Australian Cattle Dogs
 

I'm thinking about getting a cattle dog, because I really like the way they look and they are about the right size, but I have read that they are very hyper. We have a two year old daughter, and a decent size backyard (for a housing development, at least). It's probably 40'x30'. To be honest, we don't really take walks regularly or anything, so it would be mostly backyard and house only for the dog.

Does anyone know anything about this breed?

I wouldn't get one if you're a first-time dog owner, or if you're not willing to put in some serious time exercising and training the dog. These guys are SUPER intelligent, but also can be very destructive. They're bred for working, so they need lots of activity (mental and physical) and can get destructive if they're not kept entertained somehow. They're also very loyal - bred to work with 1 cattleman on the range for long periods of time - and tend to be protective. They're fine with their family's kids, but you can't really trust them alone with other kids. I know a woman who breeds, trains, and shows them, and she's very picky (for liability reasons) about who she'll sell to.

Here's more info:

<a href="http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/australiancattledog.htm">http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/australiancattledog.htm</a>

There are also a couple of good "breed selector" tools that can help you find the right dog based on your needs and preferences, as well as how much time you're willing to spend training a dog:

<a href="http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm">http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm</a>

<a href="http://www.selectsmart.com/beta_dog/">http://www.selectsmart.com/beta_dog/</a>

Good luck!

The problem with getting a working dog is they need exercise, and alot of it.
These dogs are bread to have a high level of energy for working long hours, and if you put it in a small place and not give it exercise it will get very bored,and when it gets bored it will look for things to do.Then you will either come home to a wrecked backyard or have a dog that will develop strange ways of seeking attention.
I have 2 working dogs and when they dont get exercise( which does not happen often) plants will be uprooted, and anything they can drag around they will.

well, Lurkette and Homer have summed it up perfectly.

if you´re not willing to exercise and walk your dog, then this is the wrong dog.

they are a stocky, powerful working dog, and they need a lot of exercise. without exercise this breed is very prone to getting fat and smelly. and let me tell you, there ain´t nothing uglier than an overweight working dog.
i mean, think about it... they´re bred for working cattle in the Aussie outback. not for lounging around in a backyard.
my uncle has cattle dogs on his property, and they are working dogs, not pets.

you also mention that you´ve got young children... in my experience, this breed isn´t all that great with kids. i mean, i was bitten a fair bit as a child, just for coming between the dog and the master.

but, as an Aussie, i´ve got to say that if these dogs are cared for properly, they can be great company. this also goes for other working dogs like Kelpies and Border Collies.

They definately are a working dog. They are beautiful and have a real hardy nature. As puppies they are super cute too.

Thanks for all the advice. Sounds like I need a lazy dog.

I had one. Loved it, excercisedit every day. Worked with it.

It went nuts and tried to attack a kid. I saw the whole thing. It was unprovoked. (The kid was unharmed, thanks to her dad).

Within an hour, I had the dog put down. I really loved that dog, but there was no way I was going to risk hurting a child.

It was one of the shittiest days of my life. I wouldn't get another Australian Cattle Dog.

My family has a small hobby farm with a fwe hundred acres of land. We have a 11-year-old Australian shepherd and some toy-size dogs. We recently got a new Australian cattle dog, and boy he is VERY hyper. But if you take your time, he can be trained and behave better. VERY smart dog, although like the shepherd, it'll probably take me a while to train him to play fetch properly. :)

He helps herd the horses (with the shepherd), usually every day. Does a pretty good job, and loves to chase birds. :) :)

[EDIT: I should point out that my family doesn't have any young people (youngest is my brother, who's 19). All of us are more than capable of protecting ourselves from the dogs.]

[EDIT^2: Also, we've never had any of our dogs attack anyone. All of them tend to live very long lives: two died at 16, one at 17, and one at 19. None died younger than 14, although a few ran away before they were 10. Never found out why in any of their cases. We love dogs! :(]