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Texas Heeler Dog Breed Introduction
Texas Heeler is a medium-sized designer dog developed from a mix of Australian Cattle Dogs and Australian Shepherds. They first arose in the state of Texas. Being herding dogs, Texas Heelers are recognized due to their intelligence and hard-working nature. They inherit the strong herding instincts from their parents.
Similar to their Australian Cattle Dog parent, these dogs may tend to have upright, pointed ears. Also as their Aussie parent, Texas Heelers may be born with a bobbed tail. As they are friendly, Texas Heelers can be wary of outlanders and tend to alert the owner to someone new with a bark. But socializing them from an early age will help her accept new people, animals, and moments with ease.
It’s good to understand that herders are going to herd. Due to this, these dogs might be difficult to have in a home with small kids, whom the dogs feel an instinct to keep in line. This happens for small pets, such as cats. Always ensure your kids know how to properly interact with Texas Heelers and never leave them unsupervised with any breed. Early socialization, introduction, and training will assist your Texas Heelers learn what not to herd, too.
Origin | History
These dogs are “designer dogs” developed by breeding two purebreds, an Australian shepherd and an Australian cattle dog. Lucy Guynes enrolled these dogs with the Animal Research Foundation in May 1970, and the Texas Heelers’ fame quickly grew in Texas as a working dog for farms and ranches. Minus a breed standard, it can be hard to make definitive statements concerning the Texas Heeler’s traits and appearance.
Besides, their parent breeds serve as the best templates for making forecasts. The parent Australian Cattle Dogs are heirs of the dingo. The Australian Shepherds, or Aussies, are also working dogs with strong herding skills. Initially developed in the United States, these breed standard describes the Aussie as “intelligent active dogs.
Texas Heeler Lifespan | Life Expectancy
The lifespan of Texas Heelers is 12 to 15 years.
Grooming
These dogs have a double coat of short to medium fur that needs regular grooming. Weekly brushing will suffice to get rid of dirt and loose hair. Prepare your Texas Heelers for a successful grooming process by getting them accustomed to touch on the paws, feet, ears, and the entire body. Frequent grooming will also go a long way in paying off in health benefits. The grooming routine of Texas Heelers requires daily brushing to keep mats and tangles from forming and taking a firm hold in the dog’s coat.
Weekly brushing will remove the dead hair. Brushing your Texas Heelers daily is key as they throughout the year. Texas Heelers need a bath every 6 to 8 weeks unless they roll in something messy. Always use a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner to bath and moisturize the Texas Heelers coat.
Texas Heelers should have their nails trimmed every 3 to 5 weeks to prevent overgrowth and cracking. Brush the teeth of Texas Heelers twice a week if not daily to get rid of tartar buildup by using a poultry-flavored toothpaste and toothbrush. Clean Texas Heelers ears once a week using cotton balls dampened in an ear solution to get rid of dirt and excess wax.
Texas Heeler Shedding
The Texas Heelers shed at moderate levels all-year round and heavily when experiencing seasonal change in Spring and Fall.
Coat | Coat Type
They have a double coat of short to medium fur.
Hypoallergenic
Just like the parents, Texas Heelers are not hypoallergenic dogs hence not suitable for people who suffer from dog allergies. Texas Heelers have a moulting coat that sheds twice a year and moderately all-year round spreading fur and dander, hence aggravating allergies.
Texas Heeler Training
The Texas Heelers are intelligent dogs that are easily trainable. They start training at an early age of three weeks before they are adopted. Their parents should establish leadership pack roles as this type of dogs will follow them around. With early training, the Texas Heelers can adopt acceptable canine habits. Texas Heelers will live well with other animals, children, and elders.
Socialization of the dog comes in handy in raising a well-mannered fur friend and is attained by introducing the pet to new dogs or people, places, and sounds like washing machines, trains, and doorbells. Some Texas Heelers are mischievous and to avoid this character, they should be enrolled in puppy class when they are eight to 16 weeks. Dog owners should make use of positive reinforcement training and train the dogs for five to ten minutes at a time. Texas Heelers tend to seek more attention thus using positive verbal praises, treats, and having their playtime will give positive outcomes.
