CDM'S ACD'S

 

For Roper & Didji go here Other Furry Kids For Tallan, Tharra & Allira go here  Boys/GIRLS

  Used For Work, Loved As Pets!!

Any references to the CKC stands for the CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB NOT the CONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB

Welcome to our Australian Cattle Dog website.  We are located in Cayuga, Ontario, Canada where we use our 5 non-kenneled Australian Cattle Dog working/house pets to work cattle on our 200 acre farm. The CDM in our kennel name stands for "CATTLE DOG MUM" & that's what I am.  I am their momma. I only breed twice a year (if that) & my Australian Cattle Dogs are my life!  They sleep on my couch & go everywhere with me.  Our big red male Roper even went on our Honeymoon with us.

I am new to the show world for Australian Cattle dogs but I am not new to the breed!! I have been raising Australian Cattle Dogs for 5 years, concentrating on the WORKING Australian Cattle Dog & I intend to continue breeding the WORKING ACD & show them on weekends when money allows.  I am a member of the Canadian Kennel Club & I follow the standard for the original purpose of this breed, not a judges interpretation of the standard since some judges are influenced by other things instead of the dog infront of them.  I know what I want to see in a working Australian Cattle Dog on our farm & since the standard is for a dog that can work, I stick VERY closely to the standard & not what the fad is for this year.

Any money I get from puppies goes back into the health testing of our adults (& future showing).  I have never broken even & I never care to.  If I could, I would let our pups go for free but I think our price is fair for what is involved for getting to the point of having a litter & for what the puppy is sent home with.  Pups are born & raised in our home with me sleeping right next to them & as they get older, they are socialized at fun places like Niagara Falls Canada, Wal-Mart & our friends Team Roping arena.  At my friend's arena is where I also decide which pup may become a potential working dog or who may be suited to being just a pet since they are surrounded by moving, fenced in cattle & other working dogs.  In my experience if a pup does not show any working ability by at least 12 weeks old, although there can be late bloomers, they never will but sometimes that makes them the best pet!!  And although a pup's temperment can change once it gets to it's new home away from it's siblings, it also shows me what their possible temperments may be in the future.

I am a big stickler on temperment & I refuse to breed any dog that does not meet with my expectations.  A dog that is too dominant is not a good working dog since it won't respect you & a fearful dog will be too afraid to work plus both are a danger to other people.  I love the fact that my dogs will protect me, my property & my vehicle with the Australian Cattle Dog intensity but out in public I demand that they be well behaved!  I want the "warning glint" in their eyes when meeting a stranger which is called for in the standard but I don't want them to bite the stranger's hand if the person is too stupid to notice the dog's eyes.  I want them to have enough gumption to take on an angry bull yet NOT eat the neighbour's kid.  The fact that people are not afraid to come right up to me when I am walking the dogs anywhere speaks for their great temperments & a well behaved dog of any breed will be welcome in more places.  Of course any GOOD Australian Cattle Dog owner will watch their dog(s) body language out of the corner of their eye "just in case."  Even the most well trained & well bred ACD will be a little nervous around itty bitty kiddos.

I usually do not sell to anyone with children under the age of 5 years unless it can be proven to me that the parents know how to train their children around this breed.  Any herding breed has to be watched around toddlers since they scream, run around & act like the animals that the dog is instinctively programmed to herd.  An Australian Cattle Dog WILL nip heels (they were bred to BITE cattle & will nip your heels if the other choice is not available) & although it can be somewhat suppressed, little children will still have to learn to be careful.  Another problem is that ACD's can't tell when a kid is just rough- housing with friends & will want to protect "their kid."  I have heard from some of my puppy owners with children though that if the kids get too close to the road or if they wander away, the dog will round them up & bring them back.  An Australian Cattle Dog will also have to be desensitized to ear & tail pulling which should be part of a good training program & MUST NEVER be allowed to be food aggressive or toy aggressive.  Anyone should be able to take food or toys away from the family pet.

WE DO NOT DOCK TAILS!!  Don't even ask me because I WILL not do it.  No amount of money will convince me to do it either.  We use our dogs to work cattle & we see how they need their tails everyday.  To dock the tail of an Australian Cattle Dog (Blue Heeler) is BARBARIC!!  If you want a tail-less Cattle Dog find an Australian Stumpy Tailed Cattle Dog breeder as they are born without tails & are cousins to Australian Cattle Dogs. 

Our Cattle Dogs are only bred if they pass the Penn-Hip/OVC, CERF & BAER certification.  If their hips are not good enough (they must get a 70% score or higher) or if eyes & ears are not perfect, they are not bred!  (We will be DNA-ing our dogs for Prcd/PRA this year.)  We give a 1 year health guarantee & will always take a pup back no matter what the age or reason.  Our girls are only bred once a year to keep them happy & healthy & out of our 5 dogs, 1 is neutered & 1 is spayed.  They all get their couch time (sometimes at the same time) & I switch who comes with me in the morning to drop my husband off to work & who comes with me when he's done.  They are not outside unless I am & are not crated unless they have to be like when the boys have to be seperated from the girls in heat.  They go everywhere with me if possible & in fact the season I hate the most is summer because it's sometimes WAY too hot to take them with me to town or into the city & I feel lost without them with me.  My husband & I do not & can not have any children so come and meet our furry Australian Cattle Dog children....

Australian Cattle Dogs were bred to work and work and work!  They were not bred to be couch potatoes or sit in a backyard all day everyday.  They are amazingly loving, though tend to be a one-person dog and are extremely intelligent.  If left to their own devices they WILL destroy your house!  They have tremendous jaw power and will use it.  They want to be with their owners as much as possible and can't be happy left alone all day.  Please keep in mind that they were bred to work with a rancher day in/day out.  They might have been outdoor dogs but the ranchers were outdoor people.  Otherwise if with the right person, you couldn't ask for a better dog!  Such energy, loyalty, toughness, intelligence and love is hard to find and they carry all of it!  Is an Australian Cattle Dog for you, only you can answer.  If yes, send me an email at the address below or call me at home at:

cattledogmum@yahoo.ca

905-481-0684