The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Dogs have always remained the center of attraction for most of the people. Many people are crazy lovers of dogs and some treat them as a part of their family.

There are countless breeds of dogs in the entire world. All of the breeds have distinctive features and aspects that make them famous and loveable amongst the people.

One of the dog breeds is the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. It stands out amongst its fellow dogs for the reason of lacking a long tail. It has a quite small, non-existent, and undocked tail. But generally, it is a super active and vigilant dog that will take care of a herd at its best.

Let’s learn about Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog in detail.

THE AUSTRALIAN STUMPY TAIL CATTLE DOG

Contents

About Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

This bob-tailed breed of cattle dog is a descendant of wild dingoes that originated from Australia in the late 19th century. It is known by several nicknames like Stumpy, Stumpy Tail, and Heelers, etc.

These are the purebred dogs who are more alert when it comes in contact with a stranger or any unfavorable condition.

These are active, alert, and intelligent dogs with a lot of energy to be executed. It is safer to keep a Stumpy Tail Dog in your home with older children. Try making a fence around the yard in which you want to keep it.

Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle dog is said to be the oldest dog breed of Australia. Researchers believe that it came into existence as a result of the crossbreed of the wild dingo with the sheepdog in the late or mid-’90s.

American Kennel Club has recently recognized this breed and made it a part of their Foundation Stock Service.

History of Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

The origins of Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog are still confusing and not yet confirmed. It is said that this is the oldest known dog breed that originated and is native to Australia.

It is believed by the researchers that somewhere in the 18th century, the British Colonists crossbred their herding dogs with the wild dingoes. The reason behind this crossbreed was to sustain the life of sheepdog that they had bought along with them in the heat of Australia. So, this crossbreed was aimed to use the protective coat of dingoes and herding skills of the sheepdog to create a new breed.

This crossbreed resulted in two similar breeds, Australian Cattle Dog and Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog.

At the end of the 19th century, the Stumpy Tail breed became extinct. In 1988, the Australian Kennel Club was formed to preserve this breed. Later in 2005, Federation Cynologique International and, United Kennel Club in 2010 recognized the breed as the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. Recently. American Kennel Club has made this breed a part of the Foundation Stock Service as a gesture of recognition.

The personality of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

The lovers of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog state that it is a loyal, watchful, loving, obedient, and hardworking dog. Like other dog breeds, it doesn’t get much attached and affectionate with its owner and doesn’t love to cuddle all the time. Instead of sitting in the lap, it loves to take naps on the floor.

But it doesn’t mean that it has weak ties with its owner. It shows its love and affection by protecting its owner and his belongings.

Nowadays, this breed is not much used for herding on the farms. It leaves the dogs with a lot of physical energy and mental stamina to be used. The owner has to think ways to keep it engaged in several activities to prevent it from getting into destructive habits.

Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is not very aggressive until it has to protect you from a stranger or any kind of danger.

Health Care of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Generally, Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is a healthy breed of dog. They are of medium height and smart-looking dogs. However, they can get into trouble and catch diseases like deafness, eye issue, hip dysplasia, etc.

Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is also prone to weight gain. Regular veterinary checkups can help you keep an eye on the health of your Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. The vet is going to give you some suggestion to take care of your Cattle Dog like:

  • Take your dog for a 2 to 3 hours walk daily. It will help to control the weight gain and will keep the dog active.
  • Provide active play sessions and running area to your dog.
  • It has short dense hair that looks great after weekly grooming.
  • Check the ears and clean them daily. The debris and pests can affect the health of your dog.
  • Trim the nails weekly or whenever you feel them getting too long and dirty.
  • For oral health, brush their teeth regularly.
  • It needs to be bathed only twice a year. Over bathing can cause skin irritation, itching and can change the coat texture.
  • It sheds heavily twice a year. Groom it daily during shedding so that the hair under the coat properly grow out.

Physical Needs of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is very active and needs a lot of space to run and play. This makes it unsuitable for the apartment area or small yards. Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog has a strong herding instinct and if it is not used for herding, it becomes unhappy and furious and can start herding other pets and children. It is necessary to keep it engaged in physical activities like running, fetching, etc. to utilize its energy.

The adaptability of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

The coat of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog protects from harsh weather conditions. But it doesn’t mean that you can leave your dog to face harsh weather conditions whether hot or cold.

It needs an owner with leadership qualities to get trained. It adapts easily to the new family and understands its position and role within the family after continuous training.

Stumpy Tail loves to live with a family and cannot survive alone and abandoned.

Feeding of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog tends to gain weight and to have extra energy levels. Due to this, they need a proper diet so that they do not put on so much weight, remain active and their energy levels also get satisfied. It is preferred to feed a Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog twice a day.

2 cups of high-quality dog food mixed with water, canned food, or broth provide the best nutrition to the Stumpy Tail. A high energy food without GMO grains is also considered as a good food item for these dogs.

For a growing Stumpy Tail, you can contact a veterinary and about the changing requirements of a growing dog.

Breeding Cycle of Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

As Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is not an original breed. It is a crossbreed of Dingo and sheepdog. Therefore, its breeding cycle will depend on either dingo or the sheepdog.

As far as the breeding cycle of Dingo is concerned, it breeds only once a year, between March and June. The gestation period is of about 9 weeks (approx. 2 and a half months) and results in 4 to 6 pups.

Life Span and Growing Cycle 

The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is said to have a life span of about 10 to 13 years approximately.

At the age of 6 months, when the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog grows from a baby to a young one, it weighs about 21 lbs. with a height of 15 inches. At the age of 12 months, the young one transforms into the senior dog and grows to 18 inches with 35 lbs. weight. In the 18th month, where a Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog becomes an adult, it reaches the height of 20 inches and gains weight up to 45 lbs.

Coat and Colors 

The most common and possible coat colors in which Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog appears are red, tan, and blue with speckles and merle patterns.

The dog has a dual coat of hair where the texture of the hair is straight. The outer coat is protective, short, and dense while the inner or undercoat is soft, dense, and short. This double coat suggests that Stumpy Tail is a shedder.

This double coat protects against the harsh weather conditions.

Friendliness Level

Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog like other dogs craves for family and cannot live alone. If left alone, they get sick.

They usually feel good with children and other pets but due to the herding instinct, they start herding anything they found. In this case, children must be well trained before letting them play with Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog and never leave children alone with it.

The dog is neither very aggressive nor does it show too much love for its owner by kissing and cuddling. But it is very loyal and shows it by protecting its owner from the strangers.

Aamir Iqbal

Aamir Iqbal

Aamir is crazy for pets, but not the traditional ones… In fact, he enjoys chilling with cold-blooded reptiles. He loves adding reptiles and amphibians, whom he terms as his family. His local community calls him, Amir the Beast Boy!

About Me

Aamir Iqbal, the devoted owner of PetsBeast blog website, has an extraordinary bond with animals. His deep affection and attachment to furry companions inspire him to share invaluable insights and create a loving community.

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