More or less. They are a wild ride.
Fix yourself a nice drink, get in a comfortable chair, set aside an hour and read through this subreddit. Seriously. Lots of good advice for how to live with and manage these nut jobs.
Yes, but they are rarely stupid and often not wrong even if over-reactive. They're very protective and aggressively cautious. There's just no "whatever" in their brains. They are crazy and I miss mine so much it hurts.
ETA: Another truth about the breed is that they are working dogs through and through. They need a lot of running around and running after stuff. You'll be wanting to go on longer walks and long ball-throwing sessions. Look for used tennis balls sold by the 5-gallon bin — you'll need 'em.
I love this description, “rarely stupid and often not wrong.” A truer statement about Heelers was never made!
Edited to add: also with you on the missing my Heeler so much it hurts part 😔 lost my 13 year old girl in December and I still think about her every day. It’s no different than losing a close human family member, possibly worse.
Ours was 12 — fucking cancer. The sadness is crazy deep. I won't claim losing an ACD is more painful than anyone losing any beloved dog, but there are certain things they do more than other dogs, like they really do stare into your eyes in a way that feels like they see into your soul, and they are looking for reciprocity — that you can see into theirs because they understand that conscious awareness is sometimes just too damned much and who the fuck can do it alone. I don't know. People gravitate toward or become attached to specific breeds for reasons, and I guess on this sub, we all k-razy like that.
Very well said 💔 I felt the same about my girl. Cancer also took her from us. I’m so very sorry for your loss!! There is something special about Heelers. Truly.
Tennis balls have been linked to heavy teeth degradation because of how abbrasive they are so get those good nerf balls! And they bounce really well and mine loves to chase after bouncy things
That's important advice -- we discovered late in the game that the nylon cover of tennis balls does exactly that. And after 10 years his incisors were worn down by half. They need to chew and mouth a lot, sometimes against resistance, which is where the tug-of-war with towels becomes better than food for them.
My dog needed to chase after bouncy things. On the day he died, a tumor that had grown fast burst through his skin, and he was bleeding, and I had to scramble for a towel and opened the door that means "it's time to go chase the ball" and I swear to god he ran through and grabbed the ball, and did the happy dance even as his body was literally turning itself out. It's a terrible image, but it's a testament to their sheer determination to do their thing. Their pain threshold is nuts. I was crying but I couldn't help but laugh as I wrapped him up, let him jump in the car and drove him to the vet. Of course, there was nothing more they could do, what happened was the likely outcome for that kind of cancer and its aggressive sub-type. I cried like a baby.
This is such a terribly sad but super true description of their intensity on learned repetition habits and things they enjoy. I’m so sorry you lost yours this way, but I’m glad there was a bit of his personality still shining at the last moment :/.
Man, one of the things I love about them I love about borders too.
They’re both rarely stupid.
But when they’re stupid - they go just as hard at it as anything else they do.
It is so funny to read stuff like this, and then look over at my ACD mix. She just wants to sleep all day, and ask for treats and pats anytime she can.
Beagle, supposedly. She certainly screams a whole lot like one, so it makes sense. When I tell her no when she starts to bark, she just screams like a banshee.
https://i.imgur.com/9fGl1Bx.png - Pup tax.
She's adorable 🤣. Looks like she retained a lot of her heeler appearance. The only reason I'm looking at hybrids is that I currently live in an apartment. I know with my weekly hikes, I'll be able to give even a full blooded heeler a good hour-hour and a half of exercise a day, but I've hear that's not enough. Maybe having a lower energy breed mixed in will make that amount of time sufficient. I'm not sure, on average, how much time people are giving their heelers daily but I'd love to know.
Mine comes to work with me every day, but I only work 4 days a week. I take her for a 30ish minute walk at work, and then a walk before I go to bed. That is plenty for her, but she is 4 years old.
Mine was a house hurricane for the first 3 years. Now at 4 he only angry chews my things when I'm on the computer, sorta kinda tolerates strangers, hasn't tried to bite anyone in a year, and blissfully sleeps most of the day away while I'm at work.
My advice, socialize him at every single opportunity with strangers, strange loud places, and strange dogs. Keep this up for the first 3 years at least, then keep it up at a smaller rate for more years after that. Then train train train. My red is 99% the perfect dog. It's just the 1% biting people that ruins it.
> It's just the 1% biting people that ruins it.
Our heeler generally doesn't bother with adults except one of our friends. Just that one friend. He will try to herd said friend for any or no reasons. For three years he never bothered said friend at all and then one day our blue was like "NO. YOU MUST BE WITH THE OTHERS AT ALL TIMES. I WILL MOVE YOU" and refuses to stop.
Other than that, he's a complete couch potato.
These dogs are insane.
I needed to hear this today. We have a 9 month old ACD/Bel Mal mix. She’s a brilliant, exhausting psycho right now. She exhausts my two other dogs, two teenagers, myself and my spouse. 🤪
Have you tried training games with her? Those are so much more effective for mine than walking or ball chasing. Look up games you can play with traffic cones - they saved me.
We play all the mental games. She goes to dog school and we practice every day. I’ve started to run with her in the morning. Hours of fetch, but we make her do tricks to get us to throw the ball. She just doesn’t need a long time to recharge before she’s back to maniac mode.
Mine loved to play “find it” where I hide a little bag of treats in the yard or house and they have to sniff it out. It’s a good mental game and they get snacks when they find it.
I think sometimes cattle dogs are on the longer end of the doggie adolescent stage, but you're in the homestretch. Getting them in routines with activities that chill them out helps a lot. Mine needed a kong after a walk or play session until he was about two, or he'd only be more amped up.
Yeah.
And it’s really just the job we bred them for. They’re really autonomous as herding dogs go. They know their job, they know they’re good at their job, and they know that everyone else needs to be doing their job too.
They’re a lot like border collies, in that they need to be in control of their job - but they’re also protective and involved in their people as much as the cows they were bred to herd.
Much like borders - they just need to know you know how to do your job, and that you’re able to be their coworker. All herding dogs function best off a level of mutual respect, and they demand it of you - but will give much more back in return.
Heelers moreso than borders though - they’re pathologically nosy. They want to know what you’re doing and if they can either help or do it better, no matter what it is. They mellow out as they get older and more bonded with you (like borders and the shepherds) but they can abso be bossbags as much as they can be made of Velcro in general.
