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I have an aussy/ blue heeler mix pup and i cannot seem to...

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Answer by Kefra
Submitted on 10/5/2003
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I have a 6 year old blue heeler and a 1 year old blue heeler. Both of them have NEVER chewed on anything but rawhide bone and their own toys. They both have had ropes and bones to chew on since they were 8 weeks old. They were also crate trained and walked everyday starting at one mile a day since they were 3 months old. Heelers are cattle dogs. They need to run a lot and they have a lot of energy! Both of my girls go to the farm with me in the morning and run with horses and then walk 4 miles a night. They still have a lot of energy, but you have to remember give these puppies a job! They need to do something. Agility training is a good form of energy release for them. My girls will do anything I ask of them at anytime, because they have jobs!

Answer by Beblee
Submitted on 10/10/2003
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We have a lab/blue healer mix and she was a chewer too! As for Lilly's hand biting problem, push your hand to the back of her mouth - not so that it hurts, but so she can't chomp down. Hold it there until she is frustrated. Do it every time she bites your hands while you tell her no. It should cure her in a couple weeks since it will be an unpleasant experience to bite hands. Our dog will be two in November and she is the coolest dog I have ever met, but she does herd everything - kids and cats mostly. She does require a twice a day play time. Sometimes that is following after husband and kids on a long skate, sometimes an hour playing ball out back. The chewing thing is way over except for the 'approved' chew items (anything we've thrown for her to fetch). We've learned to keep frisbees out of reach unless its play time!

Answer by ramlillie
Submitted on 11/21/2003
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The ACD or heeler as many of us call them were bred as an alternative to other herding breeds. The main difference between ACDs and other breeds are that when they go to nip at the ankles they lay almost comletely flat to avoid being kicked. All this is natural and quite amazing actually. I have been around these dogs all my life and have a few myself. They are extremely loyal and have an incredible personality. Everyone that is thinking about getting an ACD needs to understand they are working dogs and were meant to be able to keep the work up all day long. Trust me after they go like that for hours, they eventually lay down and will sleep until the morning. I couldn't ask for better companions. As far as the biting though, it's in their genes. Mine love to chase me around the room and "heel" me. The only time mine ever decide to chew a shoe or anything they're not supposed to is when I've been away for a couple days. However they are lucky and get to go with me almost everywhere. Be patient with them. They will love you til the end. Good luck. P.S. Mine love to swim and it wears them out. They also like the boat and fishing.

Answer by Rainie&Luna
Submitted on 1/4/2004
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I have a 5mo. Aussie/Heeler & yes they are very active. Biting is her job not her hobbie! Even though they say Blue Heelers aren't as social as other dogs all dogs are social. I have found that time outs for Luna have really curbed bad behavior. See when I trained her I taught her the word NO first and formost. So when I came home and my $200- loafers when destroyed I told her no biting, bad biting &locked her in the bathroom for an hour. See normally when I get home we would go out side play & poty... This really got her attention because she was ousted from the pack. I have also found that her little love bites hurt so I started biting her back! These dogs are smart! It took 2 weeks and her biting had stopped by 95%! They make great dogs but, you have to be very firm and consistent. We also have 4 different kinds of rope toys and that is all she is allowed to bite!

Answer by Rainie&Luna
Submitted on 1/10/2004
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Your puppy will never stop biting/chewing...it's part his breed but, you can get a few books on the history of dogs and how they work in packs and train him well! Luna is 5 months old and her time outs are in a dark small room ( like a bathroom) for 15 minutes. I found that she gets distracted outside and won't concentrate on her punishment. It is really helpful to use the same words with her. She knows what biting is and what bad biting is because we are consistent with her communication. We also praise her every time we see her biting her toys! They love being accepted and are always wanting to please! Sometimes with dogs the more you praise them the quicker you see results! And our dogs do not like being away from the pack! It could be worse you could have a poodle and have to clean up pee spots any time one of your friends come over!

Answer by new to heelers
Submitted on 2/8/2004
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i'veread all your messages and it's really interesting since i'vepuzzled out all these questions in the 6months i'vehad jasper. i adopted him at 7 months from animal rescue. i'vehad dominant dogs before and did traditional training with them but after getting jasper and his happy personality i wanted training to not curb his happiness. clicker training has helped me enjoy training as much as jasper. he does need control and when he starts to get too big for his britches i do things like no couch or in his crate(not punishment-time out) the biting i stopped by one no and then no eye or physical contact. this helped because he wants to be velcroed to me. it takes time but be patient. i worried when i first got him that he was smarter than me but then i learned his need to please was my ace in the hole. at first he hated fetch but then i figured out he hates the texture of tennis balls and tried other sizes and textures. we're starting agility and since he lives for food he's loving it. advice--be commited to training, only use the commands once the demand response, patience, consistency in your expectations, try different approaches if one isn't working. my dog cannot be physically punished one light spank and he acts out worse, not recommended, they're too smart and too sensitive. as you can tell i'min love with my dog. heelers aren't a first dog dog and i would never recommend my dog to families with kids but that's jasper. good luck all.

Answer by Tracy S. from OH
Submitted on 2/19/2004
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This is for Charli, Your sweet baby knows you love her and adores your affection, but as most of the others have said, she needs to "work", needs MUCH to do or the boredom sets in, sooooo...she's gonna chew. My ACD/Blue Heeler will turn 2 in June, her name is Dusty, and she's a chewer also.Her last chewing episode was (EEEEWWW) the dirty cat litter! and also the new bag of charcoal. We got her from a truck driver who spent more time on the road than at home. Dusty was "pen kept", but not abused in any way. He knew he couldn't keep her, so we bought her when she was about 9 months old. We also have a Yorkshire Terrior and they play GREAT together believe it or not. We have a good bit of property, but it's not a "working" area for her to do her thing, so we have had to think up things for Dusty to do with her energy. She loves the game of fetch, and she will fetch and retrieve anything. She likes tennis balls, footballs, plastic 2 liter bottles, plastic dog dishes, frisbees, a thick mans leather glove(great for tug games with us and the other dog)...you name it. BUT, come warm weather NOTHING takes the place of "water". You tell her to find the water and she goes straight for the hose and barks at it. Sure, it may be expensive for a few folks to run water just for play, but man, it's great to watch her and she absolutely loves this! She even bites the water!! :) She'll chase the stream of water all over the place. Then for a twist, she likes this just as well: I bought a cheap dollar store water sprinkler that attaches to the hose and has 5 or 6 water settings. Set it down, turn it on and she chases it back and forth and has a ball.She never tires of doing this and makes a fuss until you turn it on for her. The neighbors even stop over to watch her! Wash your car...and she's right there in the water. And the great thing about it is that their coat is waterproof, no soggy doggy in the house! :) So while you are unable to run with her, you can play the fetch game and turn her loose in the garden hose/sprinkler for awhile. Trust me, it'll wear her out. As far as her being bad while you are gone, if you can, put her in an area that will be "hers" while you are out and fill it with "her" things, like pig ears, rawhide, balls, rope toys and other gadgets (like the one hard rubber toy that you place a treat in), she'll try to get it out until she succeeds at doing so. Peanut butter works great! I sure hope this works for you Charli, I'd hate to see you have to part with her. Good luck to you. :)

Answer by Abbiss
Submitted on 2/22/2004
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I have a 7 week old Blue Heeler. I have taken 1 1/2 weeks off work to settle him in to his new home and bond with him. My partner is taking him to work eventually and there will be other dogs around for him to interact with. What I would like to know, is when do I start training him, as all puppies do he does bite my ankles and hands, but he seems to know already what 'NO' means. I have had him for a week now and he has been very good. I would also like to know what sort of "jobs" to give him. I live in a residential area, but can take him to big fields close by. We have a reasonably big lawn but I am prepared to walk him twice a day, to get rid of his energy. If any one has any suggestions on how to raise my little Otis, they will be greatly appreciated.

