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Why have you split the ACD into "Cattle Dog of Australia" (current type today) and "Australian Cattle Dog"? They are one and the same. There is only one ACD breed, it is the ANKC recognised breed and it looks like the photo you're using for "Cattle Dog of Australia." The dog you are using for "Australian Cattle Dog" is a poor specimen and certainly should not be getting used in an infographic about the ACD. Further to this, the ACD DOES NOT have "thin bone" or a "slimmer skull" by absolutely any stretch of the imagination. They are a broad-skulled breed, and the heaviest boned of all the Australian working dog breeds: the ACD has the heaviest bone, followed by the ASTCD, and finally the Australian Kelpie is the lightest-boned of the three. The ASTCD whose photo you're using is also not an ideal specimen to use as that dog is too fine. The person who produced that dog produced a dog called Ambajaye Tail Not Included, who is a far better representation of the breed. Neither the ACD nor the ASTCD are merle, ever. Merle DOES NOT exist in these breeds. The ASTCD was not ANKC recognised as the "A"STCD initially. It was the STCD until 2001, when it became the ASTCD. The ASTCD did not "disappear" in the 1940s, Iris Heale certainly did not "reintroduce" them (quite the opposite, she almost sent the breed extinct), and the "new" breed wasn't "created" from standard cattle dogs (the breed never died out). I'm also unsure what "recessive gene" you're referring to - the NBT gene is a DOMINANT gene, not a recessive one, and that's why ACDs don't have stumpy tails. It's not a gene that can hide through generations, in order to produce stumpy tailed dogs you have to have at least one parent who HAS a stumpy tail. The gene is heterozygous lethal, however, which is why 2/3s of the ASTCD population will be born with a full tail. The first records in Australia of cattle dogs being exhibited was in 1889 in Victoria. They were short-tailed dogs (ie stumpies), shown under the breed name "Blue Heelers." Fast forward a bit after Kaleski did his thing and made the first Cattle Dog breed standard. The Kennel Association of Queensland started differentiating between "Cattle Dogs (long-tailed)" and "Cattle Dogs (stumpy tailed)" in the 1920s, however they were still considered two variations of the same breed, both judged against the same Cattle Dog standard, and were freely interbred with progeny being registered and exhibited based on phenotype. It wasn't until 1934 that the "Cattle dog (stumpy tailed)" got its own breed standard, however the two breeds continued to be interbred. In 1948, the Kennel Association of QLD became the CCCQ, and they then fell under the ANKC when it was formed in 1953. At this time, the CCCQ decided that they were most displeased with this history of (and ongoing) interbreeding of the two types, and thus they sought to deregister the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog as a breed, along with all the breeders of the breed. Why they only chose to take this action against the STCD and not the ACD is one of life's great mysteries. Iris Heale fought them on this, and won - and on the 17th of October, 1957, the CCCQ rescinded its decision to de-register the STCD as a breed, and reinstated ONLY Glen Iris as a registered breeding kennel. This had the unfortunate effect of making Iris the only recognised breeder of the STCD in the world; and as she would not sell dogs for breeding to anybody, she damn well nearly sent the registered, pedigree version of the breed extinct. Working STCD have always been plentiful, however, and that's why the DR was able to succeed (see below). The 1934 breed standard continued to be used until the breed was formally recognised nationally by the ANKC in 1963; at this time, the standard was revised to permit tan points on blue dogs. In 1988, the ANKC realised that the STCD would go extinct as a result of Glen Iris' absolute control over the breed and her refusal to allow anybody else to purchase breeding specimens. The ANKC then revised the breed standard (removing tan points, bringing it back in line with the original 1934 standard), and created the Development Register to ensure the continued survival of the breed. The DR allowed people to bring their unregistered, farm-bred working stumpy tailed cattle dogs to grading days, and have them graded and then if they were sufficient, permitted into the breeding population. The DR closed in 2006. I recommend you refer to the 2022 book "A Dog For The Job" by Noreen Clark. It is the most comprehensive and well-researched history of the two Cattle Dog breeds to date. Noreen also actively posts a lot about the breeds' histories on her Facebook page, and would likely have a wealth of useful information and feedback on your infographic.

https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/3yo-mauled-to-death-by-guard-dogs-parents-arrested/news-story/97ce34031f613e55c7fb313b5f37bdc6

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-11/stanley-j-clemons-sentenced-for-shooting-neighbours-dog/105878244

No!! She would have very short nails after running around on dirt/stones , I would think......