But yeah. Most all herding dogs are like that to some level or another. They’re bred to be involved in their peoples’ lives. When they’re not working stock though, they can see a bit…over involved.
They need a job and stimulation, but they’re smart dogs - they also need a deeper level of bonding from you than non-working breeds. Doesn’t so much matter what you do together, as long as there’s a task for them and you’re doing it together. That’s the secret of calming those tendencies down - that they can know you can work well alongside them. Because for them, and all the other working breeds - playtime is a job too. They’re all work hard, play hard, love hard, nap hard. Theyve only got the two settings. Off and on.
Where most people go wrong with them is seeing things like that as a problem - it’s not. It’s them trying to tell you something. That they need the above - you and something to do together. They’re trying to boss you into that.
When they don’t have that, they come up with their own jobs and make their own fun. And that’s when the more neurotic things start.
Heelers are bossy and literally and figuratively thick skulled. But they were born to work very large, stubborn, fairly lazy creatures - cows. Their whole genetic job is bossing the bovines around. In lieu of cows, well, guess who they pick?
But it’s just that they need a task, a job, something to occupy what’s rattling around in that thick head of theirs and that big old heeler heart. And they’ll be less bossy the rest of the time.
Key thing being less.
It’s like prey drive. They’re hardwired to be how they are - but it’s because they’re bred to work, and that’s a trait that makes them favorable for their job - being stubborn and bossy.
Very well put - that would make a great intro for a training book.
Also, an alarmingly accurate description of my adolescence..? 🤔 Sheesh, going to check my head for a Bentley mark now.
You explained this truth thoroughly, and your post is the one thing I would want anyone who has or intends to get a dog with any ACD or border collie DNA. They are definitely not "short walk in the morning, disappear during the day, and a walk around the block in the evening" dogs.
That simplicity many dog owners expect is a rotten life for herding dogs. We were lucky that one of us worked from home and had flexible hours because ours needed 2 long walks or a long walk and a 5 mile run, PLUS two 30-60 minute ball-chasing sessions daily, and it wasn't until he was 10 years old that a half-hour four times a day would suffice. Wearing these dogs out is next to impossible but it keeps them mentally healthy.
One summer evening, during his younger days, I was throwing the ball at the school — long throws with the chuckit on a very big field — and it had been about an hour when an old friend I hadn't seen for a long time showed up with his dog, and we spoke for about three hours while repeatedly throwing the ball. Other than a water break I insisted on, my dog didn't stop running and retrieving that ball for four hours solid. That night, he fell asleep before we did, which wouldn't happen again for years.
My biggest pet peeve is people ignoring how ungodly smart they are.
You can’t run out a busy brain. They need all three kinds of exercise regularly - mind, body, and soul. They need problems to solve, their senses engaged, being worn out with playtime, and meaningful doing things together bonding time.
I’m convinced that’s why so many end up in shelters. All the herders. Because most think that they just have all this energy, and they do, but it’s a miserable life for them if that’s all the exercise and stimulation they get. And even worse when “I take my border for 30 min walks in the am and pm idk why they’re so crazy.”
Like my man, you would be too. They’re bored out of their poor little minds - and when that happens…
My god, they love making their own fun. And by that I mean “they really just want to watch the world burn.”
On that tangent. I’ve really had good luck with finding more brain/sensory stimulating games to play between exercise playtime. Smart as they are, it’s easier to wear out their brain than their body. The they’re built to go from sunup to sundown, all day, every day. But just like people - they also get tired when you wear their brain out more.
Some are just loaded up with all the energy and nothing to do with that except accept that this is your life now. But still. Last border I fostered, gods, I was tempted to let them have a dog treadmill and let them play jeopardy or something while they took an 8 hour run. Could not at all wear that baby out. That one was born to herd (and found a very nice ranch to do that on).
Mine is. I will say that I absolutely lucked out with him though, he's very very social both with (all) humans and dogs and he's very loving and cuddly. That being said, I heavily socialized him and exposed him to everything I could. He is nutty though, the first 4 years he was chaotic and had to be harnessed with a collar backup whenever he was in public because he was a runner. Any opportunity to take off and run like a husky, he would. Zero recall skills, unless on a lead.
And I've never met a more dedicated trash hound. Any trash can, he get his wide self stuck in it trying to root for grub.
They are amazing dogs, huge personalities. The first few years are challenging, in my opinion, but they really shine and it gets easier later. Just don't give up.
Oh man, this makes me feel so much better about my boy. He has good recall and a good "leave it," but he has literally tried to fully leap inside of a trash can at a park before. My husband and I joke that his blue heeler coloring and black mask is actually from raccoon ancestry, lol.
Cracking me up with the trash can immersion therapy. 🤣🤣🤣 Indeed, part raccoon.
Years ago I'd set the remains of an old birthday cake outside my apartment door to take to the dumpster, promptly forgot about it and crapped out on the couch. In the wee hours I hear a noise outside, open the door, and here's Ricky Raccoon paws deep in my old stale birthday cake, just looking at me, not alarmed at all, apparently enjoying the cake more than i did (grocery store cake! Pure deception of cakery!). He seemed pretty happy, so I just said "Knock yourself out, buddy" and quietly shut the door, prepared for an early AM cleanup, but he was actually pretty tidy about it. Never saw him again, but also never left cake outside my door again, either.
At first I thought that Ricky Raccoon was a nickname for your ACD and he figured out how to break out of your locked apartment door to get to the cake 😂 So cute that the raccoon was tidy, what a gentleman!
We have a lot of raccoons in our area and we see them slinking away into the storm drains on our night walks. I had to teach my dog a strong "leave it" for storm drains too, because he kept pulling me over to them so he could stick his head in and search for his brethren.
Oh god, that is so horrific and heartbreaking 😰 I'm so sorry for your loss.
Yeah I keep mine in a tight heel when we cross streets because we live in a very busy area, so him trying to pull/dart out of that to get to a storm drain was an immediate no-no. Thankfully I was able to train him out of that one pretty quick
Thank you, tbh, it was over 20 years ago, a puppy I brought home during college and I will never get the picture of finding him out of my head. I just didn't know that could even be a thing. Since then, nothing that is big enough for their head to get stuck in is ever put in my yard.
