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Australian Cattle Dog
Breed Standard
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Australian
Cattle Dog
Herding Group
Breed Standard
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
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