DES POENJAAP KENNELS DES POENJAAP KENNELS
Rare breeds kennel in Belgium 
THE
AUSTRALIAN CATTLEDOG,
LOVE
ON 4 FEET !
Australian
Cattle Dogs are a breed also often refered to as: Heelers, Blue Heelers, Red
Heelers, Queensland Heelers, Queensland Blue Heelers and Queensland Red Heelers.
The Australian Cattle Dog is *NOT* the
same thing as an Australian Shepherd !!
The breed was developed in the mid-to-late
1800's in Australia where the stockmen were desperately in need of a dog that
had the stamina to withstand the rigors of the harsh conditions in their
country. While there is great controversy over the breeds actually used in the
development of the ACD we know today, some of the breeds reported to have been
used are: the Native Australian Dog (Dingo), Smooth Haired Scotch Merle Collies
(reported to be a cross between the Rough Haired Scotch Collie and the Blue
Italian Greyhound), the Dalmatian, the Bull Terrier and the Australian Kelpie.
All fanciers of the breed have their theories and all are as stubborn as the
breed in insisting that THEIR theory is the correct one.
The Australian Cattle Dog is a relatively
hearty, healthy breed that has an average lifespan of
twelve to fifteen years. They are a medium sized muscular dog that stands 17 to
20 inches (43 to 51 cm.) at the withers (shoulders). Their weight range is
variant around their general build but on average falls between 30 and 50 pounds
(14 to 23 kg). The Australian Cattle Dog comes in two colors: Blue or Red.
Australian Cattle Dogs are born white with
whatever face and/or body patches they will have in later life. As ACD pups age,
their blue or red coloring gradually emerges. The correct Australian Cattle Dog
coat is what is known as a "double coat". The short, straight outer
coat is protective in nature, keeping the elements from the ACDs skin while the
undercoat is short, kinky and dense. Australian Cattle Dogs are not year-round
shedders, instead they "blow"
their coat once a year (sometimes twice in the case
of intact females) just before the summer months. While the week or two an ACD
is blowing his or her coat can lead to hair everywhere, many people find it
preferable to constant shedding.
While in America and Australia, many
ranchers dock the tails of Australian Cattle Dogs, to do so is an INCREDIBLE
disservice to the breed.
Just watching an ACD at work shows one how
much they rely on their tails to act as "rudders" as they quickly
manuever around the livestock. Such quick maneuvers have also been known to be
important when chasing tennis balls (VBG).
.
The Australian Cattle Dog personality is
often reserved with strangers and even FIERCELY protective when they perceive
that their property and/or persons are being threatened. The ACD is intelligent,
but can certainly often be described as hard-headed and stubborn. Once an ACD
has befriended you, they are a friend for life....but that friendship must often
be earned. Australian Cattle Dog are often refered to by
their owners as "velcro" or
"shadow" dogs...because wherever you go, there they are!!
The Australian Cattle Dog is an EXTREMELY
active breed, with mental stimulation being of paramount importance. A bored
Cattle Dog is a destructive Cattle Dog !! The Australian Cattle Dog is a social
breed that NEEDS to be with "its people". This is NOT a breed to leave
chained or penned in the back yard....such isolation will lead to SERIOUS
personality problems !! Because the Australian Cattle Dog is an active breed, a
firm commitment must be made to exercise. ACDs make excellent running or biking
companions although care must be taken not to over exert the young dog. Because
of their intelligence, ACDs make WONDERFUL obedience prospects (although their
intelligence can actually be a hinderance in this ring also). Australian Cattle
Dogs are also known to excell at Dog Sports such as Flyball, Agility and Frisbee
competition. The sky is the limit when your companion of choice is an ACD !!
- With thanks to australiancattledog.com
and especially to the first people to breed Australian Cattledogs in Belgium
whilst taking care that te breed is and stays healthy and strong :
Karel Eeckhout and his wife Jeannique
Valcke, owners of the kennel “DES POENJAAP KENNELS” :
Karel : “ Opposite to my wife Jeannique,
I’ve always had dogs at home, even as a very small child.
When I met my (future) wife in 1984, her first priority was to be with
someone who loved dogs. As we were married in 1987 and left our familyhomes, I
took my dogs with me, namely a German Braque and a crossbreed ‘Shepherd from
Mechelen’.
Soon we had a Bouvier des Flandres, his
name was PUNJAAP (this name was the origin of our later name of kennel : DES
POENJAAP).
My wife had bought this dog in order to do
sports such as IPO and obediencetraining, as later on also police/guarddog.
In 1990 we bought our first showdogs and
we started showing in the Benelux and Germany and in 1994 also with the
“longdistanceshows” in Europe, but also in the USA and in Canada.
Today we are active in over 28 countries.
Because of the upcoming prohibition of
docking tails and ears in Europe, we started looking for a new breed ; it simply
had to be a shepherdsdog GR1 and as such my wife found the Australian Cattledog.
Our first Cattledog was imported from
Canada, but soon we would also be importing from Finland and the USA.
It was an enormous change from the
Bouviers we had, even though both breeds were being bred for the same work :
herding cattle.
The outside appearance is totally
different from Bouviers, whose fur needs to be trimmed regularly ; the Cattledog
has a shorter fur and doesn’t need trimming.
The Cattledog is smaller than a Bouvier,
and has a different character. They still have all the natural features in them.
Herding cattle is a big part of their
nature, when you go on a walk with a group of people, the Cattledog will try and
keep the group together, “herd” the group and also the “heeling” is
typical.
Raising a cattledog is no more difficult
than raising any other dog, but you need to make sure that you can spend a lot
of time with your Cattledog. They
thrive on the attention of their owner. They
adore playing fetch and everything that has to do with water. Most
Cattledoglovers train agility or obedience with their dogs.
Also in the Country & Western surroundings, they are the most seen
breed, they are very popular with horselovers and they are very good in herding
horses !
Last but not least, they are the most
loving, faithfull companions for their owners and their family, they simply love
going for a walk with “their people”. They are simply adorable !
If you would be interested to learn even
more about an Australian Cattledog, or if you’re interested in buying a
Cattledog, please contact us at :
DES POENJAAP KENNELS, BELGIUM
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