Dog breed guide
Australian Cattle Dog
A short, dense, weather resistant double coat that needs only a brush once or twice a week and a bath when required, and sheds once or twice a year. It is described as extremely intelligent and alert, with high energy needs of well over two hours a day in the UK listing. It needs a house with a garden and is not suited to apartments.
Also searched as ACD, Blue Heeler, Heeler, Queensland Heeler, Red Heeler.
Australian Cattle Dog at a glance
- Adult weight, male
- 15 to 18 kg
- Adult weight, female
- 14 to 16 kg
- Size
- Medium, 10 to 25 kg
- Height
- 43 to 51 cm
- Coat
- smooth, double, with short dense undercoat; close, hard, straight, weather resistant top coat
Ratings
Petboost editorial ratings from 1 to 5, drawn from the breed standard text under Sources. A breed with no basis in the sources for a rating shows none.
- Shedding
- Grooming effort
- Energy
- Trainability
- Suits an apartment
5 means it sheds heavily
5 means it needs the most grooming
5 means it needs a lot of exercise
5 means it learns quickly and eagerly
5 means it copes best in a small home
Next steps
- Find a local groomer or daycarePet businesses near you that take bookings online.
- Check a Australian Cattle Dog puppy's weightWhere a puppy sits against the breed's adult range.
- Dog age in human yearsFrom a formula, not the seven-to-one rule.
Sources
- Petboost breed reference data, adult weight ranges (breed list snapshot).
- Dogs NSW, Australian Cattle Dog, https://www.dogsnsw.org.au/breeds/browse-all-breeds/australian-cattle-dog/, read 5 Oct 2026
- Royal Kennel Club (The Kennel Club UK), Australian Cattle Dog breed standard, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/breed-standards/pastoral/australian-cattle-dog/, read 5 Oct 2026
- Royal Kennel Club (The Kennel Club UK), Australian Cattle Dog breed information, https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/pastoral/australian-cattle-dog/, read 5 Oct 2026
- AKC, Australian Cattle Dog, https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/australian-cattle-dog/, read 5 Oct 2026
General information about the breed, not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.