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Australian Cattle Dog mixed with Rat Terrier and Jack Russell

12182 Views 32 Replies 17 Participants Last post by  Brent Brown, 
RenoHuskerDu
You read that right. We were planning on getting Pyrenees to protect our acres, but then I learned that they also run off deer. We plan to feed them and take a few for the freezer.

As luck would have it, our neighbor's mixed Terrier got pregnant with their Oz Cattle Dog. Unexpectedly. Shotgun wedding aamof.

Given that we already have experience with Westies guarding our last place in France, I agreed to take two pups. With terriers on the job, cats are not needed. Cats complicate things even though I enjoy them a lot. I've seen our terriers kill a rat in 5 seconds flat.

These are the most energetic little pups ever. The male will resolutely follow me everywhere if unfamiliar people are around. Very loyal. Here is the female.

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RenoHuskerDu
fireweed farm said:
SNIP
Can’t wear the darn thing out, he’s on the kitchen table when I leave the house, incapable of leaving the cat alone, he sees a bike out on the street and just goes, wow. Every time I see any herding breed pup for sale on fb farm pages I want to say do your homework!
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I agree to the extent that nobody without acreage should consider a heeler mix. We have 20 acres and are surrounded by much larger parcels. Our dogs key on any vehicle that passes on the dirt road 300 yds away, but we've trained them to stay nearby with training collars.

At one point we had trouble with errant cattle in an adjacent field. The heelers enthusiastically helped us chase them out with a 4 wheeler, nipping at the heels of running heifers. Then we got proper cattle guards installed, so those cattle in the adjacent field are now the ones that are supposed to be there. It was not too hard to retrain the heelers to leave those cattle alone. I was worried at first, but they learned quickly.
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R
Interesting post to read after returning to this forum. I have a 14 week old Heeler/Feist mix and she is a handful. I hope I have the time and patience with this pup, my first in many years.
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J
Have a Heeler/Kelpie mix. An absolutely incredible dog. I wish I would have found this combination sooner in life. It would be all I ever owned.
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RenoHuskerDu
I should follow up and report that these dogs are turning out very well, obedient and affectionate. Raising them for 3 months inside the house, cage training, is what I credit for that. If one needs health care, being able to bring them inside is useful. They are very protective of our chickens. They absolutely hate vultures and hawks, chase them to the fence line. Our only predator loss so far was a hawk getting a layer. They will only chase the cattle now if directed to. The female is a bit bossy at times, picks fights with the two males, sometimes gets her butt whupped (we added a 60lb male Heeler / German Shepherd cross due to concerns about Coyotes attacking the 25lb Heeler/Terrier mix).

Their constant high energy level is amazing. It would be a huge mistake to own dogs like these without sufficient acreage. They do dig at times, but stop once a human male scents that spot. They don't dig under fences. We have only seen one rat in a year here. They also seem to dislike rodents, except as snacks. We don't need to have cats, given these dogs' Terrier blood. That means no cat flea problems or other feline health issues.
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altair
Other than looking out for sibling syndrome, sounds like they're a good addition so far.
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RenoHuskerDu
altair said:
Other than looking out for sibling syndrome, sounds like they're a good addition so far.
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What's that?
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altair
There are butt tons of search engine results so here's one https://thebark.com/content/dont-take-two-littermates
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HDRider
JJ Grandits said:
Have a Heeler/Kelpie mix. An absolutely incredible dog. I wish I would have found this combination sooner in life. It would be all I ever owned.
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That seems to be a very compatible mix.
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RenoHuskerDu
altair said:
There are butt tons of search engine results so here's one https://thebark.com/content/dont-take-two-littermates
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Never heard of a butt ton before. I'm off to the rock quarry again soon, I'll see if they sell butt tons there. Should be good for giggles with the pretty ladies at the weigh station. They can't tell who's talking on the CB.
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barnbilder
It's supposed to be a butt load, which is a measure of volume equal to 130 US gallons. Butt ton makes no sense because it incorporates a unit of volume measurement with a unit of weight measurement. It would be possible to have a butt ton of something, but it would have to be slightly denser than magnesium.A butt load of magnesium would be about 15 pounds shy of a ton.
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J
HDRider said:
That seems to be a very compatible mix.
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Elli was the runt of the litter. I could not believe how smart this dog is. She actually follows commands I never taught her.
Basically, she figures them out. What amazes me is her amount of focus. That and her energy. She makes my Golden Retriever remind me of Lenny from Mice and Men. A sweetheart of a dog, but dumb as a sack of rocks.
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RenoHuskerDu
barnbilder said:
It's supposed to be a butt load, which is a measure of volume equal to 130 US gallons. Butt ton makes no sense because it incorporates a unit of volume measurement with a unit of weight measurement. It would be possible to have a butt ton of something, but it would have to be slightly denser than magnesium.A butt load of magnesium would be about 15 pounds shy of a ton.
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I wonder what the laden airspeed velocity of a swallow would be, whilst carrying a butt load? African, of course.
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B
Hope everything goes well
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