This is from a screenshot of the video purportedly showing Valerie’s reunion with her people. I wouldn’t expect to see toenails like that on a dog that’s been fending for itself in rocky terrain.

Well... the latest twist in this tale is a shocker, isn't it? T.

According to Sonia Hornery MP, money was collected through a GoFundMe campaign. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid06hZyTQtqCz3zwm1JiwCaBmzTULtvFoUauSZyPZjk4bHCyje7W3YNppmxp1MVJtETl&id=100046653323609

Nice story about "Cheese" ABC News

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/man-who-claimed-his-dog-was-euthanised-after-being-attacked-by-a-group-of-people-accused-of-false-police-report/news-story/ea1d05e9da9f645e10aafe3986298ae9

Just my opinion, but this group needs to be tied up and have the stuffing kicked out of them. I feel very sorry for Sasha and her family.

Update to the story... https://www.facebook.com/share/p/175BckBg4q/ T.

X-ray showed a partial tare. So she's on Metacam and I'm trying to keep her from jumping. The vet says limited walking is ok. The cost of X-rays sure has gone up.

I have, on a few occasions, stood guard near dogs left unattended near shops and a bank. When the owner returned I explained that whatever happened it would be very probably deemed the dog's fault so not a good idea to leave them without witnesses. There was a dog attack in Newcastle 5/9/25, also a large breed so I'm wondering if some vigilantes involved.

exactly.

May I just say "Poor Woosie" in her frantic flight!!

Without CCTV, I doubt we'll know exactly what happened... but if the article is correct about what is thought to have happened to the poor dog, I hope the perpetrator(s) suffer a similar fate. Many years ago, my now ex decided to take my Rotti Woosie for a walk up to the bakery to get some cinnamon donuts to have for breakfast. The silly fellow hooked her lead to an A-frame sign outside the shop as he went in to get the donuts, and she moved and the A-frame made a scraping noise which scared her. She decided to hightail it home in fright, A-frame sign still attached, with the ex tearing off after her trying to get her to stop... no chance, she was heading home to mummy to save her, and arrived home with the sign still attached. Guess who got all the donuts that morning, as the ex had to take the sign back to the shop and apologise... I'm hoping that maybe the dog in the article wasn't actually set upon by anyone, but instead possibly got spooked and maybe hurt itself trying to get away. It's not beyond the realms of possibility. T.

Poor, poor dog How horrific.

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/crime/dog-euthanized-after-horror-attack-by-group-while-it-was-tied-to-tree-in-newcastle/news-story/d927eaa57ef9fb15602514fa392353d5D

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-06/how-valerie-became-the-worlds-most-notorious-sausage-dog/105832548

Just chiming in to say that it is heartwarming to see so many stories of dreadful loss where people still have room for empathy for their vets. All I can say is let them know they are valued. An acquaintance from the dog park recently lost her younger dog suddenly to a rare condition, and has to repeat the story to each person who asks where her dog is. I can only hope it is cathartic for her, knowing that other dog owners understand.

ABC LINK

When Stussy decided it was her time I still took her to the vet as soon as they opened. We thought she'd passed in the car and again in the waiting room. I was fearful she would have a bigger and painful event rather than just take her last breath peacefully because after owning and loving dogs for 60 years she is the first one who has ever just woken up one morning and decided it was time. So the very first thing my lovely, long term vet and caring vet nurse have to do that particularly morning is deal with the emotional wreck of me losing my old heart dog and assist in the passing of a crazy, usually full of life doggo that they have seen and treated many, many times over the course of her long life. Not a nice way to start your day and one few of us understand. It was my last day at my job so I 'had' to go in and work after I'd organised cremation services and dried my eyes. Everyone was sympathetic to me of course. But vet staff? No time out or debriefing because it's a normal part of the job and on to the next appointment. And when I lost Jonah not long after Stussy I took him back to the specialist hospital/after hours vet where he'd been treated for an MCT the year before. He had come through with flying colours and only had his monthly check in with them 2 days before. His oncologist wasn't there (it was a Friday night) but rang me on the Monday. Since she'd heard the news she had been wracking her brain on what had happened and had some thoughts on what might have suddenly happened given his tests had shown absolutely nothing of concern only a couple of days before. She was so proud of how well he'd done fighting the MCT as much as I was so it was a loss for her of a patient she'd pinned hope on. What did she miss? Could she had done more? Different? I know it affected her too. He was such a gentleman during chemo too that the staff also had a soft spot for him and he was happy to see them every fortnight. All that little stuff makes a hard job more bearable. So to do your best and still not 'win' leave them hurting as much as we do. All their hard work and success to date became null and void from that other, not really related event. I'm at least 2.5 years from losing those 2 doggos but am still right back in those consult rooms thinking about those times. Some losses are much bigger than others.