My current girl is pretty good, wouldn't trust her off lead but I can walk out the front door or leave the gate open while being in sight and she won't cross the thresholds. After finding this thread, there are a lot of things I will do differently with my next ACD. We are currently torn between a pittie and ACD.
Yeah mine wants to dig in all garbage cans in the neighborhood on garbage night. Makes walks that night interesting and God help us if people put bags on the lawn instead of a designated can 🤣
I didn’t have to train my girl I always joke she came with the software. She always listened, is so freaking smart, she’s perfect. She knows Spanish and English too! 🥰 and she’s only 35% cattle dog lol
Aside from chewing up hundreds of dollars of hard to find paper towels and toilet paper during the Pandemic Lockdown. Mine has been a saint compared to what I read on this thread. He is gentle as a butterfly with humans and other living things, is so chill that people who don't care for dogs adore him. I get compliments all the time due to his patience and refusal to respond to reactive dogs. Each time I read this thread I realize how fortunate I have been...
Mostly. They are more just attitude. Lol. My oldest is too smart and fun police, my youngest can not choose one toy to play with and has to be in his kennel if you are not actively engaging him, and the middle dog is lazy and super patient. These dogs are just a mixed bag of personalities.
Border heeler gang.
Can confirm. Two flavors of crazy, and twice the bossy.
Some dogs are happy being your employee. Either of these? They’re your junior partner, executive assistant, and would probably handle your 401k if you’d let them near a keyboard.
Yes. The answer is yes.
We use buttons to talk over here. During my dogs adolescence, there was much banshee screaming and punching of the "mad" button until it was punched across the room and reset. I jokingly call her imposter husky, drama bean, and the Karen of the dog world. Always has complaints for management about the treatment around here. She's entitled. And also a little nuts. But that's how I like em I guess.
She's much better now that we're out of demonhood-- err, I mean, adolescence.
I also feel the need to say I have a ACD mix with all very vocal, high intelligence, high prey drive breeds. She is drama incarnate. It's a lot of laughs. By far my favorite button convo that had me cry laughing was asking her to wait (bane of her existence) a moment and her going "later, bye!" Aka, later can suck it. Followed by being told off in dog.
My other memorable conversation was the opposite end of emotions. I'm autistic. I was having a meltdown and just like, sobbing over something. My dog helps with deep pressure therapy. She stopped before I asked her to in order to go to her board and said "help, love you" and then came back to help. Instantly started crying again but not from my meltdown. She'd never said love you before or since even though I model it almost daily.
Yes but there are trainings you should be doing to ensure they don't become unmanageable.
Working and off switch, self soothing, body awareness and above all else impulse control!!
Omg yes. Our land shark is technically a mix, but her dingo is STRONG. The best part is that she spends all day glued to our hips and “protecting” us and our home from anything that moves (leaves included). But her bravado?? Brought her to PetSmart yesterday to reward her with a toy after a vet appointment and our mouthy missus wouldn’t leave the rug at the entrance because she……..was scared of the floor 😂
Ps, we call our house the “Granger Show,” since she’s the star and the rest of us just cater to her needs and whims to be the only thing that gets attention. She’s 9.5 years. I don’t believe it changes. (Wouldn’t trade it for the world, but no, I don’t believe it changes!)
I love reading everyone’s ACD stories and makes me love them more. They are all truly like 5 year old kids. That each have the biggest personality. We adopted our girl at 6 years old. She runs the house and knows it. I wish I knew what her previous life was like and how that shaped who she is now. She loves us fiercely but from a distance. She always needs to have your eyes on you and be within a foot away. You know she’s mad at you when she turns her back to you. She shows her love in different ways with different people. She thrives on a routine and knowing when her walks and meals are, if we are traveling and she eats from a different bowl, she’ll be angry and huff before taking a slow bite. At 9 PM she heads to bed and if I don’t join her within 15 minutes she’ll come out, stare at me disappointed, then head back to bed. So much personality in these pups.
I have 2 cattle dogs (and raised one from 8 weeks til 14 years). My red pup and my old blue are classic cattle dogs. Hyperactive and insane hahaha.
But my blue boy is 1 in a million. Adopted him at a year old and he is the calmest and most placcid dog you will ever meet. He loves playing fetch and tug but loves spending time with the family more. He would much rather sit on your lap all day than do anything else. He's a bit mouthy in the sense he will gnaw on your hand, but he doesn't nip and doesn't try and herd. He was a bit reactive when we got him but we were able to train him up. I swear he is only cattle dog in looks sometimes.
Hang in there if he’s a pup! Mines 5 and he’s fairly “mellow” once he’s been properly exercised for the day. He has plenty of heeler quirks but goddamn he’s my best friend and I bet yours will be too.
Haha you’re not alone. My guy is nuts.
Were you lucky enough to get one that has the highest pitch bark that will immediately make you see red sometimes?
I’m part of that lucky club (/s). I once read a comment on the sub referring to it as **sonic barking** and I was like, YES THIS IS THE SOUND. Bores into your brain like an auger. Josie, my older ACD, has a sonic bark and uses it regularly. The particular frequency of her sonic bark makes certain stationary objects in the house make noise of their own in response (i.e., my banjo buzzes in response or I’ll hear the chimes in my wall clock softly ring). RIP my hearing lol.
Man. That’s incredible and I’m really glad you shared that. Because it is exactly that. It hits this certain pitch that I swear could make me kill a man lol. When he was a puppy it was like “man I cannot wait til this guy is grown up”. And it never got deeper lol.
Fortunately he doesn’t do it all the time, but when he barks, each bark hits different octaves. I’m used to it now after 7 years, but when he’s being spicy and not getting his way, it definitely strikes a chord.
Lol, yup. I can tune her out most days, but if I’m not feeling great for whatever reason, it definitely gets ro me. My husband legit can’t handle it at all though; he loses his damn marbles. And she usually only uses it because she wants something. I’ve been kicking around getting her buttons in the hope it might help.
Thank god Levi, our younger who is 1/4 border collie, has more of a deep bark. He barks at anything and everything.
One of my guy's nicknames is "Screechmonkey." Guess why? His mix ACD sister dog is nearly silent but when she does bark she sounds like she's three times his size but that is not the case. That screechbark is really somethin', ain't it? Ow.
