Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is a naturally bobtailed or tailless, medium-sized breed of Cattle Dog (not to be confused with the Australian Cattle Dog, aka "Queensland Heeler"). The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog was developed in Australia to herd cattle, and descends from crosses between European herding dogs and the Australian dingo. The name is spelled both with hyphenation, as Australian Stumpy-Tail Cattle Dog, and without, and the shorter name Stump Tail Cattle Dog is also sometimes applied.

Breed recognition

The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog has been recognised as a standardised breed since 1988 in its native country by the Australian National Kennel Council, in its "Group 5 (Working Dogs)". It is also recognised by the nearby New Zealand Kennel Club in its "Working" group.

More internationally, the breed was provisionally accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 2005, as breed standard 351, in "Group 1, Section 2: Cattle Dogs (Except Swiss Cattle Dogs)". As of 2010, it is also recognised as simply the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog by the US United Kennel Club (in its "Herding Dog Breeds" group) since 1996, and by the longer name in the Canadian Kennel Club (in its "Group VII: Herding Dogs"), but not by The Kennel Club (UK), nor by the American Kennel Club.

The breed may also be listed by minor kennel clubs, working or herding dog clubs, or Internet-based dog registry businesses, and promoted as a rare breed pet.

Appearance

The Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is a normally proportioned, rugged dog with pricked (standing up) ears and long legs. The breed's most distinctive feature, for which the breed is named, is the frequent lack of a tail. When there is a tail, it is quite short, no longer than 10 cm (4 ins), and undocked. The coat is medium length to short, straight, dense and harsh. The coat color is a speckled red or speckled blue..Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs do not show brown points or markings as seen on the ACD. Height is  46–51 centimetres (18–20 in) at the withers for dogs, with females slightly smaller. The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog and the Australian Cattle Dog (aka "Queensland Heeler) (with a long tail) is similar in appearance to the Stumpy, but the Australian Cattle is proportionally heavier, less leggy and has brown points and markings. (See the article Dog terminology for an explanation of terms.)

Temperament

The ideal temperament of the Stumpy is described in the breed standard as alert and watchful, as well as responsive to its owner and reserved around strangers, but also notes that "it must be amenable to handling" at shows. All working dogs need early socialisation with people, and consistent training and activity throughout their lives.

Activities

Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, frisbee and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. "Stumpies" exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.