Answer by Ken
Submitted on 3/3/2004
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I am amazed at the amount of people that purchase a heeler and have no idea his reason for being.........they are cattle dogs that need a job and much training.When they are bred correct their natural abiliry to work stock is great but the one draw back is there hard headed attitude to correction.Haveing trained other breeds to work cattle I was pleased with there work ethics but the continus correction to not wanted behavour is a long and difficult job. The one favorable ability is they are very intelligent some times too smart and they will try to out think you which in some cases they do,good luck with yur heelers they area great breed but I not sure they make good play dogs and pets..........they need a job.

Answer by salstl
Submitted on 3/5/2004
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My heeler is now 7mo and she is the best dog I could have. Ruby has responded quickly to treats and positive reinforcement. I had to catch her in the act to stop a bad behavior, but just scolding with "NO." or "Bad Girl" was enough each time. Don't hit these dogs, they are tough and will react aggressively!! Ruby used to "talk back". Check out ways to be the boss, showing your heeler how they rank is important, they will walk all over you if they think they can. If I caught Ruby chewing on something she wasn't supposed to I would scold her and then give her a toy. When she put the toy in her mouth I praised her. This trading method has worked better than anything. Be patient and love your dog. They will be your best friend.

Answer by Josh
Submitted on 3/8/2004
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My wife and I recently adopted a Blue Heeler Jack Russell Terrier mix that has displayed many of the traits (good and bad) that are listed above. We have learned a lot through books, videos and training how to curb most of the bad habits. First and foremost, all breeds of puppies chew anything and everything, teach them through positive reinforcement and treats what is right to chew and wrong to chew, if they chew your hand, slip a toy in their mouth and praise them while they chew the toy. Secondly, Heelers need lots of attention and exercise, take them for lots of walks and let them run and play with other dogs as much as possible, this helps a lot. I disagree with the gentlemen that say these dogs need to work cattle. Most dog breeds were bred to perform specific tasks historically and do not perform any of these tasks in today's modern world ie; Sottish Terriers are not used to hunt rats anymore. If you are humane and want to rescue a dog that happens to be a Heeler or a Heeler mix, good for you, they do not have to be on a farm. Heelers will nip at your heels, that is their nature, a stern enough! and look away is a good deterrent but usually not enough when they are really young, upon the second or third nip another stern enough! and a blast from a spray bottle usually does the trick, if the bad behavior persists a quick time out in the bathroom (preferably an enclosed shower) and another stern enough! will usually work. Do not lock them in too long, a couple of minutes to get the message across is enough,when you let them out if they nip at your heels again, put them right back in as many times as it takes, always repeat the same command and do not use their name. Use the puppy's name only in a positive way, therefore when they are called by their name they respond positively. We have exposed our eleven week old puppy to children young and old and to many dogs young and old and she loves everyone and is truely a remarkable creature. Keep them busy, very busy and always train in a positive way and they will eventually learn, they are incredibly smart and very trainable but you must be more persistent than they are.

Answer by Pilot
Submitted on 3/13/2004
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I got my heeler two days ago. He's 6 weeks, and I dunno....all you who feel that 'heelers need blah blah blah' is pretty lame. The only thing you need to have a happy, obedient dog is patience. If you're getting frustrated because your heeler isn't responding the way you want them to...just be more patient. As for the job...I agree, as heelers are indeed intelligent dogs, but one thing to definitely bear in mind is that single word-preferably single syllable commands are not only easier to teach, they offer the opportunity to link them together once they're understood. GO- GET- Whatever-. Actually 'speaking' to your dog in a way they can understand is both pleasing to you and it makes your dog feel necessary to the pack. It tends to negate a lot of the nipping and herding behaviors.

Answer by Wes
Submitted on 3/14/2004
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My new Blue Heeler is 3 months old and is named Kala (fire!) She lives up to her name! I found also that you cannot punish her. A newspaper or even a flick on the nose when she is biting does no good whatsoever! The best thing is to stop playing and ignore her. If she persists, into the crate she goes for a few minutes and that does the trick.. I have never crate trained before but this one definitely needs it! She is very smart and can sit, stay, lie down, walk on leash and was totally house trained in 4 days! At times I get frustrated with nipping and chewing but she gets better every day so hang in there! Look for the book called the Dog Listener to find out how to train her using her instincts, especially regarding her "pack"

Answer by Kira
Submitted on 4/6/2004
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Heelers make great pets as long as you have patience, expierence, and realize what you are getting your self into. If you are not an active person with some spare time on your hands a heeler may not be the best dog for you. Of course all dogs are different and this is just a heelers in general comment. I have had my heeler for 3 years and he is perfectly content in my apartment but this is only because he spends and hour and a half herding all the dogs at the local dog park every day or hiking for several hours on the weekends. I also spend lots of time training to keep his mind busy. He is the sweetest, smartest, best dog I could ever ask for but it took lots of work and plenty of frustrating moments.

Answer by Jennifer
Submitted on 4/14/2004
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I have 2 ACD puppies, 4 months old sisters. Yikes, I realize now that was a mistake! But they are my little sweethearts and we are working hard on their training together. I too have found that the best method is for them to know that I am unhappy with them. I avoid eye contact for a few minutes and they are willing to do whatever it takes to make me happy again! Jumping & biting seem to be our biggest problems now, I get one to stop and the other starts (again I realize one ACD puppy is enough and two are way too much!). Has anyone ever had two puppies at the same time and do you have any helpful hints for me? They each have their own crate and I am gradually working on separate potty times, bath times, short walks, etc. Any help is appreciated!!

Answer by Gabbie
Submitted on 5/17/2004
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Wow, what a wealth of information! I am so glad that I found this message board. We just adopted a Lab/Blue Heeler mix. What an amazing dog! When he arrived, (just three days ago), he was nipping body parts and clothing. Let me tell you, THEY CAN NIP! In just three days we have really curbed that behavior by firmly saying no, stop playing, and give him his rope toy as a replacement for skin. When he begins to chew the toy, we praise him a bunch. It really has been that simple. This is the smartest dog that I have ever owned. He is a baby, and is already almost completely house trained. I think some of you are right, mostly this is typical puppy behavior....all puppies chew....not all nip quite like my Eli did. Those of you that are struggling, be firm, and praise a bunch! Use doggie treats as reward for good behavior. Also, the advice to keep them busy is so important....most of us work....but take the time when you are home to walk, run, and play with your dog. Thanks for the advice on the Kong toy...bought one yesterday.

Answer by Ashley
Submitted on 5/31/2004
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My husband and I have a 6 month old Blue Heeler. We are at a loss. I guess we did not know what we were getting ourselves into when we bought him from a ranch. We love him dearly but are so frustrated with his behavior. He has more energy than I have ever seen in a puppy. We cant sit on the couch without him jumping all over the place. We have tried everything we can to keep him active but the problem is we both work full-time and keep him outside in the yard pretty much all day. We take him on walks, take him to the dog park, and constantly play fetch with him. We now have realized this is not enough. We feel he would be so much happier on a ranch or farm. We now are considering finding him a new home. We feel our lifestyle just cant keep up with him. Any suggestions? Help!

Answer by dksaddlery
Submitted on 6/7/2004
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We have a five month blue heeler / border collie cross named Trouble that seems to have more of the physical and behavioural traits of the heeler. We have gone through most of the typical problems associated with the blue heeler and are slowly seeing many of them disappear with age. A bit of an unusual twist to the heeling or nipping; Trouble use to follow me down the stairs growling or nipping at my heels in the evening after i returned from work. At the time I didn't recognize the behaviour for what it was and thought he was after my socks. I started taking off my socks and handing them over to him and over time it became one of his jobs to gather up my socks. The nipping has all but disappeared as have most of my socks. At any given time I can find between eight and fifteen socks in the parlor. When I go to take off my socks at night he dutifully waits for me to remove them. He is quite adept at picking up three four and even five socks at once now... quite a feat... I'm so proud... Anyhow, I'm not sure if this is better than the nipping, but it has solved this problem. p.s. for people who don't have animals for these dogs to herd, it is quite simple... be prepared to spend three to four hours every day working them in some fashion, or find a different breed.

