Blue Heelers are medium-sized dogs – the perfect size to herd cattle! Originally bred as farm working dogs, Cattle Dogs appear much the same today as they did in the past. Although some are still used as herding dogs, most Australian Cattle Dog breeds now work as household pets.
If you’re considering adding a Queensland Heeler to your family, you want to know exactly how big these energetic dogs get. In this article, we’ll detail all you need about an Australian Cattle Dog’s height and weight.
A full-sized Cattle Dog is a medium-sized pup and will measure somewhere between 43 and 50 cm to the shoulder. Unlike other dogs, females appear much the same as male Australian Cattle Dogs in height and overall size. It is not unheard of for a female Cattle Dog to grow taller than a male.
Both male and female Cattle pups also have big muscles and broad chests. Thanks to their stature, their overall muscle mass doesn’t limit their agility – their muscular hind and front legs can help them run with great accuracy.
Cattle Dogs finish growing in different stages. Around the time of your Blue Heeler’s first birthday, they will have reached their full height and weight. However, their muscles and chest continue to grow past their first birthday and won’t stop until their second birthday.
A healthy weight for an adult Australian Cattle Dog is between 15 and 20kg. Not only do female Cattle Dogs grow to roughly the same height as their male counterparts, but they generally weigh the same, too.
This is a significant jump up from puppyhood. At three months old, an Australian Blue Heeler weighs just 6kg on average.
Cattle Dogs shouldn’t exceed a weight of 20kg as it can be bad for their overall health and could cause health issues, especially to their joints. An overweight Australian Cattle Dog is likely to develop arthritis.
Besides weighing your Cattle Dog, you could check their hips. When looking down on your Blue Heeler, the hip curve should be well defined (between the rib cage and the hips). If it’s not, then your pup may be a little on the heavy side.
Alternatively, you could take your dog to the vet, and they’ll be able to produce an accurate weight. A vet may also be able to suggest a diet plan if they deem the pup to be too fat.
First, your Blue Heeler puppy will need to be fed healthy and nutritious dog food throughout their infancy, with portions increasing according to the puppy’s age.
During puppyhood, you can feed your Australian Heeler puppy kibble or wet food or start them out on raw meat. Portion sizes depend on the type of food, but we recommend splitting up daily portions into four meals.
In addition to eating right, puppy Blue Heelers need plenty of sleep and exercise. In terms of sleep, your puppy will likely take care of that themselves, but you’ll need to take care of their exercise routine.
A month-old herding dog requires just two five-minute walks per day. For each consecutive month, add another five minutes to each walk. Once they’ve reached the age of one, they should be getting around two hours of exercise per day. You could introduce them to dog sports sometime during their first year.
This depends entirely on the other breed that the Blue Heeler is mixed with. For example, a Texas Heeler, a mix between a Blue Heeler and an Australian Shepherd Dog, will weigh around 22 kg and reach a height of 55 cm.
Australian Blue Heelers are not considered big dogs as they only reach a maximum height of 50cm. To be considered a big dog, a pup needs to be around 68cm. They are considered to be medium-sized dogs.
An Australian Blue Heeler adult dog should measure a length between 71 and 84cm.
An Australian Cattle Dog puppy is amongst the most highly energetic dog breeds, but an adult Cattle Dog is calmer. Adult Heelers also only grow to medium size, which, in combination with their temperament, makes them a good family dogs.
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