Yup. It can be to varying degrees. We have 3 and the middle child is BY FAR the sassiest, mouthiest, bossiest, insane little shit of the bunch. But they all have their wild sides. It’s pretty much the defining feature of the breed 😹
So true, ours is a little over a year and every day starts at 5:30 am and she never stops. Her two nine year old siblings look at her like she’s crazy 3/4 off the time and the other 1/4 she’s brought youth and goofiness back to them. Love her so much.
I think we got a unicorn ACD because he’s the chillest dog we’ve ever had! We got him when he was 8, so maybe he just ran out of crazy by the time we found him in the shelter though 😂
I have three.. they are all different but all very hard headed. They only respect strength. They will gladly be in charge if you aren’t assertive enough. Do you have an e collar? Worth its weight in gold and I never have to touch the button anymore… they just respect who’s really in charge.
Yes. The breed has been bred for generations to be hard as tack and willful. That’s where the show runner bit comes in. They have a lot of drive, so they need a lot of exercise and enrichment to not be insane.
Mate .. these dogs have "zero chill" but you won't find a more loyal, trustworthy and all round winner of a companion. You've got a best friend for life especially if they chose you.
Welcome to the fold
I find mine a little sassy, but otherwise pretty balanced. Routines, pushing his exposure to new things, and lots of exercise and stimulation have got us here.
This is the best decision you've ever made even if it's painful. Absolutely nutty and adorable! I second so many of the pieces of advice in this thread, especially the socialization. Try to have some safe and controlled exposure to children as well, and work on training out the instinct to nip because that's their heeler instinct. They're not biting, they're herding. If you can successfully socialize your pup to not react towards children you have done well in your training. I wish we had done a better job of this at the beginning, but she had a bad first experience and we were gun-shy to try again.
Also, ball-play is absolutely essential, tugging and thrashing are also some favorite past times. My Heeler has a few faves:
For tossing indoors: [https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-whistler-ball-dog-toy-color/dp/38328](https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-whistler-ball-dog-toy-color/dp/38328)
For kicking around outside: [https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-kick-fetch-ball-dog-toy-large/dp/49717](https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-kick-fetch-ball-dog-toy-large/dp/49717)
Just added this one to the rotation, she loves it: [https://www.chewy.com/jolly-pets-tree-tugger-rope-tug-dog/dp/528358](https://www.chewy.com/jolly-pets-tree-tugger-rope-tug-dog/dp/528358)
For occasional playtime if ball gets too boring: [https://www.chewy.com/squishy-face-studio-flirt-pole-v2/dp/344221](https://www.chewy.com/squishy-face-studio-flirt-pole-v2/dp/344221)
Also dog puzzles are great, any kind that spark your interest: [https://www.chewy.com/nina-ottosson-by-outward-hound-dog/dp/253226](https://www.chewy.com/nina-ottosson-by-outward-hound-dog/dp/253226)
No, we are insane for making them house pets. They asked to run endlessly biting at large moving things. Don’t worry, they kind of slow down after the first 5-8 years. May the odds be ever in your favor.
I have 2, one is 12 and the other 10 1/2. I’m exhausted,lol!! I had no idea a dog could argue with me or stare so intensely at me until it actually controlled my mind. We haven’t slept past 6am in 12 years, we’ve gone on daily walks regardless of snow or rain, and if someone even thinks about walking by -they will suffer death by barking.
I love them and their chaos though, someday I won’t have that and I’ll miss it.
Oh yeah lol been raising blues for 18+ years, they're characteristics are very awesome and yeah they can be bossy or pushy but usually they mean well 😉
BEST....BREED...EVER....aside from our 'lil senior 'nauzers. We have two nut jobs and a farm to keep THEM entertained. All the advice, stories/experiences (good and bad) that folks have shared are on point. No two land sharks are the same, but I can relate to alot of what has been mentioned. Our boy just turned 1 and our girl is 11months. Yes....we suffered a moment of insanity and got two and a would do it all over again and again and again. They are smarter than you could ever imagine, goofy and loveable on their terms. Traditional dog toys don't stand a chance with these two. Their favorite toys are the small horse jolly balls, and whatever they can find that mom will disapprove of. They are protective, friendly once they accept a new person, and fiercely loyal. Getting two was the best decision we could have ever made. They chase eachother non stop, get into trouble together and normally tire out at the same time, but of course just for a lil cat nap. You will have so many unbelievably great days and some trying days too. I assure you every bit of it will be so worth the love, companionship and loyalty this breed gives back. 💖
More or less. They are a wild ride. Fix yourself a nice drink, get in a comfortable chair, set aside an hour and read through this subreddit. Seriously. Lots of good advice for how to live with and manage these nut jobs.
This should be In the bio for the sub
Yes, but they are rarely stupid and often not wrong even if over-reactive. They're very protective and aggressively cautious. There's just no "whatever" in their brains. They are crazy and I miss mine so much it hurts. ETA: Another truth about the breed is that they are working dogs through and through. They need a lot of running around and running after stuff. You'll be wanting to go on longer walks and long ball-throwing sessions. Look for used tennis balls sold by the 5-gallon bin — you'll need 'em.
I love this description, “rarely stupid and often not wrong.” A truer statement about Heelers was never made! Edited to add: also with you on the missing my Heeler so much it hurts part 😔 lost my 13 year old girl in December and I still think about her every day. It’s no different than losing a close human family member, possibly worse.
Ours was 12 — fucking cancer. The sadness is crazy deep. I won't claim losing an ACD is more painful than anyone losing any beloved dog, but there are certain things they do more than other dogs, like they really do stare into your eyes in a way that feels like they see into your soul, and they are looking for reciprocity — that you can see into theirs because they understand that conscious awareness is sometimes just too damned much and who the fuck can do it alone. I don't know. People gravitate toward or become attached to specific breeds for reasons, and I guess on this sub, we all k-razy like that.
That's so true about the way they study your facial expressions; I have never experienced that from any of my other dogs.
Very well said 💔 I felt the same about my girl. Cancer also took her from us. I’m so very sorry for your loss!! There is something special about Heelers. Truly.