Answer by HollysMom
Submitted on 6/21/2004
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I have a 4 month old ACD-bordercollie cross that I got at 7 weeks and she is the smartest pup I have ever known. She was house trained in a less than a week despite crazy weather of snow and rain changes daily. She went through her puppy class with flying colours. She is also great around kids and the nipping was stopped with stopping the play and ignoring her and having her down to resume the petting and play. She responded well to this since she is such a social dog. The consistency was the key and all the neighborhood kids took to instructing her well. Also I put a lot of time in to socialize her at parks, schools, and pet stores. This has calmed her down a lot. We are working on clicker training now and she seems to love the consistency and I know all this effort now will pay off tenfold in having an unbelievably smart dog that loves to work for her pack. I am also getting much more fit with our daily 5:30 workouts for a few hours before work!

Answer by Teena
Submitted on 9/19/2004
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I have a 9 month old Blue Heeler/Catahoula mix. She is definitely a very active, hyper dog, however she is basically the love of our lives and she gets all the attention. We have a big back yard with a couple of tree's, and we found a great way to keep her entertained! Hang a couple of ropes with toys tied at the ends for them to chase and play with! Dakota (our dog) LOVES it, she will run around in circles and jump to catch the rope over and over and never seems to get tired of it! When it gets dark out we have lots of glow in the dark balls we throw around out back. The only problems we had with her was introducing a kitten into the house, but most Blue Heeler/Catahoula'sare very territorial so I'm not surprised. Also, we live in Texas so she always finds snakes.. another problem is she likes to bring the snakes into the house as gifts! :(

Answer by jb
Submitted on 10/7/2004
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I have a 4.5 year old Heeler mix (german shepard, chow, charpe, but mostly heeler) that I have had since she was a pup. She is a handful. I am considering finding another home for her on a farm. Actually, I am actively looking. I have another dog Lab/Red Hound and he is much more my style (mello yet playful). I have had him for 8 years. I have friends who have heelers in town and we joke about starting a support group. They are the sweetest things ever and very trusting of their owner. I can hang Bella by her back feet upside down and she just hangs out! But she constantly gets out of the yard, obcesses over the cats, and just is not that compatible with my lifestyle. If I would have known what breed she was before, one could not tell when she was a pup and she's from a found little from the pound, I would have passed. I dont regret have Bella in my life, but I think its time to find a more suitable place for her to live.

Answer by Lavender
Submitted on 10/13/2004
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We have a Blue Heeler/Border Collie/possible german shepherd mix--At least from what we have been told. I see over and over again in this forum complaints of how hyper they are--I don't understand! My dog runs for an hour in the backyard and she's utterly exhuasted. Ironically, we are a very physically busy family and often go for half hour and forty five minute walks in the afternoons and evenings, along with a lot of activity in our backyard. We never leave the children alone with the dog (and frankly, I recommend never leaving ANY dog alone with a small child, not even a harmless looking chihuahua. Dogs are MUCH easier to train than human children!! Our children are on the cusp of 'older'--eight and six--and while they are active, they do understand the 'rules of the dog'. When company visits, the dog is seperated unless properly introduced by myself or my husband. NEVER LEAVE A DOG ALONE WITH A CHILD, NO MATTER WHAT BREED!), and she has never bitten or shown any aggression towards them, nor has she in her own history. She was just under a year when we got her, and was spayed, and did have a few learned commands (though we have since taught her more). I had mentioned, I believe on this board, that she did have a very, very small tendency to nip, and all it took to train this out of her was a grip on her snout and a firm, deep, "NO!". She has been given specific things to chew and when it comes to Blue Heelers, large soup bones and rawhides are your best friends. Basically, you cannot be a timid person around a Blue Heeler. They are looking for a leader, and that is what you have to be. As for them strictly being working dogs, I'm not entirely sure if that's accurate--I'm sure many, many dogs would be happiest on a farm, and some would be outright miserable and treated more as a worker than a member of a family. My cousin owns a Newfoundland, and there aren't any ice floes in her backyard, but her Newf is definitely happy with her family! She did chase our cat in the beginning, but has grown a little wary of this game since my cat is a lot more aggressive than most and can certainly hold her own in the dominance game. Our feline blocked our Blue Heeler x's path to my husband's office by doing nothing more than sitting in the doorway, licking her paws and giving our dog dirty looks. She does have a stubborn streak, and in the beginning wasn't too keen on learning commands from me--However, if you are firm and remain consistent, this dog will respond well to you. She knows to go on the bed when I am there only if she is invited, she understands how to fetch, and to shake paw, and she knows sit and stay. I do not leave her locked up in a crate when I go out, as her former owners did, and I find she has calmed down considerably from the first days we had her, to the point that I don't recognize the dog you are all talking about in this forum. Though it has been over a month, and she has gotten a lot of exercise with us, she still doesn't go 'hypercrazy' as many people have described. I think the problem with this dog for many is not that the dog is 'untrainable' or 'hyper' but that the owners are not taking the time to exercise the dog. Her former owners did not take her on many walks, for example, and we are just starting to teach her to stop pulling on her leash and to stop attempting to jump on people when we walk her. She has stopped most of these bad behaviours already, and will no doubt have considerable more etiquette when she has had more formal dog school training.

Answer by Ali
Submitted on 10/21/2004
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I have a 2-3year old blue heeler who was dumped around 6 months old. Unfortunately she doesn't get on with cows, goats, horses, cats, chickens, other dogs, men, in fact anything that moves. This means that she can't live on a farm and is bored on her own. My solution was to get her a puppy which appears to have cured the boredom, but not the social problems however with love and perseverance, I've been able to rectify most of them. Shandi is still the most loyal, intelligent and loveable dog I have ever owned and I wouldn't swap her for anything. Work with your puppy, be patient and keep her entertained � you�ll be fine. They are truly the best dogs.

Answer by RoxyGurl
Submitted on 10/25/2004
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I have a 14-month old female blue heeler. When she was a puppy she would also chew on everything from furniture to shoes. Anything that she could find she would chew on. My advice to you, tish, would be that you need to be sure you get your dog a variety of toys as well as rawhide bones. She may eventually rip the stuffing out of the toys but all you can do is replace it with another. When you catch her chewing on stuff that she should not be chewing on you need to let her know that it's not right and spank her, tell her "no", and then show her, her own toy. Usually rawhide bones work really well because it keeps them entertained for hours at a time.Good Luck!!!!

Answer by Kanadian
Submitted on 4/16/2005
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Hi i have a blue heeler/collie/lab mix, its about 9 months old and the people who had it before me didnt teach it much at all, they had no time for it, so i took it. it has alot of energy,, barks alot at ppl. not so much other animals. digs the yard up. jumps up and nips at hands. I got a debarker for the dogs barking, because i live in apartment, but it didnt work very well. the thing would go off whenever the dog moved, so i no long use that. Ive tryed to slap it on the nose but that dont work either. he will just run after i smack his nose, same goes for anything else. that barking and the nipping is my most problem. I already know what i got myself into. but theres gotta be away for it to stop. sence my sister has a blue heeler and it dont do none of this. Why?

Answer by Sid
Submitted on 6/25/2005
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We have an 18 month old heeler/border collie cross. He has grown up the last several months, and has some basic commands, A call off command, and lie down. I would like to train him with herding stock, but don't know how to start him in the pen without him just rushing in and chasing them wildly. I don't know if he will gather the stock naturally like the Border collie does, or if he will try to take the stock away from me. I tried him on the cattle once, and he brought them to me and then continued on past! I want to encourage him to bring them to me. Any tips on how to get him started would be a great help. Also how can a person get him to stop that maddening high pitch bark whenever anything comes to his attention? It does get on the nerves. He does really seem to want to please, and be accepted, just need to figure out how to get him started. He needs a job, and I've got lots of them for him to do.

