The build-up and character traits

Conformation and Character

The Australian Cattle Dog is a strong and silently working dog. Compared to his size he is a very brave and intelligent dog. He is always alert and is capable of quick and sudden movements. The Australian Cattle Dog must not show any signs of being sneaky, neither indifferent nor apathetic.

Mentality
During 1989 - 1995 Finnish Australian Cattle Dogs were mentally tested for 66 times. Because of the low number of ACDs who could be tested, it was quite common in those times to test these representatives more than one time. From 1996 on a new test was used, which showed clearly that the results of the old and the new test could not be compared to each other. In 1996 28 Australian Cattle Dogs were tested, of which one test had to be interrupted. It was impossible to make up a statistic on the results of only 27 tested dogs. Nevertheless it gave at least some sort of a general picture. The most frequent examples resulted in this realisation:

Ability to function: great or moderate

Reaction to threat: low without any aggression

Defence readiness: moderately controlled

Endurance: great

Mental condition: active

Temperament: lively

Ability to forget bad experience: moderately tough

Character: trustworthy, suspicious to strangers but amenable.

Sensitivity towards gunshot: gunsure

Global Distribution of the ACDs