Australian Cattle Dog Breeder?

I think my friend's point is that it doesn't matter what they look like as long as they can do the work. Hence there are lankier dogs, some are blocky as well and the people working them don't hold the blocky dogs with higher respect because they fit more into the standard. I don't think she cares about the standard, but only that they can work.

I really don't know anything about ACDs though, I'll ask my friend to join this forum so she can explain to you what she means. I don't think I understand the breed or working/showing politics enough to say much on the subject. I've also never worked a dog on sheep or cattle or anything like that so I can't comment on AKC or ASCA or just plain old farm work...

I can make you want one because I love them. I always tell people that this is a love em or hate em breed. No one is indifferent to ACD's. You can either handle one, or you can't. To me they aren't overly difficult, but maybe I have a skewed vision of things. I have had many a come to jesus while grooming. My youngest male will scream bloody murder while you are doing his nails, sometimes... at times, he's an angel. If he knows I've had a bad day, or I'm in a hurry, or whatever he puts up a huge fight. I just never let go of that foot and keep going, he can scream til the cows come home, I'm not hurting him. They are sensitive to emotion and smart, smart, smart. They really will take matters into their own hands and are super keen at picking out trouble makers. I think this is some of the reason for dog aggression that is common in the breed. If I get onto one of my dogs, the other is running in to get a correction. Zen can put his feet on the counter and I say "Zen, off!" and here comes Rumor around the corner to try and help correct him. They tend to take everything to the next level, so it can be difficult to keep the upper hand.

Herding trials are not the be all end all of testing your dog. Like I said, anyone who I know that trials owns their own livestock. Titles and trials are a way to prove that to other breeders. Its one thing to say "oh, my dog is useful on the farm." but its another to have actually proven something. Just like a championship, you don't just take someones word that their dog closely resembles the standard, you ask to see their championship certificate. Herding trials have to take into account that some breeds are drivers and some gatherers and take all of that and make it into a happy medium. So it is not the best indication of ability, but it says "this dog can get 5 sheep/cattle/ducks through a couple gates, through a pasture and into a pen", which proves the dog is willing to work the stock, take direction from the handler, and at least has a little ability to move stock in the proper direction without killing or maiming any. True farm work is a better testament, but that depends on your farm too. Got a friend with an ACD and 1000 head of cattle. They move cattle twice a year. Once out to pasture, once to the stockyard. His dog helps, but really? You want to go by that as your be all end all that this dog is a good worker?

OutlineACD- are ACD's usually soft tempered or hard? From my understanding they are hard. Seems that alot of the cattle dogs are harder tempermented compared to the sheep herding dogs.

From what I have seen, they are hard.

My horse trainer has a farm-bred one, and she is a fantastic dog. She's the "long and lanky" kind, but man oh man is her temperament fantastic. She rounds up horses daily, and keeps some of the more aggressive cows away from us while we're riding. She is VERY serious; I don't think I've ever seen her do that "smile and wiggle butt" thing that most dogs do. She just has this very intimidating aura around her. Even the way she walks just drips with pride and power.

As far as strangers go, she lives in a horse boarding facility, so she sees them every day and is ok with them, but she definitely doesn't like them. Now, the regulars, like me, she'll come up to and let pet, but the strangers, she'll keep her distance and keep her eye on them.

And she rides everywhere with the owners, and never shows any fear when out and about.

SUCH a great dog. I'll try to take a picture of her someday.

The last time I met an ACD was a few winters ago at a pick and pull. The dog was very serious and was not into meeting strangers, but being the dog person I am I went slowy up to him and allowed him to come up to me. I noticed he had a ball and as soon as I asked him to drop the ball, he dropped it and we ended up playing, while Tyler went searching for parts.

I actually am considering an ACD in the future if I can find a good breeder or find the perfect one in the shelter. I love their seriose hard nature.

LOOK AT THE CUTE!!

They are hard dogs. They really don't care to interact with many people other than those familiar to them. Just based on their job, they shouldn't, they should be all business, focused on the task and what needs to be done. Mine are silly with me and with each other. We play and tug and rough-house, but business is business.

My dogs cannot be handed off to other people for training or performance. Some people think thats a bad quality, but I'm indifferent. They obey others depending on what it is, but my herding trainer wanted to take Zen and show me what she was taking about once. He would not perform for her. He had zero interest in working for anyone but me. Makes it hard at times, because of situations like that. Or if I was at an agility trial and hurt my foot or something, I'd just have to pull for the rest of the weekend. They will do it without me, to a degree, but really see no point in working for anyone else. I can leave them at a boarding kennel and they will kennel-up for whoever and come in or go out when asked, they aren't difficult, but that person probably wouldn't be able to get them to go through 100 commands without a sideways glance and a "whats in it for me" attitude.

I have always been told (by non-acd people) that my dogs were the softest ACD's they had ever met. I can't tell you the trick to that because I didn't train them any different than I would a golden or bc. My dogs work for me. They enjoy their work. Just because this is a hard breed I don't believe that neccessitates punishment based training. Not saying I haven't hauled off and whacked a dog well deserving of it, but thats not how I train behaviors. I think this breed too often gets into the wrong hands and gives people the wrong impression. Just like pits. Yeah, its an ACD, but yes he/she can behave normally because I won't accept anything else.

But yeah, mine get the butt wiggle, and the zoomies, and my male is about the goofiest, doofy ACD I've ever been around. Most males are more goofy, but I expect him to mature and become more serious at about 4 yrs old. That's generally when I've noticed that they get their brain.

AuCaDo is a great forum, I am a member there myself. They will definitely encourage adoption/rescue. Carolina R&R tends to get a lot of "working stock" dogs.

When I was looking into ACD's, this was the breeder I was going through. She does all the health tests on the dogs, the only thing she doesn't do is BAER testing because the only facilities are several hours away. Gwen is a very nice person and is extremely honest and up front when you ask questions. The ONLY thing that I didn't like was that she let her pups go at 7 weeks.

Depends on the situation, what you are doing, who try are interacting with etc... Buddy I would say had a soft temperment, just think like you are going to say the word 'no' & he turns to putty. Josefina & my other dog Izze awes /are big time rock heads :/.

I find that most dogs that aren't bred for herding won't move the stock much. I remember going out to check on some sheep for a friend, and bringing my golden and border collie. Golden goes charging up to the sheep who just looked at her and didn't move, went back to grazing. My border collie from much further away got them moving along. Maybe they're used to the colour but you would think they'd run from a strange dog...

Most of the ACD's I've met are quite hard headed, tough dogs. Not overly friendly with strangers. You can tell your friend there's lots of the same here for breeders too, including one nearby who has two 'batches' a year because she doesn't fix her acd's or stop them from breeding.