Answer by Mishy
Submitted on 7/8/2005
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I don't have a blue heeler but I'm at hope to get one soon.{my sister has one and has said they are a great dog.My advice is to give them toys or throw a ball around the backyard.If you don't have a backyard then you should take time and take them on a walk or maybe get a few extra toys.I myself have a lab and golden retriever and the retriever is still just a pup but rex the lab likes playing with the kong.Luke the retriever never puts it down.I would strongly advise anyone who is having a trouble with there dog to get them a kong or maybe spend some extra time with them.Put some treats in the kong and make them work for it.But people say heelers are like labs and they do need room to roam and extra attention.If people need more help or questions just ask because I'm a vet and would love to help.

Answer by BW
Submitted on 8/15/2005
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We just acquired a blue heeler/skipperkee mix as our beloved Rotti had to be put down. This dog is an absolute delight!! She is 7 months old and was a puppy rescue living in a foster home, where she was given lots of love, potty trained, and socialized quite well with children and adults. She only chews on bones, and will play with our 15 pound shiz tzu til the cows come home. She shows no aggressive tendancies at all, but is a little wary of strangers, which I like since we have had a rash of dog nappings in Anchorage, Alaska. She has extreme endurance and keeps up well with us as we walk four miles every day. After reading through all of the comments on this web site, I do not believe we would ever go with a full blooded Blue Heeler, but this mixed breed is a whole other matter. Everyone who meets this dog is absolutely amazed at how well behaved, gentle, and loving she is - we would have folks waiting in line to take her, she is that good (we will never, never give her up). I am signing her up for agility as I know she will be wonderful at it and sounds like this is something they were born for. We are looking forward to a lifetime with her!

Answer by val and arrow
Submitted on 9/9/2005
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I picked up my border collie, healer, Aussie mix from the pound. he was abandon because apparently he chewed everything up, including molding and siding from a house, nipped at heals, and was in general destructive., I work full time, however I take him for a three to six mile run, and by run I mean I Rollerblade or bike while he runs, plus I take him to a dog park EVERY DAY. I have had to train him to do numerous tricks for food and just to be able to be friendly with other people, dogs this smart need to be trained, all they want to do is please you that is why they are called working dogs, make them work for everything and when they are done all they will want to do is relax. just like you and me, when we are board we get destructive,. and if your dog has a bad behavior, train him to do it on command, that way he will stop on command and only do so when told. I LOVE DOGS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer by Mitch
Submitted on 10/18/2005
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I also have an Aussie/Healer mix; Emerson. He's eight now and the most well-mannered dog you could ever want. He only barks when there is a reason. He has specific barks for specific items. He will sit and look at a steak for hours without eating it. He was just like most of these others for about six months; chewed up whatever he could get his jaws on. Puppies will chew whatever you allow them access to. Not just this breed... any breed. As far as the hand biting, I never accepted this as acceptable behavior and always said, "No biting" and stopped whatever activity that was causing him to bite. I would repeat this every time he tried to bite my hands. The main issue here is: DON'T GET A DOG IF YOU"RE NOT GOING TO SPEND THE TIME REQUIRED TO TRAIN HIM! I don't mean to seem bitter, but I see so many people who like puppies, but don't understand that they grow up. You've got to devote love and invest time in the future of your pet and you'll get a great return on that investment in the future.

Answer by Steve
Submitted on 11/18/2005
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I have a blue healer named Jezzi, I got her way too young at 4 weeks and I in countered a multitude of problems. all of which have all ready been asked and answered. but one of the greatest tools that I have encountered out there that really helps me understand who she is and what she needs, i found in the book "The Australian Cattle Dog" Author, Kathy Christian. I found this book at a Borders type book store (one of those coffee and book type places). But I would have to agree with the ones saying you need to work the dogs. They are very energetic and are very social. the only training that really works is positive reinforcement and create training. jezzi is 4 months now and we still have behavioral issues. How ever some of the best things we have found for her to do is to run along side us when we ride our bikes (she can RUN about 6 MILES and not get tired) when it is hard to get out we have a "chuckit" its a big plastic tennis ball thrower that assists me in throwing the ball much farther than usual. For the ones that have healers in small houses or confined areas or don't have a lot of time to dedicate to there dogs you will have a harder time trying to get them to settle down.

Answer by Susski40
Submitted on 1/26/2006
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My Aussie/Blue Heeler is 14 weeks old (got him at 8 weeks - being starved and sick). In the short amount of time...due to good advice, he is crate trained and housebroken (well, almost...I am the one that must keep the routine, etc.). Besides getting great advice from others who have the same type of dog. A good book for training is Good Owners/Great Dogs. These dogs are smart...one bit of good advice that I keep in mind: these dogs need two types of exercise 1. physical - running or fetching 2. mental - learning commands before giving food or treats. Right now he is running around outside of his crate and when I say "come" - he's by my side (about 85% of the time). :-) He's still a pup and we both are learning together. Have fun!

Answer by kandace
Submitted on 2/21/2006
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I know this is for just that one question but i got a question to! I am 14 and I have a blue heeler that is 13 months old and she is tearing up everything..She is tearing up our hot tub cover.She figured out how to unplug plugs and is taking all of the pumps to our fountains and chewing them up.My mom says if she doesn't stop i will have to get rid of her and i dont want to because i love her. I play with her all the days of the week except tuesdays and fridays(i have soccer). I taught her how to play frisbee and how to heard my goat..but even after all the excersise i give her she still tears up things! and i dont know what to do...please e-mail me at Kandygirl2214@aol.com

Answer by HeelerLover
Submitted on 5/21/2006
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Well, my beautiful boy Cooper is my 2nd ACD. I lost Tripp 2 years ago. ACD are amazing animals, but they are not for you lazy folks that don't feel like working. Both of my cattle dogs are indoor dogs, both were well socialized as puppies (KEY), and both truly believe that I am their mom (literally). You need to get a book about being the Alpha Dog of your home and read it. Examples: never let your ACD enter a door before you.....You are the boss. From the time I brought him home I would pretend to eat from his dish ( Sounds crazy), but if I say their for awhile and then he got he turn he new for sure that I was the dominator, another example: If your dog nips at you growl or yelp and then turn your head away and ignore the dog until it displays some submissive behaviors. You have to take control of this breed and they will bond to you for life. I highly encourage many interactions with children, cats, and other animals. Frequently, make the dog sit examine the ears, trim the toenails, look at teeth...all part of the "I'm you boss bit." Now, once this dog believes that you are Boss many of the problems you are discussing will hault! You still have to entertain your active ACD and you still have to give this dog a job, but not necesarily herding. One more thing get your puppy neutered early....like a soon as the testicles have descended! Do not wait until he hikes his leg! Frequently walk around Pet's Mart or anywhere that allows dogs. Encourage anyone and everyone to touch this dog as a puppy. Sounds like alot, but if you follow through with some obediance training and some of the things I think I covered this will be THE BEST DOG you have ever owned!

