Australian Cattle Dogs can be categorised into Blue Heelers and Red Heelers. Blue and Red speckle are the two officially recognised Cattle Dog colours, although the base colour of a Blue Heeler’s coat is technically black. ‘The Bentley Star’ is an unofficial coat colour found on some Cattle Dogs, characterised by white hairs on the dog’s forehead.
In this guide, we’ll take a closer look at the main shades that Australian Cattle Dogs can come in.
The main colours that Cattle Dogs come in include:
Surprisingly, a Blue Heeler’s coat actually consists of black and white hairs, which are evident on closer inspection. The intermingling of these light and dark shades create a blue hue when viewing the dog from a distance, which is why the dog is referred to as Blue Heelers.
The fact that Cattle Dogs are actually black isn’t always mentioned by kennel clubs, but they often permit black markings on the head and the rest of the dog’s body because of it.
The coat colour of a Blue Heeler can range from silver blue to deep blue, depending on the ratio of black and white hairs, as well as due to how they appear on the body. With more white hairs, the dog’s coat will take on a lighter blue appearance. While, with less white hairs, the coat will be of a darker hue.
Instead of black, the base colour of a Red Heeler’s coat is red. Besides this colour difference, Red Heelers and Blue Heelers are exactly the same. The red creates a dark red background, while speckled white hairs give the dog a lighter, mottled appearance. These white speckles should not take up a large part of the dog’s body, and only be around 2.5cm each.
The establishment of these white markings in Red Heelers was done on purpose so that they could be distinguished from dingoes.
The Bentley Star is not an official Red Heeler colour, but it’s a recognisable variation of both the blue and red breed standard colours. Sometimes referred to as a ‘Bentley Mark’, this type of Heeler will have a normal red or blue body, but will also feature a large white patch on its forehead.
In addition to this white marking, a true Bentley Star Heeler should also feature a black marking at the root of the tail.
This name is a reference to Tom Bentley, a figure who was instrumental in the spread of the breed’s popularity. His Blue Heeler was said to have this white marking on its forehead. Bentley Star Blue Heelers are highly desirable, as they are thought to be distant descendants of the original Australian Cattle Dog.
The Australian National Kennel Council recognise both blue and red speckled Australian Cattle Dogs. For Blue Heelers, the Council state that the blue should appear speckled or mottled, and can feature black and tan markings.
For Red Heelers, the Council stipulate that this coat colour should appear well balanced all over, and not be broken up by any solid white or cream markings. They also state that a Red Heeler can have darker red markings on its forehead.
You should choose your Australian Cattle Dog colour based on your personal preference! Both red and blue speckled Australian Cattle Dog pups are basically the same dog. They share the same temperament, personality, and characteristics – the only difference is that one features a blue outer coat while the other has a red.
The Queensland Heeler coat changes as they mature, as both red and blue dogs are born white. You’ll be able to tell what colour your Australian Cattle Dog will be from around the 6-week mark, which is when the blue or red shades will start to show.
As your Heeler reaches adulthood, it will blow its puppy coat to make way for its adult coat, at which point its colourings and markings will be fully developed.
Both Red and Blue Heelers are highly desirable pups and just as attractive as one another. While the Red Heeler features real red hairs, the Blue Heeler doesn’t actually have any blue-coloured hairs, but it definitely can look strikingly blue thanks to its white hairs.
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