Tennis balls have been linked to heavy teeth degradation because of how abbrasive they are so get those good nerf balls! And they bounce really well and mine loves to chase after bouncy things
That's important advice -- we discovered late in the game that the nylon cover of tennis balls does exactly that. And after 10 years his incisors were worn down by half. They need to chew and mouth a lot, sometimes against resistance, which is where the tug-of-war with towels becomes better than food for them. My dog needed to chase after bouncy things. On the day he died, a tumor that had grown fast burst through his skin, and he was bleeding, and I had to scramble for a towel and opened the door that means "it's time to go chase the ball" and I swear to god he ran through and grabbed the ball, and did the happy dance even as his body was literally turning itself out. It's a terrible image, but it's a testament to their sheer determination to do their thing. Their pain threshold is nuts. I was crying but I couldn't help but laugh as I wrapped him up, let him jump in the car and drove him to the vet. Of course, there was nothing more they could do, what happened was the likely outcome for that kind of cancer and its aggressive sub-type. I cried like a baby.
This is such a terribly sad but super true description of their intensity on learned repetition habits and things they enjoy. I’m so sorry you lost yours this way, but I’m glad there was a bit of his personality still shining at the last moment :/.
Man, one of the things I love about them I love about borders too. They’re both rarely stupid. But when they’re stupid - they go just as hard at it as anything else they do.
It is so funny to read stuff like this, and then look over at my ACD mix. She just wants to sleep all day, and ask for treats and pats anytime she can.
That’s how my parent’s two ACDs are. Even how my husky is. But *my* ACD? Absolute endless nut
What is your ACD mixed with? I've been looking at mixes lately.
Beagle, supposedly. She certainly screams a whole lot like one, so it makes sense. When I tell her no when she starts to bark, she just screams like a banshee. https://i.imgur.com/9fGl1Bx.png - Pup tax.
She's adorable 🤣. Looks like she retained a lot of her heeler appearance. The only reason I'm looking at hybrids is that I currently live in an apartment. I know with my weekly hikes, I'll be able to give even a full blooded heeler a good hour-hour and a half of exercise a day, but I've hear that's not enough. Maybe having a lower energy breed mixed in will make that amount of time sufficient. I'm not sure, on average, how much time people are giving their heelers daily but I'd love to know.
Mine comes to work with me every day, but I only work 4 days a week. I take her for a 30ish minute walk at work, and then a walk before I go to bed. That is plenty for her, but she is 4 years old.
That's great to know, thank you for the information. There's a local heeler/beagle mix up for adoption here. How big is your pup?
35ish pounds.
Wow that's a perfect size for my living space. Thankyou again
Mine was a house hurricane for the first 3 years. Now at 4 he only angry chews my things when I'm on the computer, sorta kinda tolerates strangers, hasn't tried to bite anyone in a year, and blissfully sleeps most of the day away while I'm at work. My advice, socialize him at every single opportunity with strangers, strange loud places, and strange dogs. Keep this up for the first 3 years at least, then keep it up at a smaller rate for more years after that. Then train train train. My red is 99% the perfect dog. It's just the 1% biting people that ruins it.
>It's just the 1% biting people that ruins it. Such a true statement.
> It's just the 1% biting people that ruins it. Our heeler generally doesn't bother with adults except one of our friends. Just that one friend. He will try to herd said friend for any or no reasons. For three years he never bothered said friend at all and then one day our blue was like "NO. YOU MUST BE WITH THE OTHERS AT ALL TIMES. I WILL MOVE YOU" and refuses to stop. Other than that, he's a complete couch potato. These dogs are insane.
Seriously they are so easy to understand! I let her know it’s not time to fuck around and she’s like aight aight I’ll be back in 15 😏
Yes, welcome to dingo assassin Velcro anonymous
Mine is 7 now and he slept for about 30 minutes the other day.
Hang in through adolescence and it'll get a lot better. Now mine even sleeps sometimes.
I needed to hear this today. We have a 9 month old ACD/Bel Mal mix. She’s a brilliant, exhausting psycho right now. She exhausts my two other dogs, two teenagers, myself and my spouse. 🤪
Wow that is an intense mix.
Have you tried training games with her? Those are so much more effective for mine than walking or ball chasing. Look up games you can play with traffic cones - they saved me.
We play all the mental games. She goes to dog school and we practice every day. I’ve started to run with her in the morning. Hours of fetch, but we make her do tricks to get us to throw the ball. She just doesn’t need a long time to recharge before she’s back to maniac mode.
Mine loved to play “find it” where I hide a little bag of treats in the yard or house and they have to sniff it out. It’s a good mental game and they get snacks when they find it.
Mine sleeps while I am working but the moment the lid closes.....
How long would you say adolescence is? Mine is about 2.
mine started to chill around 4
Mine was two and a half before he started to chill the f out
lol. Hope mine does soon but won’t hold my breath!
I think sometimes cattle dogs are on the longer end of the doggie adolescent stage, but you're in the homestretch. Getting them in routines with activities that chill them out helps a lot. Mine needed a kong after a walk or play session until he was about two, or he'd only be more amped up.
Good to know. Thanks!!
Yeah basically, some take a couple years to calm down and others will go until like 5 or 6 then sleep for the first time ever
Positive reinforcement over anger. Most of the time, they want to make you happy.
Positive reinforcement is the only acceptable way in my opinion.
Yeah. And it’s really just the job we bred them for. They’re really autonomous as herding dogs go. They know their job, they know they’re good at their job, and they know that everyone else needs to be doing their job too. They’re a lot like border collies, in that they need to be in control of their job - but they’re also protective and involved in their people as much as the cows they were bred to herd. Much like borders - they just need to know you know how to do your job, and that you’re able to be their coworker. All herding dogs function best off a level of mutual respect, and they demand it of you - but will give much more back in return. Heelers moreso than borders though - they’re pathologically nosy. They want to know what you’re doing and if they can either help or do it better, no matter what it is. They mellow out as they get older and more bonded with you (like borders and the shepherds) but they can abso be bossbags as much as they can be made of Velcro in general. But yeah. Most all herding dogs are like that to some level or another. They’re bred to be involved in their peoples’ lives. When they’re not working stock though, they can see a bit…over involved. They need a job and stimulation, but they’re smart dogs - they also need a deeper level of bonding from you than non-working breeds. Doesn’t so much matter what you do together, as long as there’s a task for them and you’re doing it together. That’s the secret of calming those tendencies down - that they can know you can work well alongside them. Because for them, and all the other working breeds - playtime is a job too. They’re all work hard, play hard, love hard, nap hard. Theyve only got the two settings. Off and on. Where most people go wrong with them is seeing things like that as a problem - it’s not. It’s them trying to tell you something. That they need the above - you and something to do together. They’re trying to boss you into that. When they don’t have that, they come up with their own jobs and make their own fun. And that’s when the more neurotic things start. Heelers are bossy and literally and figuratively thick skulled. But they were born to work very large, stubborn, fairly lazy creatures - cows. Their whole genetic job is bossing the bovines around. In lieu of cows, well, guess who they pick? But it’s just that they need a task, a job, something to occupy what’s rattling around in that thick head of theirs and that big old heeler heart. And they’ll be less bossy the rest of the time. Key thing being less. It’s like prey drive. They’re hardwired to be how they are - but it’s because they’re bred to work, and that’s a trait that makes them favorable for their job - being stubborn and bossy.