Answer by max'smom
Submitted on 5/24/2006
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hi, i have a three-year-old blue heeler that i got from an ad in the newspaper that said "free to good home" neutered male blue heeler. he had been living in a garage, if you can imagine this great ball of energy living in a garage! his owner, who had him since a pup, moved to a house where he could not keep Max inside, so he put him in the garage. he was there for about six months by the time we rescued him. poor darling. well i had read a little about the breed when i saw the ad in the paper, before i went to get him. i decided if he did not seem aggressive in any way, i would go ahead and get him. a previous person had taken him and then brought him back after two days. not a good recommendation. said it was because he knocked their small children down, which i have no doubt was absolutely true. when we went to rescue Max, his whole body was wagging with happiness and excitement, so we took him. Max is a wild man! my gosh. he is also the most loyal and protective dog i have ever met. all he wants to do is make me happy. he's my baby. i will admit, that even after six months, he's still somewhat of a nightmare, but because of his incredible love for me, i can't tell you how much i adore him. he has every trait listed on this page and more. he's a very naughty boy at times, but i realize he can't help it. he really needs something to do most of the time. and i comply! i work at home, so he almost never has long periods where he is alone. when i have had to leave him alone for a few hours, he has not destroyed anything. Max is incredibly smart and he listens pretty well to me. he seldom chews on anything except his toys, although that was not the case when we first brought him home. he still nips and bites heels and hands, but he's much better than he was. also has a problem jumping up on people when they first arrive, also doing better in that regard. all in all, he has calmed down considerably after only six months, and i know he is on the way to being the best dog i've ever had. i've become a bit obsessed with the breed and read everything i can find on them. i post his pics on websites. i'm really addicted to ACDs. we live in the city and have a fenced yard, but when Max is in the yard, he just wants to lay by the gate until he gets to get out (unless i'm in the yard with him). he would much rather just be by my side doing whatever i am doing. he's my angel. i seldom walk him on a leash, as he just wants to run and i don't run that fast! so i take him to the dog park at least once a day, sometimes more. sometimes we stay a couple of hours and sometimes only 30 minutes. in addition, there is a park one block from here and i take him there at least once, usually twice a day, and just let him go (when no one else is in the park). sometimes we walk up there after dark and i just let him run. Max loves chasing bunnies, squirrels, cars (yikes!), and anything that moves. he absolutely adores water and i cannot wait to get him to the lake this summer. there is a stream at our dog park and Max likes to swim to the deepest part and just basks in the water. he truly loves it. i am going to set up a pool in the backyard for him this summer also. he doesn't seem too crazy about other dogs, at least not ones that jump circles around him. they annoy him. it's so funny to me that the world's most annoying dog (Max) is annoyed by other obnoxious dogs. i guess he's enough for himself! anyway, he has displayed all of the problems on this page, and more, but by making him a priority and giving him as much time as i can, and tons of exercise, and tons of LOVE, he has made great strides. did i mention that i take him everywhere with me? well everywhere i can. Max is my boy, and since my daughter is 19 now and son is 15, Max has become my child :). good luck to all people with heelers. they are the best, most loyal breed, and worth every effort. i understand that some people feel they should only be used for what they were originally bred, well what i have to tell those people is... if you have a cattle ranch and acres upon acres, perhaps you should rescue some cattle dogs. there are hundreds across the country being put down because there are not enough people who want these dogs. i say, if there are city people or even apartment dwellers who can rescue a dog, and give it proper care, including exercise, then do it!! and the naysayers be darned! also want to say, i would never buy a dog from a breeder, but will always rescue. there's just too many good dogs out there, desperate for a loving home. G'day mates!

Answer by mary
Submitted on 6/29/2006
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I have been reading some of these posts. For one someone saying when we call them blue heelers we didn't know what we were talking about is wrong. You may call them Blue Heelers, Australian Cattle Dogs, Queensland Heelers, or Red Heelers all of those are correct. Another thing, i have had blue heelers as pets without cattle, horses etc for about 15 years. They are wonderful pets, very intelligent and very active. They need to be able to run run run, that is why i feel they are country living dogs. Now i've never had a problem with my heelers chewing anything until this heeler i have now. And i say it's because of lack of discipline. They need to be trained and disciplined from the beginning. This dog is my sons dog and is spoiled rotten and will destroy everything. My heeler never chewed anything but his toys or bones etc that he was given. Another thing as far as nipping at heals that is what they are suppose to do. If your moving to slow they are going to "heard" you, that is what they do. That will probably never stop. I just tell mine easy and they don't do it very hard lol. Mine has had a problem with nipping at the face and i did have to smack him for doing so. IT was a small childs face he thought he was going to nip at and i wasn't having it. But that is the only time i've ever ever ever had to smack my dog. So don't freak out thinking i abuse my dogs because i dont. They are very protective of their family. But i have trained my heeler to also play catch, and i don't have to leave a chair. He brings the ball and drops it on my feet, if it's too far and i have to move i'll say i cant reach it and he brings it closer. They also love to swim, i have taken them to the lake and they just jump in. I love these dogs so much. But now that i live in town i'm going to find another home for this young heeler i have. He's too bored and i just don't think it's fair to him. I live in Ohio if anyone is interested. he's full blooded about 2 years old and very friendly. Plays rough because of my boys though lol.

Answer by kathi
Submitted on 7/1/2006
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I have a blue heeler/german shepard mix, my problem is i did not know that blue heelers had such a dominate personality. i have 2 other dogs and 2 cats, not good, bear is in control of everyone of them. i am 53 and do not have the energy to keep up with him, and he has gone on the attack over food, even my own. i have had to punch him in the head to make him stop, that does the trick but once he turned on me. not lately though. i am not very active and i know that is a problem. also he does not want anyone else in my home, and will not stop barking at them while they are here. i am thinking about letting him go to a dog rescue group, i am not sure what to do, he is very loving and does not want any of my other animals around me.i love him and would hate to see anything bad happen to him. and while i am at work, 10 hours a day my spouse is usually mean to him, he has actually bent down and started beating him for barking in the morning. what to do?

Answer by dbmom
Submitted on 7/4/2006
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I have had Heeler mixes for many years, the last one we adopted was a heeler-Dalmatian mix, 9 months old, untrained, very destructive and thoroughly mistreated. Too many people think that this breed will "come around" on their own. They won't. Heelers require training. They are orally fixated. My heeler couldn't pass anything without grabbing it and dumping it on the floor (couch cushions, bills, board games, ...) The first thing you need to do is to provide something they are allowed to chew on preferably very hard - beef leg bones, mid size 4" rawhide, BLACK Kong (They crack the red ones) Then, every time they chew on something inappropriate, say no and hand them something they are allowed to chew on. Praise them if they take it <-- essential. Your heeler really cares what you think. Teach them to go and fetch a toy when they nip so they can learn an appropriate way to get your attention. Their behavior will improve as soon as they understand what you are trying to get them to do so be consistent. My heeler-dalmatian is now 5yrs old and fully trained She was left in a crate 24/7 before I got her and completely freaked out when we tried to introduce one so we had to train her the hard way. Bitter apple spray is very effective on furniture and window sills you need to respray every other day at first. Just don't get it in your or your dog's eyes as it contains cayenne pepper. My dog is a sweetheart and very gentle even with toddlers but it will take work on your part. As stubborn as they are, they are actually quite sensitive to being yelled at. Lots of praise when they behave well works much faster. Good Luck!

Answer by ErikanSeth
Submitted on 7/24/2006
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We just got a german shepherd/husky mix from the pound, 12ish weeks. We had his first vet appt. this week and the vet thinks he's got a share of blue heeler or border collie in him, too. Reading this website is so enlightening! He is so into nipping hands and biting at heels when we walk. After reading this page about squirting water, I just went outside with him for 10 min holding a bowl of water walking around. Every time he bit my ankles, he got a douse of water. In one session he seems improved. IT is frustrating because he is clearly a good dog, and now he seems to have the idea of what is ok and not ok and yet he still nips. Thanks for the advice about not hitting the pup. I've tried just positive, and he will always take the toy, but he doesn't stop still going for the hands and feet. I've been considering inflicting pain, (pinching his nose on top, or catching his lip on his tooth) and I've done this some, but it doesn't seem to be getting the desired result. I don't like to hurt him so maybe I've botched this technique by being inconsistent. I will try the pushing hand into the back of his mouth and the timeout (he does love company!) One comment about exercise: We think we might have overdone it a bit with our pup. The first few days we took him on little hikes, then a bigger hike. He would sleep between walks and people marvelled at our mellow pup. But then we also noticed he was reluctant to follow us and put his tail between his legs when we walked to the end of the driveway. So we've scaled back and we're seeing more boisterous and rambunctious behavior now, but since we want him to love hiking with us in the long run, we've decided it's good for now.

