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MediumHerding Group

Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog was developed in 19th-century Australia from crosses of Dingo, Collie, and Dalmatian-type stock to drive cattle across vast outback stations.

Calculate Australian Cattle Dog age
Lifespan14 yrrange 13–16
SizeMediumHerding Group
Weight35–50 lb15.9–22.7 kg
Senior at7 yrgeriatric at 11

Gallery (3)

About

About the Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog was developed in 19th-century Australia from crosses of Dingo, Collie, and Dalmatian-type stock to drive cattle across vast outback stations. The breed's mottled blue or red coat and compact muscular build reflect its dingo ancestry.

Aging

How Australian Cattle Dogs age

RVC VetCompass gives a median lifespan of 14.0 years (n=167, small UK sample). Congenital hearing loss at 4.7% on OFA screens is elevated — inherited through the merle/white coat pattern — and PRA affects roughly 9.4% of screened dogs.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 14 yr · range 13–16Senior careSenior at 7 · geriatric at 11Common health issues12 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
35–50 lb(15.9–22.7 kg)
Height
17–20 in(43.2–50.8 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
BlueBlue MottledBlue SpeckledRed SpeckledRed Mottled
Temperament

Temperament

How Australian Cattle Dogs tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

alertcuriousresourcefulprotective
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~6 yr

    Progressive Retinal Atrophy

    Description and veterinary guidance for Progressive Retinal Atrophy land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
90min
per day

Australian Cattle Dogs are high-output dogs — plan for 90 minutes of daily activity across a mix of walks, off-leash play, and purposeful work.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.