breedstandard

Australian Cattle Dog Breed Standard
Herding Group

General Appearance
The general appearance is that of a strong compact, symmetrically built working dog, with the
ability and willingness to carry out his allotted task however arduous. Its combination of
substance, power, balance and hard muscular condition must convey the impression of great
agility, strength and endurance. Any tendency to grossness or weediness is a serious fault.

Characteristics
As the name implies the dog's prime function, and one in which he has no peer, is the control
and movement of cattle in both wide open and confined areas. Always alert, extremely
intelligent, watchful, courageous and trustworthy, with an implicit devotion to duty making it an
ideal dog.

Temperament
The Cattle Dog's loyalty and protective instincts make it a self-appointed guardian to the
Stockman, his herd and his property. Whilst naturally suspicious of strangers, must be
amenable to handling, particularly in the Show ring. Any feature of temperament or structure
foreign to a working dog must be regarded as a serious fault.

Head and Skull
The head is strong and must be in balance with other proportions of the dog and in keeping
with its general conformation. The broad skull is slightly curved between the ears, flattening
to a slight but definite stop. The cheeks muscular, neither coarse nor prominent with the
underjaw strong, deep and well developed. The foreface is broad and well filled in under the
eyes, tapering gradually to form a medium length, deep, powerful muzzle with the skull and
muzzle on parallel planes. The lips are tight and clean. Nose black.

Eyes
The eyes should be of oval shape and medium size, neither prominent nor sunken and must
express alertness and intelligence. A warning or suspicious glint is characteristic when
approached by strangers. Eye color, dark brown.

Ears
The ears should be of moderate size, preferably small rather than large, broad at the base,
muscular, pricked and moderately pointed neither spoon nor bat eared. The ears are set wide
apart on the skull, inclining outwards, sensitive in their use and pricked when alert, the leather
should be thick in texture and the inside of the ear fairly well furnished with hair.

Mouth
The teeth, sound, strong and evenly spaced, gripping with a scissor-bite, the lower incisors
close behind and just touching the upper. As the dog is required to move difficult cattle by
heeling or biting, teeth which are sound and strong are very important.

Neck
The neck is extremely strong, muscular, and of medium length broadening to blend into the
body and free from throatiness.

Forequarters
The shoulders are strong, sloping, muscular and well angulated to the upper arm and should not
be too closely set at the point of the withers. The forelegs have strong, round bone,
extending to the feet and should be straight and parallel when viewed from the front, but the
pasterns should show flexibility with a slight angle to the forearm when viewed from the side.
Although the shoulders are muscular and the bone is strong, loaded shoulders and heavy fronts
will hamper correct movement and limit working ability.

Body
The length of the body from the point of the breast bone, in a straight line to the buttocks,
is greater than the height at the withers, as 10 is to 9. The topline is level, back strong with
ribs well sprung and carried well back not barrel ribbed. The chest is deep, muscular and
moderately broad with the loins broad, strong and muscular and the flanks deep. The dog is
strongly coupled.

Hindquarters
The hindquarters are broad, strong and muscular. The croup is rather long and sloping, thighs
long, broad and well developed, the stifles well turned and the hocks strong and well let down.
When viewed from behind, the hind legs, from the hocks to the feet, are straight and placed
parallel, neither close nor too wide apart.

Feet
The feet should be round and the toes short, strong, well arched and held close together. The
pads are hard and deep, and the nails must be short and strong.

Tail
The set on of tail is moderately low, following the contours of the sloping croup and of length
to reach approximately to the hock. At rest it should hang in a very slight curve. During
movement or excitement the tail may be raised, but under no circumstances should any part of
the tail be carried past a vertical line drawn through the root. The tail should carry a good
brush.

Gait/Movement
The action is true, free, supple and tireless and the movement of the shoulders and forelegs is
in unison with the powerful thrust of the hindquarters. The capability of quick and sudden
movement is essential. Soundness is of paramount importance and stiltiness, loaded or slack
shoulders, straight shoulder placement, weakness at elbows, pasterns or feet, straight stifles,
cow or bow hocks, must be regarded as serious faults. When trotting the feet tend to come
closer together at ground level as speed increases, but when the dog comes to rest he should
stand four square.

Coat
The coat is smooth, a double coat with a short dense undercoat. The outer-coat is close, each
hair straight, hard, and lying flat, so that it is rain-resisting. Under the body, to behind the
legs, the coat is longer and forms near the thigh a mild form of breeching. On the head
(including the inside of the ears), to the front of the legs and feet, the hair is short. Along
the neck it is longer and thicker. A coat either too long or too short is a fault. As an
average, the hairs on the body should be from 2.5 to 4 cms (approx. 1-1.5 ins) in length.

Color (Blue)
The color should be blue, blue-mottled or blue speckled with or without other markings. The
permissible markings are black, blue or tan markings on the head, evenly distributed for
preference. The forelegs tan midway up the legs and extending up the front to breast and
throat, with tan on jaws; the hindquarters tan on inside of hindlegs, and inside of thighs,
showing down the front of the stifles and broadening out to the outside of the hindlegs from
hock to toes. Tan undercoat is permissible on the body providing it does not show through the
blue outer coat. Black markings on the body are not desirable.

Color (Red Speckle)
The color should be of good even red speckle all over, including the undercoat, (neither white
nor cream), with or without darker red markings on the head. Even head markings are
desirable. Red markings on the body are permissible but not desirable.

Size
Height:
Dogs 46-51 cms (approx. 18-20 ins) at withers
Bitches 43-48 cms (approx. 17-19 ins) at withers

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with
which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Approved: January 11, 1999
Effective: February 24, 1999