Answer by barry
Submitted on 8/5/2006
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We have a five month old blue heeler name Neely. I am fortunate enough to work outside and my boss has allowed Neely to join us at work. Since i got him three months ago, I have not had any problems with him. I have enabled him to pick up one bad habit. That is, everyone he meets he jumps on to greet. This is a problem but i blame myself. When i get back from leaving him home alone he is so happy to see me I allow him to jump on me. Now i have to contradict my own training and repramand him for jumping. I feel bad because he is just excited, i don't want him to be mad at me when i get home. How can I let him know what he is doing is wrong and be possitive at the sme time?

Answer by ACD mom
Submitted on 10/26/2006
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It really is ashame that people are getting this breed and thinking they are house dogs . I have three acds and soon to be one border collie they all are rescues besides for one 1 of them was at a farm and was going to be shot because he was chasing his horses (gee i wonder y !!!!)the other one entertained herself by fighting the other dogs and killing the cats . we live on 699 acres with 400 head of cattle,15 horses,10 goats and besides for helping with this they also do regular agility lessons and tricks and when we turn in of the evening there still ready to go so I know how you would manage one in the city it would break mines heart to stay in the house all the time they are also very loyal dogs mine wont let any thing hurt me if someone new comes they will sit between me and them I tell them its OK then they stand beside me they have rescued me from being run over by a angry momma cow more times then i can count if i scream they come running ! if you cant have stock for them to work try finding a stock dog trainer close these dogs were bred to work cattle and go for miles and miles not to lay in the house all day so they will really love it if you find a stock dog trainer for them they also like being disc dogs,agility,fly ball,tricks they need something to help keep there mind active please research this breed before getting one so many die because people think there cute until they kill the cat or eat your favorite shoe . If you find they are the right dog for you take them to puppy classes right away and on through advanced obedience.

Answer by Scarlet
Submitted on 3/10/2007
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Mine is a question. I have my family 6 members. We live right off a high way and a train in back. We own 2 acres and I just got a 3 yr old blue heeler for my oldest daughter (Jessy, who is 12) 5 months ago. Our last dog die from getting run over. So I got her this dog from my nice. My youngest(3)and I stays home all day long, and in the morning when I go to wake Jessy ( my oldest who piratically own the dog) Blue (the dog; he also sleeps in her room with her) growls and barks and snaps at me as soon as he hears my voice. I can't even go up stairs let alone into her room. Same goes for the computer room and the living room too. It doesn't matter if she is or is not in the room at the time. He also snaps at my youngest the same as me! Please help! Jessy won't let me give him back. So that is not an option. Thanks a lot!

Answer by mbeach
Submitted on 3/24/2007
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I don't think it's fair to say that if you don't have livestock, you shouldn't get an ACD. We rescued ours from the animal shelter. She is two years old. Someday (w/in the next 5 years) we want to buy some land and have some goats and horses and cows, but now we live in a house with a yard. We take Opal out to the river or dog park twice a day and let her run. On the weekends we take her out for long runs or hikes. Inbetween times we throw tennis balls for her, in the house, too. She has settled in. (we only got her two weeks ago). She is a lover! Her favorite thing to chase on hikes are butterflies. Today she chased a black swallowtail for 10 minutes! When it finally disappeared over a fence, she barked woefully. A game she loves: turn down the lights (or go outside in the dark) and let her chase a flashlight beam! It's hilarious! She loves it. I make my own chicken stock and she loves to crunch up frozen chicken stock chunks.

Answer by Lucy blue's owner
Submitted on 4/8/2007
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I must be the really lucky one..., about 4 months ago, there in my yard was this strange dog with a curled wagging tail. I reminisced that it might be a blue heeler. Since I already had a 6 year old Beagle, I tried stomping my feet to shoos her away & send her on her way. That didn't work nor did spraying her with a garden hose, nor any other thing I tried. She came right back in the yard in every thing I tried to do in sending her on her way... She was probably about 6 to 8 month old then. No tags, and had not been spade. I thought to myself. (after two or three days), well baby if you want a home, we'll give it a go... She and the other dog romped and played together like lost friends. After about 10 days, I had her shots done & (Spade) Thus, the Vet said she look like a full blooded heeler to him. The Irony is..., based on what I have read in the other post Lucy Blue is a one of a kind blue heeler... I have had absolutely no problem with..., her chewing, her biting, or any thing else... she's obedient, never leaves the yard, craves attention..., and yet, I've never had the urge, nor a need to raise my voice at her...I guess you can call her a pleasurable streak of pure luck...

Answer by Abigail's Dad
Submitted on 4/18/2007
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My wife and I got our dog from a pound when she was about 9 weeks old. She will be 3yrs old soon. All of the problems that I have read above, we had experienced to some degree. After a pair of my wife's expensive dress shoes found their end we took action immediately. For Abigail the old standard raw hide chew bone has worked well along with much praise to her when she is chewing it and not in trouble. Also we got our sweetie a big chew and tug rope. Again we play and she is very proud of her rope. This type of dog needs a lot of room to run and play. This dog can not be a part time pal. This dog needs to live and be involved in it's family's daily life. Not all has been perfect. Now and then there has been a slip and something gets distroyed. But it is when she feels neglected or she has been placed out of her routine. Abigail is like a clock. Her activity and reactions are very predictable. Our disipline has been only scolding with the object of the lesson close by for her to see. Never, never, never hit the dog! They do not understand that kind of reaction from you and only become afraid of you. Catch them doing good and praise them highly. They are smart critters and love you without question. Enjoy your realtionship with your dog and love it through their trials. Remember you are best friends!

Answer by Canadian Coyote
Submitted on 5/3/2007
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First of all I would like to say I love my Heeler (Diesel, we named him since he looks like he rolled on the ground in diesel oil). Now if you ever decide to own a heeler and don't have a farm or acreage, I would suggest you either buy one or find him a new home. These dogs are working animals and need room. If they do not have the room they will rebel against you and chew everything in sight when bored. The best punishment for these type of animals, which has been stated a few times, is solitary confinement. This is the worst possible punishment you can give them. This is why they are also known as shadow dogs. Very loyal and need constant companionship. These type of dogs are too intelligent for their own good at times. People ask when you start training heelers. You start immediately when you get him/her. Ours was house trained within 3 days (at 5 weeks old). You also need to make a safe spot for the dog where he won't be bothered by other animals (such as kids). As well put his chew toys tug rope etc. in this area. If you don't exercise this dog on a constant basis they have a tendency to not listen as well and misbehave. If you can not spend most of your time with this breed I would not suggest getting one. This definitely is not a breed for the first time dog owner. Being this is my first heeler we have been lucky with the good temperament he has and his willingness to please us at every opportunity.

Answer by Lad
Submitted on 5/11/2007
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Hi there, I have almost 2 yr old ACD/collie mix, male, not fixed. Majority of the mentioned problems were solved with: 1) positive reward/reinforcement & some clicker training up to 1 yr. 2) boot camp at later stage (more bellow) At 1 yr age he "smartened up" and started to compare, e.g. on recall: Is that worth of the reward? Once ignored recall and crossed street - was too much. We had to sort-out who is the boss, followed boot camp rules ( http://sonic.net/~cdlcruz/GPCC/library/alpha.htm ) and similar, and thinks turned better. One simple rule that works: teach command (with clicker or other way), and once sure dog knows, require and enforce command. Do not give command you can't enforce. For 100% recall (needed as we do a lot of off-leash) had to buy remote trainer, had to use it couple of times (hated to but there was no other way)and now have no problems. Just opinion from other side. Know that many of you will disagree, but that worked for me. Still working on some fine issues, but majority cleared. These are highly intelligent and highly dominant (especially not fixed males) dogs. Good Luck!