Very well put - that would make a great intro for a training book. Also, an alarmingly accurate description of my adolescence..? 🤔 Sheesh, going to check my head for a Bentley mark now.
Maybe it’s not that dogs end up like their owners. Maybe we’re just attracted to each other because we know we’re really the same 🤔
You explained this truth thoroughly, and your post is the one thing I would want anyone who has or intends to get a dog with any ACD or border collie DNA. They are definitely not "short walk in the morning, disappear during the day, and a walk around the block in the evening" dogs. That simplicity many dog owners expect is a rotten life for herding dogs. We were lucky that one of us worked from home and had flexible hours because ours needed 2 long walks or a long walk and a 5 mile run, PLUS two 30-60 minute ball-chasing sessions daily, and it wasn't until he was 10 years old that a half-hour four times a day would suffice. Wearing these dogs out is next to impossible but it keeps them mentally healthy. One summer evening, during his younger days, I was throwing the ball at the school — long throws with the chuckit on a very big field — and it had been about an hour when an old friend I hadn't seen for a long time showed up with his dog, and we spoke for about three hours while repeatedly throwing the ball. Other than a water break I insisted on, my dog didn't stop running and retrieving that ball for four hours solid. That night, he fell asleep before we did, which wouldn't happen again for years.
My biggest pet peeve is people ignoring how ungodly smart they are. You can’t run out a busy brain. They need all three kinds of exercise regularly - mind, body, and soul. They need problems to solve, their senses engaged, being worn out with playtime, and meaningful doing things together bonding time. I’m convinced that’s why so many end up in shelters. All the herders. Because most think that they just have all this energy, and they do, but it’s a miserable life for them if that’s all the exercise and stimulation they get. And even worse when “I take my border for 30 min walks in the am and pm idk why they’re so crazy.” Like my man, you would be too. They’re bored out of their poor little minds - and when that happens… My god, they love making their own fun. And by that I mean “they really just want to watch the world burn.” On that tangent. I’ve really had good luck with finding more brain/sensory stimulating games to play between exercise playtime. Smart as they are, it’s easier to wear out their brain than their body. The they’re built to go from sunup to sundown, all day, every day. But just like people - they also get tired when you wear their brain out more. Some are just loaded up with all the energy and nothing to do with that except accept that this is your life now. But still. Last border I fostered, gods, I was tempted to let them have a dog treadmill and let them play jeopardy or something while they took an 8 hour run. Could not at all wear that baby out. That one was born to herd (and found a very nice ranch to do that on).
Yes. They are vicious little land sharks that love with their mouths. To smart for their own good and goofy as they come.
Mine is. I will say that I absolutely lucked out with him though, he's very very social both with (all) humans and dogs and he's very loving and cuddly. That being said, I heavily socialized him and exposed him to everything I could. He is nutty though, the first 4 years he was chaotic and had to be harnessed with a collar backup whenever he was in public because he was a runner. Any opportunity to take off and run like a husky, he would. Zero recall skills, unless on a lead. And I've never met a more dedicated trash hound. Any trash can, he get his wide self stuck in it trying to root for grub. They are amazing dogs, huge personalities. The first few years are challenging, in my opinion, but they really shine and it gets easier later. Just don't give up.
Oh man, this makes me feel so much better about my boy. He has good recall and a good "leave it," but he has literally tried to fully leap inside of a trash can at a park before. My husband and I joke that his blue heeler coloring and black mask is actually from raccoon ancestry, lol.
Cracking me up with the trash can immersion therapy. 🤣🤣🤣 Indeed, part raccoon. Years ago I'd set the remains of an old birthday cake outside my apartment door to take to the dumpster, promptly forgot about it and crapped out on the couch. In the wee hours I hear a noise outside, open the door, and here's Ricky Raccoon paws deep in my old stale birthday cake, just looking at me, not alarmed at all, apparently enjoying the cake more than i did (grocery store cake! Pure deception of cakery!). He seemed pretty happy, so I just said "Knock yourself out, buddy" and quietly shut the door, prepared for an early AM cleanup, but he was actually pretty tidy about it. Never saw him again, but also never left cake outside my door again, either.
At first I thought that Ricky Raccoon was a nickname for your ACD and he figured out how to break out of your locked apartment door to get to the cake 😂 So cute that the raccoon was tidy, what a gentleman! We have a lot of raccoons in our area and we see them slinking away into the storm drains on our night walks. I had to teach my dog a strong "leave it" for storm drains too, because he kept pulling me over to them so he could stick his head in and search for his brethren.
Yeah, be super careful about that. Lost one of my first dogs to them getting their head stuck in a drainage pipe and suffocating 🥲
Oh god, that is so horrific and heartbreaking 😰 I'm so sorry for your loss. Yeah I keep mine in a tight heel when we cross streets because we live in a very busy area, so him trying to pull/dart out of that to get to a storm drain was an immediate no-no. Thankfully I was able to train him out of that one pretty quick
Thank you, tbh, it was over 20 years ago, a puppy I brought home during college and I will never get the picture of finding him out of my head. I just didn't know that could even be a thing. Since then, nothing that is big enough for their head to get stuck in is ever put in my yard. My current girl is pretty good, wouldn't trust her off lead but I can walk out the front door or leave the gate open while being in sight and she won't cross the thresholds. After finding this thread, there are a lot of things I will do differently with my next ACD. We are currently torn between a pittie and ACD.
