Often times I have told people I have a Red Heeler for a dog. I get asked "Wow, is that like a Blue Heeler?" Yes, Yes it is. I have one of those too and they are the exact same breed. As a matter of fact these dogs have several names; Red Heeler, Blue Heeler, Halls Heeler. The American Kennel Club would refer to them as Australian Cattle Dogs. A more generic name is Queensland Heeler. The term Red Heeler or Blue Heeler are a reference to the color of the dog, not a different breed. Queensland Heelers that are brown, are referred to as Red Heelers and Queensland Heelers that are grey or black are called Blue Heelers. Two Red Heelers can have a Blue Heeler and two Blue Heelers can have a Red Heeler. A Blue Heeler and a Red Heeler do not produce a purple dog. There is one difference between a Queensland Heeler and an Australian Cattle Dog. To be American Kennel Club certified they cannot have a docked tail. In other words the Blue Heeler, Red Heeler, Queensland Heeler are unwanted dogs by the American Kennel Club, because they don't have tails.

Queensland Heelers came about in Australia in the 1800's. When the ranching of cattle started to move further west, ranchers started to notice that the dogs they had been using couldn't keep up or get the job done in the deserts harsh environment. Years of experimentation yielded what we have now, the Queensland Heeler. I have read numerous books and sources about the creation of the cattle dog. There is numerous speculation about what type of dogs went in to the creation of the Red Heelers and the Blue Heelers. I don't think anyone really knows. One expert claims to know one theory and another expert claims a completely different theory. The most common combination that comes up more than any other is: Blue Merle Collie, Australian Kelpie, Dalmation, Dingo, and Staffordshire Terrier.

The Blue Merle Collie apparently has the smallest influence on Red Heelers. Their only noticeable contribution is the grey color in the Blue Heelers. Red Heelers get their coloring from one of the other breeds.

The Australian Kelpie was chosen for its innate ability to work cattle. Heelers are natural herding dogs. Queensland Heelers will nip the heels of cattle to get them to start moving, a trait that non-working dogs still carry and has given many dogs an aggressive reputation. This is why they have the name heeler, a trait they most likely inherited from the Kelpie.

The Dalmation was chosen for its natural love and affinity for horses. If you ever see a picture of an old horse drawn fire engine and a Dalmation on the seat, now you know why. Dalmations can naturally tell the difference between a horse and a cow. Nothing could be a bigger annoyance than having your dog heel your mount. The Dalmation's DNA is why Queensland Heelers are born white.

The Dingo was chosen for its endurance, stamina and ability to withstand and survive in Australias western desert. A Red Heeler unlike the Blue Heeler gets its coloring from the Dingo. Dingos were too wild and aggressive to work cattle so they had to mix it with others to make it trainable. Don't underestimate your heeler though. One animal biologist has suggested that the Queensland Heeler is as close as you can get to owning a wild animal without a special permit.

Lastly is the Staffordshire Terrier. Did I mention that the Queensland Heeler nips at the heels of the cattle to get them to move? Well if you are going to be working with your teeth all day, you are going to need a strong bite.


Now that you know that Blue Heelers, Red Heelers, Queensland Heelers, Halls Heelers and Australian Cattle Dogs are all the same dog, you can watch these movies which have featured a heeler. "Last of the Dogmen", "The Road Warrior", "Secret Window" and more recently "The Incredible Hulk".

| 31 comments