Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

The Australian Stumpy tail Cattle dog is so named due to its frequent absence of a tail. Even when there is a tail, it is relatively short, not more than 4 inches or 10 cm. The Australian Stumpy tail cattle dog is a descendant of cattle dogs from Europe and crossed with the homegrown Australian dingo. It is bred to primarily herd cattle.

The Australian stumpy tail dog has normal propartions. It has erect ears and longish legs. The coat of this breed is typically medium length, tending towards short. It is also very harsh, dense and thick. Speckled blue and speckled red are the most common coat colors in this breed. The size of the dog varies between 18 and 20 inches (46 and 51 cm) at the withers. Female dogs of this breed are likely to be slightly smaller than their male counterparts.

The Australian stumpy tail dog is realted to the Autralian cattle dog. Unlike the stumpy tail dog, the Australian cattle dog has a long tail, but shorter legs. It is also bulkier and heavier than the stumpy tail dog.

The Autralian stumpy tail cattle dog is a direct descendant of the British Smithfield Cattle Dog, which came to Australia in the early 19th century. They were then bred with the Australian dingo. There were no updated records at that time and the exact history of the Australian stumpy tail cattle dog remains a matter of opinion and debate. Several cases have been made tryin to outline the exact breeding history of these dogs.

One theory suggests that Smithfield cattle dogs were crossed with the dingo by a drover called Timmins and the breed that developed from these crosses came to be referred to as Timmin’s Biters. They were then crossed with smooth collies from Scotland to make them more manageable and easy to handle, also decreasing the number of dingo characteristics in this breed which then became the Australian stumpy tail cattle dog.

On the other hand, another theory suggests that both the Australian cattle dogs, the stumpy tail as well as the long tail were bred by Thomas Hall in 1830 by breeding British Smithfield cattle dogs and the Australian dingo. They were referred to as Hall’s Heelers and the diverged at some point to create the two variations of the Australian cattle dogs.

The Australian stumpy tail cattle dog is considered to be a watchful and alert dog. It is known to be highly responsive to its owner, but is likely to be gaurded amongst strangers. It has a very independent temperament which may cause difficulties in handling dogs from this breed. However, early and consistent training can go a long way in making these dogs easy to manage. They need to be trained in their tasks at an early age. They also need to be socialized with other people and dogs at an early age. They also need to lead a highly active life as a sedantary lifestyle is simply not well suited for their temperament.