.
Faults from the above standard requirements must be considered as defects like any traits or physical characteristics that are different. Severe disabilities are prone to obesity, emaciation and stilted movement of limbs, overloaded shoulders, loose or straight shoulders, weak elbows, wrists or feet. Undesirable are too rough shoulders, heavy bow of the body, but also very long or too short coat.
