Australian Cattle Dog breed guide

True-blue loyal, famously smart, tenacious and ever alert, the Australian Cattle Dog may be wary of strangers. AKC says these resilient herders are smart enough to routinely outsmart their owners.

If an Australian Cattle Dog is not challenged it grows bored and gets into mischief, so AKC recommends owners take part with it in some work, sport or regular exercise.

Cattle dogs live 12 to 16 years. Breeders screen for deafness, progressive retinal atrophy, which causes vision loss and hip dysplasia.

The smooth double-layer coat has no odor or oily residue, so a quick weekly brushing and an occasional bath do the job. The undercoat sheds twice a year and during shedding season it needs a thorough brushing-out every few days.

A very active, high-energy dog needs more than a quick walk and yard play. ACDs need a job and on a farm without animals to herd, daily or near-daily runs with the owner are a good outlet.

The breed contributed to the growth of Australia's beef industry. As Anglo-Australians moved into the western grasslands in the early 1800s, the first cattle dogs were British imports called Smithfields, which were unsuited to the heat, rough terrain and long distances to market.

Stockmen began a long process of trial and error to breed a herding dog that could cope.