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A Medium - sized dog, greatly prized in his native Australia for his working ability, he is used for the control and movement of cattle in all environments.He is also known as the Australian Heeler, a name derived from the manner in which he manoeuvres the cattle, crouching low behind them and nipping them on the heels. A dog of great stamina and endurance, he is wary of strangers, and protective of his herd and property. He requires plenty of exercise to keep him in hard muscular condition, he is very alert, and has an implicit devotion to duty.

General Appearance ** Strong, compact, symmetrical, with substance, power and balance. Hard muscular condition conveys agility, strength and endurance. Grossness or weediness undesirable.

Characteristics ** Ability to control and move cattle in all environments. Loyal, protective. Guardian of stocman, herd and property. Naturally suspicious of strangers, but amenable to handling. Biddable.

Temperament ** Alert, inteligent, watcful, coureous, trustworthy, devoted to its work

Head and Skull ** Strong, in balance with body and general conformation. Skull broad and slightly curved between ears, flattening to slight but definite stop. Cheeks muscular but not coarse well deeloped. Broad foreface, well filled in undereyes, tapers gradually down medium-length muzzle wghich is parallel to skull. Nose always black.

Eyes ** Medium, oval, alert and intelligent, dark brown. Neither prominent nor sunken. Warning suspicious glint is characteristic.

Ears ** Moderate, small rather than large> Broad at base, muscular, pricked and moderately pionted. Oval or bat-eared undesirable. Set wide apart inckining outwards. Sensitive, pricked when alert. Leather thick in texture and inside ear well furnished with hair.

Mouth ** Lips tight and clean. Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck ** Exceptionally strong, muscular, of medium length blending into body. Free from throatiness.

ForeQuarters ** Strong, sloping shoulders well laid back, not too closely set and withers. Strong, round bone, legs straight when viewed from front, pasterns flexble and slightly sloping when veiwed from side. Loaded shoulder and heavy front undesirable.

Body ** Slightly longer from point of shoulder to buttocks than height at withers, as 10 is to 9. Level topline, strong back and couplings. Well sprung ribs, carried well back, but not barrelribbed. Chest deep, muscular and moderately broad.

HindQuarters ** Broad, strong and muscular. Croup rather long and sloping. Well turned stifle, hocks strong and well let down. when viewed from behind, hocks to feet straight and set parallel, niether too close nor too wide apart.

Feet ** Round, short toes, strong, well arched and held tight, pads hard and deep. Nails short and strong.

Tail ** Set and low following slope of croup/rump. Reaching to back, hanging in slight curve at rear. When working or excited, may be raised but never carried over back Good brush.

Gait / Movement ** True, free, supple, tireless, with powerful thrust of hindquarters. Capable of quick and sudden action. Soundness of paramount importance. Stands four square, but when moving at speed, legs tend to converge. Any weakness highly undesirable.

Coat ** Smooth, double with short dense undercoat. Close top coat, hard, straight and weatherresistant. Under body and behind legs, coat is longer to from mild breeching near thighs.Short on head including inside of ear, front of legs and feet. Thicker and longer on neck. Average hair length 2.5.-4 cms ( 1=1 ins.

Colour ** Blue; Blue-mottled or bue speckled with or without other markings. Oermissible makings are black, blue or tan markings on head, evenly distributed for preference. Forelegs tan midway up legs and extending up to front to breast and throat, with tan on jaws. Hindqaurters tan on inside of hindlegs, and inside of things, showing down front of stifles and broadening out to outside of hindlegs from hockto does. Tan undercoat permissible on body providing it does not show through blue outer coat. Black markins on body undesirable.

Red Speckle ** Good even red speckle all over, including undercoat niether white nor cream, with or without darker red markings on head. Even head markings desirable. Red markings on bodey permissible but undesirable.

Size** Height at withers: dogs: 46 - 51 cms ( approx, 18-20 ins); bitches; 43 - 48 cms ( approx. 17-19 ins.

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.

Note ** Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.