Answer by Steph
Submitted on 6/8/2007
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I have a 2 year old Blue Heeler and he is awesome! He, like many mentioned above, has an issue with hands. He "talks back" when he is scolded and will try and bite. In the summer, I never have any trouble with him because he loves to swim in my pool, which really wears him out! In the winter he has a tendency to get bored and does try to heard young children when they are here. For this, I put his shock collar on him when there is company. I tried it on myself first and it really doesn't hurt, but I have only needed to shock him twice. Every other time I just give him the "bad behavior" tone and he will come right to me and sit down. With the chewing, he only ate one pair of my shoes and a couch cushion when he was very young, but I make sure he has a toybox full of his own chew toys and now he only chews on what I give him. With this breed, all I recommend is a lot patience with training and a lot of space for them to play. Heelers are VERY loyal and loving, they just don't like to be bored. Mine will even stop jumping on me if I just turn around and ignore him for a minute.

Answer by ParkersDogs
Submitted on 6/15/2007
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We have a 9 month old heeler that we adopted at 8 months. She is awesome and loveable, very expressive, but wild as can be. She is house trained and is very good about that. We are working on the biting, and she is getting better. The only real problems we've had with her are that she doesn't like (or is scared of, I can't tell) other dogs and is fairly aggressive with them (though that seems to be getting better with stern training as well) and she chews on some thing. This is the wierd part. She only chews on two things- our secondhand (courtesy my parents) day bed mattress and our secondhand papason chair. The papason I think is because it is wicker and therefore unravels in an interesting way and the bed becuase my parents had a dog who assuredly peed on it at some point and so I think she tears it up because of the smell. they are both in the same room and it is the room she sleeps in. Any ideas on getting her to not chew on them (she only does it occasionally when we are away at work, never when we are home)? We are planning to shut her out of that room for starters but I hope she doesn't chew stuff in the living room, that would be even worse. Though it likely doesn't smell and wouldn't be interesting to chew on as much. Help with this chewing would be very appreciated.

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Question by tish
Submitted on 7/30/2003
Related FAQ: rec.pets.dogs: Australian Shepherds Breed-FAQ
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I have an aussy/ blue heeler mix pup and i cannot seem to get her involved in any activities other than chewing up everything I own. I am not sure how to get her involved in playing with balls or other toys. She is almost 6 months old. I am at my witts end. please help if you can

Answer by BillyB
Submitted on 8/5/2003
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I have a Aussie/Heeler mix pup that will be 2 yrs old. I got him at 6 weeks and he chewed everything in sight. My wife and I gave him dog chews and stuffed animals to chew on and now he is content. She will grow out of it. It is natural for puppies to chew, even your cell phone. Give it time and just keep an eye on her.

Answer by Rukind0420
Submitted on 8/16/2003
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Chewing on all the stuff you don't want your heeler to chew on is natural for any puppy. Heelers are as energetic as they are smart. She's probably chewing things up out of boredom. To get her to play with a ball or other dog toy, make it seem like you are having a lot of fun playing with the ball, she'll react to your energy.

Answer by tami
Submitted on 8/25/2003
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I have 18 month old Blue Heeler. I had same problem with him before when he was pup. but when he got older (over 1 year old) he seem to realized I wanted him to play with the toys and now he playing frisbee. What I do is encourage him to play with me while I play with the toy it may take a while and be patience.

Answer by Laura
Submitted on 8/28/2003
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I too have a blue healer mix. That chewed and chased Everything. We live on a farm and when he was little he chased the ducks,guineas,and sometimes even the horses. Problem was we thought he was herding them so encouraged it. Unfortunately he got big enough to catch them.Killed all 5 ducks. Something had to give,or he had to go. Instead,we got him a puppy to play with and chase around and it has almost completely solved all problems. I think they are just very active and need something to do.

Answer by spongebob7391
Submitted on 9/5/2003
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my dog bites, i don't know what to do, should i just get him a puppy to play with too?? i have a horse that lives next door and my dog nips at the heels of it, also my dog eats the chickens next door too, or should i just get my dog a little place for him to run around???? i got 5 acres, so i can do that

Answer by lovemyheeler
Submitted on 9/18/2003
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I have a blue heeler and they are definately crazy, crazy, crazy. You gotta give them something to do, they need a job or they will go insane and find their own destructive job. I found that with my dog, I could not train him with any obedience until after we went for a run or played catch. The pup may just have too much energy to even see you. Heelers live their life in fast forward and it is your job to keep up.But once you do, you will never find a more devoted, sweet dog in all the world. They are worth the work.

Answer by Becca
Submitted on 9/18/2003
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Earl will be 2 yrs old on X-mas.To solve the intelligence = bored bit get him toys that require thinking try a I think its called a conga/kongo you can put snacks inside and that takes up some time also I put peanut butter on anything he was allowed to chew on. Squeaky toys worked well also. Earl would tear up only my shoes and books (but only the books I hadn't had a chance to read yet:-) Do the obedience classes they should help alot! Also she might want more of your attention I know when I spent more time with Earl and took him jogging he calmed down quite a bit.

Answer by Lilly
Submitted on 9/19/2003
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I have a 3 month blue heeler mix that I am totally in love with. My problem is that she has a thing with biting hands. I walk her and give her plenty of toys to play with. My problem with her is that bites. She nips at your ankles which I think comes second nature to her, however, it is the hand biting that is a big problem. She will allow you to pet her for a little while but then starts to bite. I know she is a puppy still, but does it stop as she gets older? I do not encourge her and make every attempt to teach her not to bite. Nothing has worked yet.

Answer by Justin
Submitted on 10/1/2003
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It sounds like everybody here has their blue heelers just for pets. You can't do that with a blue heeler. Get a poodle. Heelers have to be doing what is natural to them and that is working cows. All of my dogs are very obedient and work very well. You have to work a heeler or they will go crazy and like EVERYBODY is saying, chew everything up.

Answer by chad
Submitted on 10/5/2003
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I have a 12 week old heeler mix from an amish farm he has more energy than any pup I have ever seen he also nips at hands and feet, from what I hear that is natural for the breed I try to discourage this but am unsuccessful thus far playing fetch and running occupies him but as soon as activity stops he starts nipping and chewing I just hope he grows out of it.

Answer by Jeb
Submitted on 10/23/2003
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I have a 3 year old White ACD (heeler) named Skye and she's got to be the best dog I've ever had!! Skyes never chewed up anything I've ever had. My advise is to keep them occupied. I work at a cattle sale barn and I take her with me everyday. She does wonders. I know not everyone "works" their dog or has access to a cow, so just play with em and keep em busy.

Answer by ZETITA
Submitted on 10/24/2003
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I HAVE A 9 MONTHS BLUE HILLER AND IS SO ADORABLE AND BEAUTIFUL DOG, IT CHEW EVERYTHING ANS ATE HIS LAST HARD RUBBER TOY, AND DESTROY ALL HIS TOYS. IS FULL OF ENERGY AND HEALTH A THINK WHEN HE GROW UP GONNA CHANGE IS THAT CORRECT?

Answer by Brent
Submitted on 10/26/2003
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I have to agree with Justin's comments, sounds like a lot of you did not know what you were getting into. As with many dogs, treats are a way to their heart. I have three Blue Heelers, aged between 6 months through to three years old, and the treat training has never let me down. They will learn very quickly what is right and what is wrong when they are rewarded. You must be prepared though to put the time into the dog, generally a couple of hours a day for a few months will have any dog on the right track to being well behaved. Chewing for the breed is natural, but they will grow out of it once they hit two years old.

