How to Groom an Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle dog is a small yet muscular dog which belongs to the Working Group. They are highly intelligent but become bored easily and may misbehave if you leave them alone too long. They have a short-haired double coat; the undercoat is very thick and dense while the topcoat is thinner and straighter. They need a full grooming every 8 to 12 weeks and a general grooming once a month.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Natural bristle brush
• Metal comb
• Protein coat conditioner
• High velocity dryer
• Pin brush

1. Brush out the topcoat with a natural bristle brush. This smooths out the top coat and removes loose shed hair from the undercoat. Starting with a wide tooth comb may also be helpful in removing mats and tangles from the thick undercoat.
2. Apply a protein coat conditioner to aid in the removal of hair from the undercoat. This can make the process much less painful for the dog. Australian Cattle dogs shed substantially once or twice per year, depending on the climate and the sex of the dog.
3. Bathe only when necessary. These dogs produce natural oils which help make their coats water-proof and bathing them too often strips away these oils and can potentially damage the coat.
4. After bathing, use a high velocity dryer to help dry the coat quickly. Use a pin brush for a final comb out, as dirt can get stuck in the undercoat during the drying process.

Tips & Warnings

• Australian Cattle Dogs go by many titles: Australian Heeler, Hall's Heeler, Queensland Heeler and Blue Heeler.
• Settlers bred Australian Cattle dogs to help pioneer ranchers in Australia in the 1800s, as most of the European dogs they had brought over couldn't withstand the harsh climate. This breed is a product of cross-breeding between Australian Kelpie, Dalmatian, Bull Terrier, Blue Speckled Collies from Scotland and wild dingoes.
• Australian Cattle Dogs are susceptible to hip dysplasia, PRA and deafness.