dog · Boop field guide
Australian Cattle Dog
Heelers — small, hard, and bonded for life.
ACDs (Blue and Red Heelers) were bred to drive cattle across the outback. They bond fiercely to one human, mistrust strangers, and need physical + mental work to stay sane. They live 14–16 years; that's a long commitment.
What makes them, them
- 30–50 lb adult; short coat with surprising shedding cycles.
- Hip + elbow dysplasia, deafness in merle lines.
- Slow to mature — adolescence runs to 3 years.
- Will herd children, cars, joggers, vacuum cleaners.
Safety — what actually goes wrong
- BAER hearing test before adopting a merle — congenital deafness common.
- Recall is reliable only with consistent training; off-leash with caution.
- Mouthy with toddlers — supervise interactions while pup learns inhibition.
How Boop helps Australian Cattle Dogs stay home
Heelers escape, herd a flock, and resurface across town. Boop's auto-expanding alert radius matches how they actually travel.
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