Answer by TOBY
Submitted on 10/31/2003
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I REALLY AGREE WITH JUSTIN TOO.WE DO HAVE LIVESTOCK THAT KEEPS OUR AUSSI/HEELER PLENTY OCCUPIED.I CAN'T IMAGINE IF WE DIDN'T.AS FOR THE CHEWING,I GUESS WE GOT LUCKY.ROSCOE HAS ALWAYS HAD PLENTY OF TOYS AND ROPES THAT HE KNEW HE COULD CHEW ON.HE ALSO KNEW WHAT NOT TO CHEW ON.HE IS THE MOST WELL MANNERED CHILD(THAT IS WHAT HE IS TO ME)THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN. HE GOES ALMOST EVERYWHERE WITH US.I WOULD TAKE HIM TO WORK IF I COULD(HE IS THAT WELL BEHAVED).WISH I HAD SOME IDEAS FOR SOME OF YOU,BUT IT JUST CAME NATURAL FOR HIM.GOOD LUCK.

Answer by Maria
Submitted on 11/24/2003
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My Blue Heeler/Bull Terrier X, Alice, is 12 years old and she still likes to try and round me up now and then. She is still mad about tennis balls, kongs, toys and food. Also loves company and doesn't like being left alone for too long. She has a great personality and is very loyal. She was very boisterous as a pup and gave my elderly cat a hard time at first but they became very good friends in the end. The cat has sadly passed away but I only work part time now so Alice is not left alone for too long during the day. She is very healthy but we have to watch her diet as she loves to eat anything and everything.

Answer by gotta luv heelers
Submitted on 12/2/2003
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i to have a heeler mix about 3months she is honestly the most loyal dog i have ever met and probably the smartest at only 3 months she already knows the basic training as in sit and stay and we are now working on the command round when i take her favorite toys and hide them and if she brings them back she gets a treat training my dog took time and effort on both our parts but it was not hard because these dogs are so smart and i was not experienced at all i am only thirteen and have never trained any breed of dog so if you come across a heeler mix you are blessed with the best dog you will ever have

Answer by Brianna
Submitted on 12/9/2003
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I have an Austrailian Shepard that is very agressive around food. She snarls and snaps at anyone within 5 feet of her. Also, when playing (teasing) her, she bares her teeth. Is this a trait of the breed or am I doing something wrong?

Answer by jjjh2134
Submitted on 12/21/2003
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We just brought our Heeler/Border collie mix home today, she's 7 weeks old. When do we start obedience and/or agility training? Any particular books anyone would recommend?

Answer by Shirley Ortiz
Submitted on 12/28/2003
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I have a 9 month Cathoula/heeler mix very energetic and active, I just got her a Blue heeler mix puppy to keep her company. I have a very big yard for them. What are your thoghts on this matter, they are alone for long periods of time 4 days a week.

Answer by KathiLee
Submitted on 1/9/2004
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This is a question. I need help on house training my blue heeler lab mix puppy. He is 7 weeks old. He chews everything in sight. I bought toys for him to chew. But that doesn't always work. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer by Charli
Submitted on 1/17/2004
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I am one of the puzzeled ones. My blue healer is so sweet but is driving me crazy. I am in my mid 60s and cannot run and play with her. I work and am gone quite a bit. She has completely destroyed my glidder swings and seems to know she has done wrong. How do I start her on better behavior? It seems the more I show her attention, the more she trys to dstroy when I'm away. I love her so much but she is wearing me out. Any help will be appreciated.

Answer by sarah
Submitted on 1/18/2004
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i have a blue heeler and she is lazy and she bites people in there face but she bit me in the face and now i have a sealed from her she is 8 months old

Answer by PK
Submitted on 1/25/2004
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Charli, just because you cannot run the dog certainly can. You must learn to be creative and find activities (work) for the dog that you can do in your own yard. Throwing a ball or frisbee from your lawn chairs isn't difficult though it does get boring for you the dog needs it often. Hide and seek in the house or yard is another great brain activity for an active dog. The dog should be taught different object and toys by name to make this game even better.

Answer by shy_bugs2
Submitted on 1/28/2004
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I have a blue heeler collie mix with an older dog she is now two and still acts like a puppy and I have had a hard time training her even from when she was a puppy but I also have cats is there any way that I could get help with her chasing the cats?

Answer by Otto
Submitted on 1/29/2004
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I have a Blue Heeler, and he is over a year old, for the first 8 months he was a terror destroying everything, he has gotten a little lazy and a little more calm with age. But we still have problems with him biting the hands..not hard..just like..out of habit..help?

Answer by kate
Submitted on 2/22/2004
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Charlie, there are a number of ways to get your baby into good activities. my little one is a mostly indoor dog who was rescued after four months of abuse from my local shelter. he was rough and aggressive, but quality time changed everything. some fun games we do are hide and seek and fetch. but when you are too tired to be active with him, try getting a laser pointer and running the light around your walls. my baby will chase it for hours and has a real blast. kennel training and time outs are very effective. mostly, treat him like an only child and fill your home with toys just for him. he'll love it.

Answer by appygrrl927
Submitted on 3/18/2004
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I have just recently purchased a ACD and he is wonderful.I work on a tree farm and he goes with me everyday. He doesn't chew on anything but his own toys. These are working dogs find them a job or take them with you to work or find a day sitter for them.I have had Austrailian Sheperds before and these dags are a breeze compared to those.All my dogs get the opportunity to work livestock and i believe that is what they truly need. After all that is what they were bred for its genetic you can't change instinct.If you can't work them and spend lots of time with them then you don't need a dog like this. Get a yorkie or something.

Answer by lisa
Submitted on 3/21/2004
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i just got a new acd, and cant wait to start the journey, i have always had dobes, or german shep's so am looking forward to a different dog.

Answer by Dave
Submitted on 4/1/2004
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About 5 months ago I got an Blue heeler / Jack Russell mix and he has become the best dog you can ask for. I remember having a lot of the problems people have stated above and the fix I found was start training early and often. Eventually they will get the idea of what is acceptable and what isn't. They are incredibly smart animals. We found taking him to some puppy classes really helped him and made it far more enjoyable. He still has a little way to go but nothing we can't live with. Hang in there and be sure to spend lots of time with your dogs.

Answer by Xem
Submitted on 4/29/2004
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I've got a blue heeler mix. she's 5 now but when we had her as a pup, she'd chew on everything, till we started putting a little tab of lemon, or tabasco sauce on the things that she chewed the most ( except toys of course) she learned pretty quick that she didn't like chewing on those things anymore and the toys tasted better. we also took things like a rope toy and soaked it in chicken broth and froze it... it feels good on sore chewing puppy teeth and tastes good to them ..

Answer by Rooster & Christen
Submitted on 4/30/2004
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I have just gotten my 5th Blue. I of course picked the one that I wanted For my baby. She was not born the runt, however she is not growing like her littermates. She weighs just 1lb 3oz. Her littermate weighs 9lbs. Is there such a thing as dwarfism in Heelers? I love her to death, but my husband is giving me a hard time about not letting her out to work cows. She's too little! She will be hurt! :( Please help!

Answer by christine
Submitted on 5/9/2004
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This is for Charlie! Don't give up on your dog because of the energy/age factor! I was at a pet store and saw a cool device for playing fetch. It was a ball and a launching device so that you could throw the ball far with out straining yourself. You could also pick the ball up from the ground with it and not have to bend down too far avoiding back strain.

Answer by Bob The Builder
Submitted on 5/14/2004
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I have an Australian Shepherd/ Australian cattle dog mix, I got her when she was 6 weeks she used to chew everything in sight now she is almost 2 years old and she never chews (accept on toys). But I also have 2 sheep for 4-H and she tries to herd them, I have been looking into teaching her how to herd them right but I can't find anything.she also licks everything in sight and she was diagnosed with OCD Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Answer by shy_bugs2
Submitted on 5/18/2004
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help my two year old blue heeler/collie mix is still causing trouble I found one thing that works ( a shaker can ) but it scares her too much help me it would be much a appreciated to get some advice on how to get her to calm down she is also with an old man but he dont do much any more