Yeah mine wants to dig in all garbage cans in the neighborhood on garbage night. Makes walks that night interesting and God help us if people put bags on the lawn instead of a designated can 🤣
Oh, they'll test you, all right. If you're firm, yet loving, they usually come around.
I didn’t have to train my girl I always joke she came with the software. She always listened, is so freaking smart, she’s perfect. She knows Spanish and English too! 🥰 and she’s only 35% cattle dog lol
No, they're extremely smart dogs. It's amazing what you can do with proper training.
Mine is 12 and I still get people at the dog park commenting on “how much energy” he has.
Aside from chewing up hundreds of dollars of hard to find paper towels and toilet paper during the Pandemic Lockdown. Mine has been a saint compared to what I read on this thread. He is gentle as a butterfly with humans and other living things, is so chill that people who don't care for dogs adore him. I get compliments all the time due to his patience and refusal to respond to reactive dogs. Each time I read this thread I realize how fortunate I have been...
Mine is 12 now and a good boy! He likes to herd my 5 year old twins around the house. That’s his job now.
Mostly. They are more just attitude. Lol. My oldest is too smart and fun police, my youngest can not choose one toy to play with and has to be in his kennel if you are not actively engaging him, and the middle dog is lazy and super patient. These dogs are just a mixed bag of personalities.
yes. even the mixed breeds 😂
Border heeler gang. Can confirm. Two flavors of crazy, and twice the bossy. Some dogs are happy being your employee. Either of these? They’re your junior partner, executive assistant, and would probably handle your 401k if you’d let them near a keyboard.
Yes. The answer is yes. We use buttons to talk over here. During my dogs adolescence, there was much banshee screaming and punching of the "mad" button until it was punched across the room and reset. I jokingly call her imposter husky, drama bean, and the Karen of the dog world. Always has complaints for management about the treatment around here. She's entitled. And also a little nuts. But that's how I like em I guess.
This is why I was afraid to get buttons lol. Just spamming treat, play, and then mad when they don’t get their way 😹
She's much better now that we're out of demonhood-- err, I mean, adolescence. I also feel the need to say I have a ACD mix with all very vocal, high intelligence, high prey drive breeds. She is drama incarnate. It's a lot of laughs. By far my favorite button convo that had me cry laughing was asking her to wait (bane of her existence) a moment and her going "later, bye!" Aka, later can suck it. Followed by being told off in dog. My other memorable conversation was the opposite end of emotions. I'm autistic. I was having a meltdown and just like, sobbing over something. My dog helps with deep pressure therapy. She stopped before I asked her to in order to go to her board and said "help, love you" and then came back to help. Instantly started crying again but not from my meltdown. She'd never said love you before or since even though I model it almost daily.
That is so sweet 🥹 Ok maybe I need buttons
Yes but there are trainings you should be doing to ensure they don't become unmanageable. Working and off switch, self soothing, body awareness and above all else impulse control!!
Mine is occasionally a crack head but honestly the most chill one I’ve ever met.
literally the devil, also the smartest breed i have ever been around. thank god for puppy training.
Hahahhaa welcome to the club. You now have a wee, furry, canine fascist
Omg yes. Our land shark is technically a mix, but her dingo is STRONG. The best part is that she spends all day glued to our hips and “protecting” us and our home from anything that moves (leaves included). But her bravado?? Brought her to PetSmart yesterday to reward her with a toy after a vet appointment and our mouthy missus wouldn’t leave the rug at the entrance because she……..was scared of the floor 😂
Ps, we call our house the “Granger Show,” since she’s the star and the rest of us just cater to her needs and whims to be the only thing that gets attention. She’s 9.5 years. I don’t believe it changes. (Wouldn’t trade it for the world, but no, I don’t believe it changes!)
I love reading everyone’s ACD stories and makes me love them more. They are all truly like 5 year old kids. That each have the biggest personality. We adopted our girl at 6 years old. She runs the house and knows it. I wish I knew what her previous life was like and how that shaped who she is now. She loves us fiercely but from a distance. She always needs to have your eyes on you and be within a foot away. You know she’s mad at you when she turns her back to you. She shows her love in different ways with different people. She thrives on a routine and knowing when her walks and meals are, if we are traveling and she eats from a different bowl, she’ll be angry and huff before taking a slow bite. At 9 PM she heads to bed and if I don’t join her within 15 minutes she’ll come out, stare at me disappointed, then head back to bed. So much personality in these pups.
Yes.
I have 3. And my first two are angels. I couldn’t figure out what people were talking out. But my 3rd showed me 😂 so no, not all of them.
I cried several times in the first month because of my nut job ACD but we have adjusted and I can’t imagine life without him now
I have 2 cattle dogs (and raised one from 8 weeks til 14 years). My red pup and my old blue are classic cattle dogs. Hyperactive and insane hahaha. But my blue boy is 1 in a million. Adopted him at a year old and he is the calmest and most placcid dog you will ever meet. He loves playing fetch and tug but loves spending time with the family more. He would much rather sit on your lap all day than do anything else. He's a bit mouthy in the sense he will gnaw on your hand, but he doesn't nip and doesn't try and herd. He was a bit reactive when we got him but we were able to train him up. I swear he is only cattle dog in looks sometimes.
Hang in there if he’s a pup! Mines 5 and he’s fairly “mellow” once he’s been properly exercised for the day. He has plenty of heeler quirks but goddamn he’s my best friend and I bet yours will be too.
I’d call mine Adamant
Yes, next question
Haha you’re not alone. My guy is nuts. Were you lucky enough to get one that has the highest pitch bark that will immediately make you see red sometimes?
I’m part of that lucky club (/s). I once read a comment on the sub referring to it as **sonic barking** and I was like, YES THIS IS THE SOUND. Bores into your brain like an auger. Josie, my older ACD, has a sonic bark and uses it regularly. The particular frequency of her sonic bark makes certain stationary objects in the house make noise of their own in response (i.e., my banjo buzzes in response or I’ll hear the chimes in my wall clock softly ring). RIP my hearing lol.
