No breed of dog, however, is without genetic defects. Fortunately, the Australian Cattle Dog has only a few threatening anomalies that need to be watched for. When considering obtaining an Australian Cattle Dog, it is VITAL that the prospective buyer be aware of these disorders before contacting breeders. These problems may seem of little consequence now, but if your puppy comes up with crippling dysplasia (requiring thousands of dollars of surgery) or is unable to see due to juvenile cataracts, it can become a serious issue.

Beware of the breeder that knows NOTHING about the health disorders that can crop up in this breed and be even warryier of the breeder who denies that there are ANY problems in the dogs they are using in their breeding programs. There is NO SUCH THING as a line that is clear of ANYTHING! Reputable breeders discuss and disclose!

Please use the navigation bar to the left to find out a little bit more about some of the known ACD defects that you should be knowledgeable of before contacting a breeder. As I see no reason to reinvent the wheel, so in most cases my brief explanations are followed by some EXCELLENT sites that I recommend you visit on the web that further discuss these potential health problems.