Using harsh correction methods such as yelling, punching, beating, and kicking makes training counterproductive. Texas Heelers are easily distracted thus, their training sessions would be short. Obedience training gives a good and respected bond between the Texas Heelers and the owner. Also, let the dog be able to respond to common commands such as sit, heel, and stand before introducing new commands. Additionally, to housebreak Texas Heelers, introduce them to potty training, crate training, and feeding guides at an early age.
Training Tips
Some of the tips to consider while training Texas Heelers include:
– Make the reward worthwhile.
– Train little and always.
– Have consistency and patience in training.
– Avoid exercising the dog after meals.
– Understand What Your Texas Heelers’ is Telling You.
– Avoid long hours of training.
– Play with the Texas Heelers.
– Avoid shouting at the dogs.
– Set the Texas Heelers for success.
Texas Heeler Traits | Temperament
– Loyal.
– Loving.
– Intelligent.
– Trainable.
– Friendly.
– Outgoing.
– Playful.
– Willful.
– Alert.
Exercise
Texas Heelers are athletic and loyal dogs that require lots of daily exercise. Going for walks many times a day and playing in a fenced-in yard will keep Texas Heelers physically and mentally stimulated. Texas Heelers also make excellent running and cycling companions. They will also thrive with many activities that condition them physically and stimulate them mentally, such as hide-and-seek, fetch, or canine sports.
Barking
Texas Heelers are not overly vocal dogs. However, Texas Heelers will bark when there is an intruder or a stranger around.
Height
Mature Texas Heelers have a height of 17 to 22 inches ( approx. 43 to 56 cm ).
Apart from Texas Heelers, other dog breeds include:
Texas Heeler Weight
Texas Heelers have a weight of 25 to 50 pounds ( approx. 11 to 23 kg ).
Texas Heeler Size
Texas Heelers have a height of 17 to 22 inches ( approx. 43 to 56 cm ) and weigh 25 to 50 pounds ( approx. 11 to 23 kg ).
Full Grown Texas Heeler
Full-grown Texas Heelers weigh 25-50 pounds and is 17-22 inches tall.
Mini Texas Heeler | Mini Texas Heeler Full Grown
The Mini Texas Heelers are not a purebred dog. They are a cross between the Australian Cattle Dog and the Miniature Australian Shepherd Dog. These dogs are bred down to be medium in size. There are Mini Texas Heelers that weigh up to only 40 pounds as an adult.
Texas Heeler Aggressive
Just like its parent breeds, Texas Heelers may somewhat become protective of their owners. For this reason, extensive socialization from an early age will help them understand that not every stranger is a threat to their loved ones. This will also minimize exhibiting aggressive behaviors such as barking. As herders, the Texas heelers are likely to nip on the heel of running children or people who are in motion. It is therefore, a necessity to discourage herding of people or any other thing that is not livestock.
Bite Force
Texas Heelers bite force can cause bite wounds. Their bite force measurements mostly fall within the range of 200 to 400 PSI. To prevent biting it is good to learn how to train a Chiweenies puppy not to bite from an early age.
Health Issues | Health Problems
Because of the medium genetic pool from which Texas Heelers draw, they are healthy and robust. Although Texas Heelers may suffer from certain health problems like allergies, seizure disorders, hip dysplasia, eye problems as well as undescended testicles.
Texas Heeler Names Ideas | Names
A Texas Heelers parents may find a name for the gentle pet before it joins them home from the breeder or days after the pet settles home to understand well the personality of a specific dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the dog coat color, movies, TV shows, songs, food books, and nature.
No matter where you will get the name from, make sure the name chosen freely rolls off your tongue and it will not make you embarrassed when uttered out loud in public places. Stop giving your Texas Heelers a name that is similar to command works to avoid confusion. Some of the names that parents give to their Texas Heelers include:
– Alinta.
– Bindi.
– Alden.
– Amber.
– Amy.
