# Blue heeler question



## thibodeaux

I got a call from someone we have gotten some of my pygmies from saying he had a 3 month old blue heeler he thought I might want since he didn't want the dog (Piper) any more, so I said yes cause I wanted to get a puppy to raise around my livestock... Well when I get her after coming home I'm thinking wait blue heeler is a blue dog, ugh I might be wrong so does she (Piper) look like a full blooded blue heeler? Are a mix with something & a blue heeler... As you can see she does look like a blue heeler, I just never seen one brown and this big!

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## Emzi00

Looks like an Australian cattle dog(same thing). Lacie once explained to me that they sometimes come out part red, part blue and how most people don't want em. I'd just call her a 'Rainbow Heeler' :lol:


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## J.O.Y. Farm

I think she is adorable!!  and I just want to cuddle her  I miss having a puppy sleep with me at night  lol!


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## thibodeaux

J.O.Y. Farm said:


> I think she is adorable!!  and I just want to cuddle her  I miss having a puppy sleep with me at night  lol!


She really is, but however she's fir my sheep & goat's :-(

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## thibodeaux

Emzi00 said:


> Looks like an Australian cattle dog(same thing). Lacie once explained to me that they sometimes come out part red, part blue and how most people don't want em. I'd just call her a 'Rainbow Heeler' :lol:


Maybe he should of called her that 
I never know most people didn't want them  . I thought that was the best kind of dogs for livestock  ... uhh guess you learn something new everyday 

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## goathiker

Yeah, A Heeler Red or Blue is going to chase and herd your goats constantly. They will run them to death. Much better NOT to raise her with the goats. Supervised contact only so she can be trained when to herd.


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## ksalvagno

Very cute!


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## Sundancer

From personal experience, I don't think you would want a heeler (Aussie Cattle Dog) to ever be with the goats when not supervised.

Goat hiker is pretty correct in saying they will run them ragged. 

We had a small herd of cattle years back (25 cows and a fence jumping bull) and a blue healer named "Boo" . He was absolutely the best when we had to round up the calves for tagging or anything. Could pick a calf and say Boo and he would cut it out and bring it to the barn. To do this...they "heel" them by nipping the backs of their legs. Cows are leather on the hoof...goats are a whole lot softer. 

You would have to unlearn the dogs herding instinct and teach them a new one. 

We have 1 German shepherd and 2 Black Labs with a sprinkling of 3 Pomeranian's added for flavor.


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## kccjer

What a cute little guy! Looks like what we call a red heeler and also looks mixed. He is a working HERDING dog. While he may be very protective (they often are) he also has herding bred into him like no other! He will herd anything and everything from chickens and ducks to cattle and human kids. Heelers tend to be very "nippy" as that's how they herd cattle....by nipping their heels (hence the name). I wouldn't put one in with my goats unless I was wanting him to move them somewhere.


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## thibodeaux

goathiker said:


> Yeah, A Heeler Red or Blue is going to chase and herd your goats constantly. They will run them to death. Much better NOT to raise her with the goats. Supervised contact only so she can be trained when to herd.


She has been running my little one's, I'm been throwing her out because I have 3 baby's & if she hurts them then we going to problems... Thanks for the information

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## thibodeaux

ksalvagno said:


> Very cute!


Tu

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## christinajh

I would never leave that dog unsupervised with your goats. It will bite them on the heels, and they are relentless about their "job." I have a heeler, and I've tried so hard to train her more appropriate ways to "help" me. Not happening, she just got smarter, and she does it anyway anytime I turn my back. She is not allowed with any of the animals (horses, chickens, ducks, cats, or goats). Despite working with her since she was 7 weeks old, that instinct is not going anywhere. I know my heeler would probably kill the goats or birds if she had the chance, and I know the horses would kill her if they had the chance. It's one dog I wish I never got.


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## thibodeaux

Sundancer said:


> From personal experience, I don't think you would want a heeler (Aussie Cattle Dog) to ever be with the goats when not supervised.
> 
> Goat hiker is pretty correct in saying they will run them ragged.
> 
> We had a small herd of cattle years back (25 cows and a fence jumping bull) and a blue healer named "Boo" . He was absolutely the best when we had to round up the calves for tagging or anything. Could pick a calf and say Boo and he would cut it out and bring it to the barn. To do this...they "heel" them by nipping the backs of their legs. Cows are leather on the hoof...goats are a whole lot softer.
> 
> You would have to unlearn the dogs herding instinct and teach them a new one.
> 
> We have 1 German shepherd and 2 Black Labs with a sprinkling of 3 Pomeranian's added for flavor.


She is already nipping there legs, she does it to my legs... I a dog trainer

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## ksalvagno

You can certainly train to be more respectful but when those goats run around, instinct will take over. I would not leave the dog unsupervised in with the goats.