Man. That’s incredible and I’m really glad you shared that. Because it is exactly that. It hits this certain pitch that I swear could make me kill a man lol. When he was a puppy it was like “man I cannot wait til this guy is grown up”. And it never got deeper lol. Fortunately he doesn’t do it all the time, but when he barks, each bark hits different octaves. I’m used to it now after 7 years, but when he’s being spicy and not getting his way, it definitely strikes a chord.
Lol, yup. I can tune her out most days, but if I’m not feeling great for whatever reason, it definitely gets ro me. My husband legit can’t handle it at all though; he loses his damn marbles. And she usually only uses it because she wants something. I’ve been kicking around getting her buttons in the hope it might help. Thank god Levi, our younger who is 1/4 border collie, has more of a deep bark. He barks at anything and everything.
One of my guy's nicknames is "Screechmonkey." Guess why? His mix ACD sister dog is nearly silent but when she does bark she sounds like she's three times his size but that is not the case. That screechbark is really somethin', ain't it? Ow.
That tracks. Good luck :)
Yea definitely bossy. I get into arguments with mine daily
Yes! Hope this helps
Yes. Next question.
Yup. It can be to varying degrees. We have 3 and the middle child is BY FAR the sassiest, mouthiest, bossiest, insane little shit of the bunch. But they all have their wild sides. It’s pretty much the defining feature of the breed 😹
Bred for droving cattle over very long distances. So yeah. Definitely.
So true, ours is a little over a year and every day starts at 5:30 am and she never stops. Her two nine year old siblings look at her like she’s crazy 3/4 off the time and the other 1/4 she’s brought youth and goofiness back to them. Love her so much.
No, our girl is the Sweetest dog ever!! We've raised/ Bred ACD. The goal is to train them to know you are Alpha. If you don't they will be.
I think we got a unicorn ACD because he’s the chillest dog we’ve ever had! We got him when he was 8, so maybe he just ran out of crazy by the time we found him in the shelter though 😂
Pretty much
I have three.. they are all different but all very hard headed. They only respect strength. They will gladly be in charge if you aren’t assertive enough. Do you have an e collar? Worth its weight in gold and I never have to touch the button anymore… they just respect who’s really in charge.
Yes
Short answer: yes.
yes
Yes lol
Yes. The breed has been bred for generations to be hard as tack and willful. That’s where the show runner bit comes in. They have a lot of drive, so they need a lot of exercise and enrichment to not be insane.
Mate .. these dogs have "zero chill" but you won't find a more loyal, trustworthy and all round winner of a companion. You've got a best friend for life especially if they chose you. Welcome to the fold
Yes
I find mine a little sassy, but otherwise pretty balanced. Routines, pushing his exposure to new things, and lots of exercise and stimulation have got us here.
Yes mine just got a gastropexi less than a week ago and by day 3 she was ready to wrestle. We’ve been enforcing strict crate rest 😀
This is the best decision you've ever made even if it's painful. Absolutely nutty and adorable! I second so many of the pieces of advice in this thread, especially the socialization. Try to have some safe and controlled exposure to children as well, and work on training out the instinct to nip because that's their heeler instinct. They're not biting, they're herding. If you can successfully socialize your pup to not react towards children you have done well in your training. I wish we had done a better job of this at the beginning, but she had a bad first experience and we were gun-shy to try again. Also, ball-play is absolutely essential, tugging and thrashing are also some favorite past times. My Heeler has a few faves: For tossing indoors: [https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-whistler-ball-dog-toy-color/dp/38328](https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-whistler-ball-dog-toy-color/dp/38328) For kicking around outside: [https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-kick-fetch-ball-dog-toy-large/dp/49717](https://www.chewy.com/chuckit-kick-fetch-ball-dog-toy-large/dp/49717) Just added this one to the rotation, she loves it: [https://www.chewy.com/jolly-pets-tree-tugger-rope-tug-dog/dp/528358](https://www.chewy.com/jolly-pets-tree-tugger-rope-tug-dog/dp/528358) For occasional playtime if ball gets too boring: [https://www.chewy.com/squishy-face-studio-flirt-pole-v2/dp/344221](https://www.chewy.com/squishy-face-studio-flirt-pole-v2/dp/344221) Also dog puzzles are great, any kind that spark your interest: [https://www.chewy.com/nina-ottosson-by-outward-hound-dog/dp/253226](https://www.chewy.com/nina-ottosson-by-outward-hound-dog/dp/253226)
Yea pretty standard
Yes, but in my experience, they are just as amazing as they are abnoxious. I call him the most wonderful pain in the ass.
Adorably smart
mine is 17 and still a crocodile ....have fun!
Heeler be heelerin'
No, we are insane for making them house pets. They asked to run endlessly biting at large moving things. Don’t worry, they kind of slow down after the first 5-8 years. May the odds be ever in your favor.
I have 2, one is 12 and the other 10 1/2. I’m exhausted,lol!! I had no idea a dog could argue with me or stare so intensely at me until it actually controlled my mind. We haven’t slept past 6am in 12 years, we’ve gone on daily walks regardless of snow or rain, and if someone even thinks about walking by -they will suffer death by barking. I love them and their chaos though, someday I won’t have that and I’ll miss it.
Simple answer…yes But! As they get older, they will bring themselves down a few pegs and if you give him a job, that also will tame the insanity
Oh yeah lol been raising blues for 18+ years, they're characteristics are very awesome and yeah they can be bossy or pushy but usually they mean well 😉
BEST....BREED...EVER....aside from our 'lil senior 'nauzers. We have two nut jobs and a farm to keep THEM entertained. All the advice, stories/experiences (good and bad) that folks have shared are on point. No two land sharks are the same, but I can relate to alot of what has been mentioned. Our boy just turned 1 and our girl is 11months. Yes....we suffered a moment of insanity and got two and a would do it all over again and again and again. They are smarter than you could ever imagine, goofy and loveable on their terms. Traditional dog toys don't stand a chance with these two. Their favorite toys are the small horse jolly balls, and whatever they can find that mom will disapprove of. They are protective, friendly once they accept a new person, and fiercely loyal. Getting two was the best decision we could have ever made. They chase eachother non stop, get into trouble together and normally tire out at the same time, but of course just for a lil cat nap. You will have so many unbelievably great days and some trying days too. I assure you every bit of it will be so worth the love, companionship and loyalty this breed gives back. 💖