Ruqayyah Snyder
Australian Cattle Dogs are born white and develop their base coat colour within a few weeks. The two base colours are red and blue, and they can be either mottled or speckled. Mottled coats have fingertip-sized spots, while speckled coats have small white clusters of hair throughout. Red dogs have reddish-brown base coats, while blue dogs have black base coats. Both base colours can have a variety of markings, including masks, which are dark patches over the eyes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of base colours | 2: red and blue |
| Other colours | White, black, tan, brown |
| Red dogs | Red speckled, red mottled, red heeler |
| Blue dogs | Blue, blue speckled, blue mottled, blue heeler |
| Markings | Masks over one or both eyes, white tip to the tail, solid spot at the base of the tail, spots on the body, tan on legs, chest, neck, cheeks, eyebrows, muzzle, ears, under the tail |
| Coats | Double coat, short, dense undercoat, flat, hard, rain-resistant, dirt-resistant |
| Colour change | Puppies are born white and their coat colours change as they mature |
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What You'll Learn
Australian cattle dogs are born white
The Australian Cattle Dog standard calls for two primary colours: blue and red speckle. These colours are achieved through the intermingling of white hairs with black hairs to create the blue dog and white hairs with red hairs to create the red speckled dog. This pattern of white and coloured hairs is sometimes described as merle, but it is actually governed by ticking/roaning genes (T locus), not the merling gene (M locus). The base colour in blue dogs is black, and in red speckle dogs, it is a solid red. Without the intermingled white hairs, blue dogs would appear black and red speckle dogs would appear solid red.
The breed can also be split into two types of coats: speckled and mottled. A red speckled coat is characterised by irregular white hairs ticking throughout the coat (roan) against a dark red background. A red mottled coat consists of several fingertip-sized spots against the base coat, which consists of a reddish to ginger colour background. Red heelers may range from a lighter red to a deeper red. On the head, solid red markings may be present. Evenly distributed red markings are preferred.
Blue dogs may have tan midway up the legs and extending up to the breast and throat, with tan on the jaws and eyebrows. The undercoat in blue dogs may be black and/or tan, but if it is tan, it should not show through the outer coat.
In both red and blue dogs, the most common markings are masks over one or both eyes, a white tip to the tail, a solid spot at the base of the tail, and sometimes solid spots on the body, although these are not desirable in dogs bred for conformation shows.
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Their base coats develop in a few weeks
Australian Cattle Dogs are born white and develop their base coats within a few weeks. The two base colours are blue and red, with blue dogs having a black base coat and red dogs having a reddish-brown base coat. The blue colour is produced by an even intermingling of black and white hairs in the outer coat, giving the impression of a bluish colour.
Blue Australian Cattle Dogs may have blue, blue speckled, or blue mottled coats. The speckled variety has small white clusters of hairs throughout its coat, against a black base. The mottled variety has larger clusters of white hairs on a black base coat. Red Australian Cattle Dogs come in red speckled and red mottled coats. The red speckled coat is characterised by irregular white hairs ticking throughout the coat (roan) against a dark red background. The red mottled coat has several fingertip-sized spots against the reddish-brown base coat.
Both red and blue dogs can have a variety of markings. Blue dogs may have tan midway up the legs, on the chest, neck, jaws, and eyebrows. They may also have black patches, although these are considered undesirable. Red dogs usually have red markings on their head, often covering their eyes and sometimes their ears. They can also have tan markings in the same places as blue dogs.
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There are two main colours: red and blue
Australian Cattle Dogs come in two main colours: red and blue. These colours are achieved through the intermingling of white hairs with black hairs to create the blue dog, and white hairs with red hairs to create the red speckled dog. This pattern of white and coloured hairs is sometimes called merle, but it is actually governed by ticking/roaning genes (T locus), not the merling gene (M locus).
The base colour of blue dogs is black, and the coat must have white hairs mingled throughout. The red speckled coat is characterised by irregular white hairs ticking throughout the coat (roan) against a dark red background. The absence of speckle in a red-coated dog is undesirable. The red mottled coat consists of several fingertip-sized spots against a reddish to ginger base coat. Red heelers may range from a lighter red to a deeper red. On the head, solid red markings may be present. Evenly distributed red markings are preferred.
Blue dogs may have tan midway up the legs, on the chest, throat, jaws, and eyebrows. Tan markings are found on virtually all blue Australian Cattle Dogs, although they are not required. Black pencilling on the toes is a common feature of the tan pattern. A blue dog without tan markings is rarely seen but should not be considered a fault. Red dogs may also have tan markings in the same places as blue dogs.
Both red and blue dogs often have masks over one or both eyes, a white tip to the tail, a solid spot at the base of the tail, and sometimes solid spots on the body, although these are not desirable in dogs bred for conformation shows.
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Red heelers have mottled or speckled coats
Australian Cattle Dogs are born white and develop their colour as they mature. They come in two main coat colours: red and blue, which is why they are often referred to as red heelers and blue heelers. These two coat colours can be further split into two types: the speckled coat and the mottled coat.
Blue mottled coats are produced by irregular areas of white hair, slightly larger than speckle distribution, throughout the entire coat. The blue coloration often has a mottled or marbled effect, giving the coat a unique texture. The base colour in blue dogs is black, and the coat must have white hairs mingled throughout.
The speckling in the Australian Cattle Dog was essential to the breed standard, but red mottle was not mentioned, despite its occurrence. Absence of speckle is undesirable, as are black hairs showing through the coats of red dogs.
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Blue heelers may be blue, blue speckled or blue mottled
Blue Heelers, also known as Australian Cattle Dogs, are born with a mask around their eyes. The Blue Heeler's mask is black, while the Red Heeler's mask is brown or red. These dogs are born white and their coat colours change as they mature. The Blue Heeler is a variation of the Australian Cattle Dog, and its key characteristic is its blue colour. The Blue Heeler received its name from its instinctive behaviour of nipping at the heels of the cattle they herd.
The Blue Heeler's blue colour is actually a mix of black and white hairs that appear blue or grey from a distance. The coat can be blue speckled or blue mottled. The blue-speckled variation has a predominantly black colour on its coat, with white colour spread in small and uneven groups, looking like white stains. The blue-mottled variation has more white than black on the coat. The coat appears white, with small black spots.
The blue colour was chosen by farmers because it made the dogs "invisible" at night, preventing the cows from being spooked. The blue-coloured Australian Cattle Dog is produced by an even intermingling of black and white hairs in the outer coat, giving the impression of a bluish colour. The undercoat in the blue-coloured dogs may be black and/or tan, but the tan should not show through the outer coat.
Blue Heelers may have tan midway up the legs and extending up the front to the breast and throat, with tan on the jaws, and tan eyebrows. The permissible markings are black, blue, or tan markings on the head, evenly distributed for preference.
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Frequently asked questions
Australian Cattle Dogs come in two base colours: blue and red.
Blue Australian Cattle Dogs have a black base coat with uniformly dispersed white hairs, which gives them a bluish colour. They are also called blue heelers.
Red Australian Cattle Dogs have a reddish-brown base coat with irregular white hairs ticking throughout. They are also called red heelers.
Australian Cattle Dogs can have either speckled or mottled coats.
Yes, Australian Cattle Dogs are born white and their coat colours change as they mature.
