[Riddick]

Well I have just come across this site and decided to sign on to be apart of this forum.
I could say I have had dogs in my life for close on 40 years. We might have been without a dog for 6 monthhs at most in all that time.
We have just taken on our new pup Murphy 1st of this month.
And I know that I want others to know how well he is doing more than just my family.
I live with my wife as our kids are all grown up and have their own lives.
And we knew that we were the people that need a dog in our lives.
So we got my little boy and so far he is just that little charmer. I will post pictures from time to time of him in the section he is or is under.
All the best and thanks for the welcome in advance.

[CorkyMax]

Hi! Glad to meet you! What kind of dog is your puppy, Murphy? He sounds like a lucky dog to have you as parents! Aren't dogs just great to have! Love to see some pics of him when you take some pictures. And you don't have to have 50 posts in order to do this----once you have completed a post, scroll down BELOW the area noted submit to the next section.
There you can browse your computer for a photo. (Manage Attachments).
Click on the photo to save and then once the url or link appears in the browse box on here, scroll down to the next "submit" box and click on it.
Where is it exactly that you are from--I don't think I have ever heard of that place? Lol, I just checked it out on the web! Found this: Sunraysia is an area of northwestern Victoria and southwestern New South Wales in Australia, known for its sunshine, grapes and oranges. Its main centre is Mildura.

Sunraysia was a name derived from a contest that entrepreneur Jack De Garis had held as part of a promotion in 1919 on behalf of the Australian Dried Fruits Association. The public were invited to submit a name which described the dried fruits grown in the Mildura district. The winning name was Sun-Raysed, and this was extended to describe the district as Sunraysia. De Garis's 1920 established newspaper Sunraysia Daily borrowed the name accordingly.[1]

The area of Victoria to the west of Sunraysia is known as the Millewa, the main distinction being that Sunraysia is the irrigated area and Millewa is the dryland cropping area.

Interesting how the name was given!

[Riddick]

You got it all there about our area.
We are just a 9 kilometer drive north of Mildura called Merbein which is a great small town.
How we got Murphy's name well it was a name I liked and it has no bearing's on any person or place.
It just sounds like a re good name, so we gave it to him and have had a few thoughts about changing it but nothing seems as good as his name.
Murphy is a full pegigree Blue Australian Cattle Dog.
We are making him a indoor dog as we want the protection he will give us in a few short months if it is ever needed.
He loves our granddaughters so much already and this is so pleasing to see him interact with them.
I have posted a picture of him in the puppy photo section. His is on the floor along side of my recliner.

[CorkyMax]

Guess I'll have to wait a bit to see Murphy. I got to the right page to see him but the statement 'image pending approval' is where the picture should be.

You prob. know a lot about your breed of dog but here is a good link if you want to see more: Australian Cattle Dog Information and Pictures - Blue Heeler Be sure to scroll the whole page as 5 more pages of pics. to click on at bottom.

[Riddick]

I hate to say this but to me a lot of these dogs on that site do not look like full Heelers. I am sorry to say this and I hope that I don't offend anyone with this remark. But this is how I see it.
To me their faces are too long and this is the thing that was the stand out thing.
On page 5 when the pups were there, now these look just like I know they should look like as my boy looks a lot like the grey faced pups on the pictures.

[CorkyMax]

I really don't know that much about this breed--never seen one ---- but I wonder that maybe the dogs here in the states are a little laxer on the standards--and not all of them are bred for show dogs? And too, the people who put these pictures of their dogs are not necessarily caring about the standards as most are prob. not show dogs but just a family pet. Quoting from that link I gave you: The Australian Cattle Dog was developed by pioneer settlers in the 1800s by crossing Dingo-blue merle Collies to Dalmatians and black and tan Kelpies. Some sources say the Bull Terrier breed may have been added as well. The result were dogs who were excellent workers, herding cattle on large ranches. In 1893 a man named Robert Kaleski wrote a standard for the breed. In 1903 the standard was approved in Australia. Being so many different breeds in the make-up--some may have different amounts of the breeds in them and so will look slightly different? And the people who submitted these pics prob. don't care if the dogs are 100% Australian Cattle Dog.
Lol, I may be all wrong, I am just talking off the top of my head here!

[Riddick]

I have to agree with the pont that there are many breeds in the Cattle dog s make up.
But one thing that I do know the pictures of most of the ones on that site the noses were way too long and the heads were by far too narrow.
There is a train of thought here from what I have read and it is something like this.
The athletic Heeler has a bigger percentage of the Dingo in it while the shorter and stockier Heeler has got the bigger percentage of the Bull Terrier.
I really think that the Heeler gene as it is here should stay this way. but if you want to have a mix breed then that is fine but these people that are selling Heelers as pedigree over there and have that skinny look is only doing a dis-service to the bred of Australian Cattle dog.
No matter what country they are coming out of.
Here you have got so many breeders that mix the Heeler with Border Collies or the Kelpie.
If you are unsure of the kelpie they are another Australian working dog breed.
Our last Heeler was a Red and she was the athletic one and it took her time to grow into her legs then into her body.
It is so interesting how us as humans play with nature to get just what we want out of them. And sometimes it is for the better but sometimes it is to the detroment of the dogs themselves.

[LizzieK]

Hi ya,

I have just found & joined this thread (today - yeeha)

Its neat to see another Heeler lover, I too have a heeler, mine is red, she is two years old and her name is Kharmann, altho her show name is Southern Lads Icy Red and here in New Zealand she is/was a breed champion. (Her photo is my profile picture.)

altho in saying all that, I have only had her since Easter of this year, as she is not able to breed (which for me is brilliant) so she is my wee best buddy and I am really enjoying having her to train and be a part of our family.

She has taken a while to settle into living within a "home" environment and not a kennel, but now that she is settled she seems very happy. Her "heeler traits" are slowly coming out but I love them, even the stubborn character that she shows when shes determined to do something, she will even wait up to 20 mins to try to get something that shes been told not to. Nothing like calm consistent training with this breed of dog is there?

we call her my velcro dog, (because shes always with me) I hope that you enjoy your Murphy as much as I enjoy my wee red girl.

[nattiej1976]

Nice to see some from MY side of the planet joining.

[LizzieK]

Originally Posted by nattiej1976

Nice to see some from MY side of the planet joining.

Hey Nattiej

are you from here (as in NZ)
what kind of dog do you have?

[nattiej1976]

Originally Posted by LizzieK

Hey Nattiej

are you from here (as in NZ)
what kind of dog do you have?

Im in Tassie Lizzie........ATM I have no puppy friends, we had to say farewell to our dear boy in Jan. Still have not got the strength to bring another into the home, one day hopefully, but its going to have to be someone pretty special to make me feel strongly enough about opening that part of the heart again.

[LizzieK]

I'm so sorry for your loss, its like loosing a part of yourself isn't it.
I lost my wee girl last year, she was a blue heeler, and I had determined NEVER to have another dog again, the ache was too much to have to face that again, and then a dear friend of mine (who is a breeder) offered me the wee red wench that I have now.

I have to admit to umming and aahhhing ALOT prior to going up to meet her (my dog Kharmann) and even after I met her (& thought she was just lovely) I still wasnt convinced, (getting another dog was the right thing) but brought her home anyhoo and how I dont know how I could have lived without her, almost lost her last week and thats really confirmed for me that she is the perfect dog for me. She had to have an emergency spey (stitches out on friday) yay!!.

Shes a really different dog now (energy level wise) and its so great to see her personality shine thru.

I've never been to Oz but hear that Tasmania is gorgeous.