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## thibodeaux

kccjer said:


> What a cute little guy! Looks like what we call a red heeler and also looks mixed. He is a working HERDING dog. While he may be very protective (they often are) he also has herding bred into him like no other! He will herd anything and everything from chickens and ducks to cattle and human kids. Heelers tend to be very "nippy" as that's how they herd cattle....by nipping their heels (hence the name). I wouldn't put one in with my goats unless I was wanting him to move them somewhere.


Thank you, like I said I thought she would be good to have raised with them, but I have a big pen I can put her with my pit bull if need be. So she won't have to find another home and no worries about her hurting my livestock.

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## christinajh

Yes, mine knows 'leave it,' and she will back off. She will still take any opportunity to nip though when I'm not looking because she thinks it needs to happen. I only take her out around the animals on a leash to do training, and I work with her on how she can help me "herd" with her body rather than her mouth. When I don't have the time to focus on her 100%, then she does not come out to do chores with me.


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## kccjer

thibodeaux said:


> Thank you, like I said I thought she would be good to have raised with them, but I have a big pen I can put her with my pit bull if need be. So she won't have to find another home and no worries about her hurting my livestock.
> 
> Sent from my SPH-D710 using Goat Forum mobile app


Since you train dogs you'll know how to handle her. I would definitely keep taking her around the goats and working with her on them. Great training for her and will help you out with the goats! But, unfortunately, I definitely would not keep her in with the goats unless you were there with her. I'm not a fan of heelers simply because of the "nippy" factor with them. But I know people that wouldn't own any other kind.


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## Dani-1995

Take it from me! I have an aussie Shep/heeler mix... shes basically all heeler though . Anyway she is nothing but a bundle of sweet energy. That said she loves to chase goats and has made one of does run into the fence and get tangled up trying to get away from her. Needless to say misty doesn't go out on her own anymore. 

I'm one of those people who will always own a heeler mix. She acts just like everyone else says they do but without nipping. She tried it as a pup but since she wants to please us so much, she quickly learned we didn't like it. That's what I love about them. 

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## thibodeaux

christinajh said:


> Yes, mine knows 'leave it,' and she will back off. She will still take any opportunity to nip though when I'm not looking because she thinks it needs to happen. I only take her out around the animals on a leash to do training, and I work with her on how she can help me "herd" with her body rather than her mouth. When I don't have the time to focus on her 100%, then she does not come out to do chores with me.


She's good when you tell her No she does stop for a minute are so & you tell her to lay she lays... Which helps some what. I'm just going to have yo work with her and find some kind of guardian dog... That's really what I want... My boyfriend wanted to throw her in there pen which just didnt feel right & after her.first.night here I know why.

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## thibodeaux

kccjer said:


> Since you train dogs you'll know how to handle her. I would definitely keep taking her around the goats and working with her on them. Great training for her and will help you out with the goats! But, unfortunately, I definitely would not keep her in with the goats unless you were there with her. I'm not a fan of heelers simply because of the "nippy" factor with them. But I know people that wouldn't own any other kind.


I'm sorry I meant I need a dog trainer... But I have pit bulls and if I can train them I think I can get her train around the livestock... I guess with her it's a waiting game to see how things are going to end, her.bring free range are in a pen...

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## thibodeaux

Dani-1995 said:


> Take it from me! I have an aussie Shep/heeler mix... shes basically all heeler though . Anyway she is nothing but a bundle of sweet energy. That said she loves to chase goats and has made one of does run into the fence and get tangled up trying to get away from her. Needless to say misty doesn't go out on her own anymore.
> 
> I'm one of those people who will always own a heeler mix. She acts just like everyone else says they do but without nipping. She tried it as a pup but since she wants to please us so much, she quickly learned we didn't like it. That's what I love about them.
> 
> Sent from my SCH-R970 using Goat Forum mobile app


Yea I'm thinking she might just become a house pet, I'm going to do my best to get her to stop but that's not always a guaranteed... it's in there blood .

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## dobe627

This breed should be socialized with a lot of people if you want to have her around people. They can be snippy. But they are smart.


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## mjs500doo

Heelers are extremely intelligent. Training is of upmost importance with this breed. Early socialization, and early training with people and learning that heeling people is completely unacceptable is a big deal. It starts in as pups and if not corrected early can be very dangerous. 

With animals, the instinct is always going to be there. They need constant reminding while outside with you. Anything that moves will be chased, and if it cannot be chased, it is going to be barked at. Simple as that. Training again, upmost importance. The key with the training here is up ensure a complete and solid "NO", or "BACK OFF" with complete mind change is necessary. They also need to establish a sense of "working" behavior and "vacation" behavior as I call it. This is not only to ensure your animal's sanity, bit also their safety. I raise Heelers. Always had one around cattle, goats, sheep. Usually not a problem with early training. We do not allow the pups (under 2 years) alone outside without a training leash and again, constant reminder of vacation time. Bring them with to do chores and show them what is acceptable vacation time.


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