Blue Heeler dogs are one of the easiest dog breeds to train, but you do need a lot of time and patience to train them properly. They are gentle, loving dogs and are excellent with people. They may be a little suspicious with strangers at first, but once they get used to you being around, you will have a friend for life. They make excellent guard dogs because they are loyal to their owners.
Blue Heeler dogs are known by other names, such as Australian Cattle Dog, Queensland Heelers, or Red Heelers. 
They are bred to herd cattle, and have a natural instinct for herding; therefore they may chase cars and try to herd young children. These dogs need to have obedience training, because they can get out of control very easily if you leave them to their own devices, and do not put a lot of effort into the training. They need exercise at least once a day, and they enjoy running. However, you need to keep the dog on a leash while you are walking or running with it. This is because it is a dominant breed, and can be aggressive with other dogs. You need to use lots of positive reinforcement and treats when training, so the dog will quickly learn to behave the way you want it to.
Some of the toys that you need to have for Blue Heeler dogs include chewable toys. Without the proper training and something to occupy its time, this dog will chew on anything. Their diet has to be one where meat is the main ingredient. When you buy dog food, you should carefully read the list of ingredients on the back of the packaging to make sure that the food contains at least 20% protein and no less than 20% fat. You should also look for food that contains at least 4% fiber.
Since the nails of Blue Heeler dogs grow quite quickly, you should trim them at least every two weeks. If you don't want to tackle this job yourself, you can take your pet to a dog groomer to have the work done. You also need to brush the dog's coat with a firm bristled brush. Because this dog is well able to withstand harsh weather, you won't need to wash it very often, but you can use pet odor products to help control any odors from the animal.
When Blue Heeler dogs are spayed or neutered, they will shed their coats about twice a year. The hair comes off in clumps, and a female that has not been sterilized will shed after each heat cycle. You need to be diligent about brushing the dog, especially during those times, so that it does not shed hair all over the house. Medical attention is also something that you need to be diligent about with these dogs, because they are prone to several conditions. Blue Heeler dogs will become deaf as they get older and are prone to hip malformations and progressive kidney disease.