I remember the last dog I had put to sleep. My vet went from me in one room to another client in the next room and then back to me. And I could hear her and the change in her voice and demeanor and I thought how hard that would be for her. We go back over 30 years. There has been a few euth's over that time.

Losing a loved companion can be one of the hardest things you will go through short of losing a human family member. It needs to be acknowledged and grieved in whatever way helps you deal with the intense emotions that linger after they have gone. My father passed earlier this year at the ripe old age of 89. He had suffered with Parkinson's for the past 10 years, and in all reality, his passing was a blessing and a relief knowing that he wasn't suffering or losing any more dignity. I have actually dealt with his passing much better than when my heart dog passed in 2004. I actually still feel the intense loss of that dog in a way that many people cannot understand, and still cry about her not being here to this day. I'm actually crying about her as I type this. All that said, we also need to remember that we aren't the only people affected by the passing of our furry mates. For many of us, our pets haven't just passed peacefully in their sleep, they have been helped by an amazing team of caring people at the vet clinic. While we may be going through one of our own most traumatic events, they may have had to help a number of ailing pets go for their final sleep that very same day. Think of the toll that is taking on those caring and compassionate people who have been so supportive of you through your experience, regardless how hard it hits them each time they have to do it. When I did my Cert IV in Vet Nursing, we actually had to do an assignment on grief at losing a pet, but it was solely focused on owner grief, and did not even recognise staff grief or compassion overload when dealing with such emotive procedures multiple times in any given day. Our teacher for that subject actually did try to address that aspect in class, but she broke down and had to leave the room to recompose herself for about 30 minutes... just think if this is how someone who hasn't practised in a clinic setting for years still feels about that, what effect do you think it's having on those still in the field? Luckily, in the clinic I was at, the staff were VERY supportive of each other in these matters, which made it less stressful at the time, but the truth is that I'm still scarred by my experiences. I've had massive tattooed biker dudes collapse sobbing into my arms after their furry mates have passed, and various other levels of emotional collapse from many other owners. In some ways, the owner grief is actually harder to deal with then the peaceful passing of a pet, as we understand why that pet has to pass, but still death is not an easy thing to deal with for most people no matter how far "removed" from the core feelings one thinks a person may be. All I can say is hug your vet and the nurses that look after your pets. Let them know that you truly appreciate everything they are trying to do for your pet and you. It may literally be the one thing that stops them walking away from the profession... or worse. T.

Back in the days I was with NSWAR, we had a litter come to us with massive worm burden... roundworm AND hookworm. We had to worm them, there was no question about that, but they all died as the hookworms literally dug their way out through their stomachs. It was probably the most horrific thing I'd ever seen at the time. Ever since, I've been VERY stringent with the 2,4,6,8 worming schedule for any litter that comes into my care - and mums that come to me with babies also get done monthly until the pups have left her. Not long ago, we had a mum and 2 bubs come to us from RSPCA - the pups had been born in their care, and were a month old when we got them. Mum dog had a roundworm burden, which had actually been noted by RSPCA 2 weeks prior in a vet checkup there, but there were no notes on it ever being treated. I dosed her and the pups immediately and that fixed the problem. Don't know why they weren't treated at RSPCA, as they'd C5 vaccinated mum AND the 4 week old pups before giving them to us, so why not worming as well? Who vaccinates 4 week old pups by the way? T.