I love these dogs. Is there anyone out there competing with them in protection sport? I've heard one guy tell me he saw one do very well.

I'm surprised this breed isn't alittle more popular in the Misc. breeds.

I've been around some with zero defense drive, and I've been around others that would take your head off.

Lets hear some Heeler stories.

I had a red heeler bitch name Clancy when I ws young. Shed attack anyone who even play fought with me. I hitch hiked right around australia with her when I was 16, she was a great dog. They are notorious here as problem bittters.They list very high in stats of dogs that bite kids. In northern australia they are commonly crossed with bull terriers and the like to produce hard stock dogs to use on scrub cattle. Good dogs will run in and grab wild cattle by the nose, they learn to repect dogs once they have this happen to them . I worked clancy on sheep a few times but she never got over her desire to bite them or heel them. I too have often thought theyd make good working dogs as they are a compact size and have a very hard bite.Most of the ones Ive seen here react immediately to agitation, they love to get hold of a sack.
I dont know how they look in the US but there is now two types here, the show type which is very small and stumpy legged and the type you see in the bush which is taller and slimmer. They are such good dogs because the duds are shot out of hand and the good ones kept. They are the sought of dogs who quickly learn to ride on the back of a horse or motorbike and have lots of vigour. Things like hip problems and all that are unheard of in them in the bush. Once the show breeders get hold of them thats the end of them. You get red and blue puppies occuring in the same litters.

Brendan, what about Kelpies? What the working lines like?

I've only seen the stumpy ones (cattle dogs) here, they suck all around.

There's a few but as usual outside the US is usually a better place to get the right lines it seems with almost any working breed. That's a shame . . .

When I lived in Wyoming we'd see alot of heelers. These were working dogs. And no matter how long their owners sat in the bar/restaurant the dogs would stay in the back of the pickup. A friend of ours had one, and she feared nothing, was great with the kids, and her property was HERS. I'd take one in a heartbeat, and I'm a diehard GSD person.

Sue

I think there's a very important place for this dog in protection sports.

One of the members of The club I'm with has one.
OOHH MMYY! This dog is TNT!! the guy has a K-9 security co. And the Cattle dog is the most rented one of them all! Over GSD,APBT & ROTTIES. HOT I KIDD YOU NOTTT!!

This brings me to another question...

If a dog takes fight to a rampaging bull, does that *neccesarily* mean it'll take fight to a human?

There are bulldogs which will tangle with a nasty boar, but yet would be reluctant to bite a sleeve (from what I've seen).

But, intuitivly, it would seem that if a dog had the acumen to fight a human, it wouldn't be a big deal to tangle with another kind of animal. But just because it can wail on other animals, doesn't mean it'll want to deal with humans....seemingly.

I guess I'm just not exactly clear as to how dogs view humans as opposed to other animals when it comes to fighting them. There is a difference, right?

I think so.
Coonhounds and many, MANY dogs will fight other animals, wild or domestic.

Working dogs are just the same in my opinion, but only so many will have civil drive.

I could be wrong, but that's how I've perceived it.