– Annie.
– Ash.
– Bella.
– Brooke.
– Clare.
Food | Feeding
The amount of food that Texas Heelers feed on depends on their size, age, body build, activity level, and metabolism. Texas Heelers responds well to a homemade, raw diet, or commercial dry or wet food. They should feed on food designated for medium-sized dogs appropriate for their age. Texas Heelers should be given moderate food to avoid obesity. Make sure Texas Heelers can access clean water at all times.
Texas Heeler Colors
Texas Heelers may have a coat with all shades of black, blue merle, and blue ticked with white or fawn.
Red Texas Heeler
The Red Texas Heelers have massive ears, smooth but not soft & fluffy coats, and are tall.
Blue Texas Heeler
Blue Texas Heelers are more petite, fluffier, and have a soft coat. They have distinctive blue-tinged coats.
White Texas Heeler
White Texas Heelers can also contain some red coats.
Texas Heeler Black And White
Black and white Texas Heelers are the most common. Some of their ears are the ones with the black coat compared to the rest of the body.
Allergies
Texas Heelers also suffer from allergies like:
Food allergies – Even if rare, some Texas Heelers suffer from a true food allergy that causes an immune response. It is mostly accompanied by many symptoms from skin problems to gastrointestinal issues.
Skin allergies – Texas Heelers skin inflammation can be caused by food, contact, and environmental allergens.
Environmental allergies – Some of the environmental allergens that affect Texas Heelers are pollen, grass, mites, dust, and house molds.
Texas Heeler Price | Cost
The price of a Texas Heelers is $300 to $700 depending on the age of the dog and the location of the breeder.
Texas Heeler Puppies Price
The cost of a Texas Heelers ranges between $300 to $700 depending on the pedigree of the parents, the location of the breeder, and the age of the pup.
Mini Texas Heeler Price
Mini Texas Heelers price ranges between $300 to $700 depending on the pedigree of the parents.
Texas Heeler Vs Blue Heeler
– Blue Heelers are purebred, while the Texas Heelers are crossbred between the Australian Cattle Dog and Australian Shepherd.
– Blue Heelers are 17 to 20 inches and weigh 30 to 50 pounds while Texas Heelers are 16 to 22 inches and weigh of 25 to 50 pounds.
– Texas Heelers are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving, and affectionate dogs toward their handlers while Blue Heelers may seem unfriendly sometimes due to their independence.
Texas Heeler Puppy
The first Texas Heelers puppies were bred in the Lone Star State. These dogs are hybrid breeds derived from the crossing of an Australian Cattle Dog and an Australian Shepherd. They are mixed breeds that are fun, and energetic, but also loyal and protective. The puppies are raised to become herding dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Is A Texas Heeler
They are energetic mixed breed dogs derived from a cross of the Australian Cattle Dog and Australian Shepherd breeds.
Are Texas Heelers Aggressive
Yes, Texas Heelers are affectionate animals but sometimes they can become aggressive around other animals.
How Big Does A Texas Heeler Get
Mature Texas Heelers have a height of 17 to 22 inches ( approx. 43 to 56 cm ) and weigh 25 to 50 pounds ( approx. 11 to 23 kg ).
What Is A Texas Heeler Mixed With
They are medium-sized designer dog developed from a mix of Australian Cattle Dogs and Australian Shepherd breeds.
How Much Is A Texas Heeler
Their cost ranges between $300 to $700 depending on the pedigree of the parents, the location of the breeder, and the age of the pup.
How Much Do Texas Heeler Cost
The cost of a Texas Heelers is $300 to $700 depending on the age of the dog and the location of the breeder.
Are Texas Heeler Good Dogs
Yes, these dogs are great companions and loyal and known for herding abilities.
Do Texas Heeler Shed
Yes, Texas Heelers shed moderately throughout the year and heavily when experiencing seasonal changes.
Texas Heeler Quick Facts
- Texas Heelers have a weatherproof double coat.
- They tolerate warm and cold weather.
- These dogs have a low chance of biting somebody.
