Red Heelers, Blue Heelers, Heelers, Queensland Heeler or Australian Cattle Dog; it doesn't matter what name you call these wonderful dogs, but Rocky Mountain Cattle Dog Rescue (RMCDR) works to rescue them from unfortunate circumstances.

We are a dedicated group of people who all own, have owned, train and work these dogs ourselves and know what great dogs they can be if given a chance.

The AKC has only recognized this breed since 1999 but they have been around a lot longer than that working or just being a companion. The AKC lists their characteristics as their prime function being as their name implies as “cattle dog” and he has no peer, in the control and movement of cattle in both wide open and confined areas. They are always alert, extremely intelligent, watchful, courageous and trustworthy, with an implicit devotion to their work ethic making them an ideal dog.

The cattle dog’s loyalty and protective instincts make it a self-appointed guardian to the home, his herd and his property. They are naturally suspicious of strangers but usually recover within a short time of introduction.

Although most of our dogs don’t work cattle, these dogs are just as comfortable in the city as they are in the country, but they do need a “job”. That might entail chasing a ball, playing tug, sports like agility, flyball, going for hikes/runs, learning tricks and then hanging out with their family. They make great companion animals as they like to be with their “person”. Because of their intelligence they are easy to train but they must have guidance in the proper way to do things and need to be kept busy.

Because of their natural traits these dogs when put in certain circumstances don’t respond well in a shelter situation. They are not naturally gregarious and wag their tails at the kennel gate as people approach, as they are naturally suspicious of strangers. They prefer their own person and a shelter full of strangers is a cattle dogs worse nightmare. There are a lot of barking dogs, the lights are on all night and there isn’t any one person to attach themselves to and the end result is the cattle dog is not considered for adoption and may eventually be euthanized.

That is where Rocky Mountain Cattle Dog Rescue comes in. As we are notified of cattle dogs that are starting to regress, we take them out of the shelter and place them in a foster home where the dogs will become the dog we know they can be. They have a family, “their person”, they have somebody to play with, to make sure they have a “job” and give them structure. Now they are ready for a forever home. To go on to be a great companion, a family member, and in the words of more than one cattle dog owner….THE BEST DOG I’VE EVER OWNED.

But, one of the important pieces of this puzzle is the foster home. We need homes where these dogs can go to become the dogs we know they can be. Let them settle into a routine, learn some basic manners while we look for the forever home for them. If you would like to make a difference in a dogs life, click here to complete our foster application. It is very simple. Complete the application, one of our volunteers will call to discuss your situation and then we will schedule a home check. After the home check is completed, we will locate a dog in dire circumstances for you and you can help make a difference in a dogs life.

Our volunteers are experienced in working with cattle dogs and if you are unsure how to teach your foster dog something, somebody is a phone call away. You aren’t by yourself. We can provide a kennel if you don’t have one, and we do require that the foster dogs are crate trained.

All of our dogs will be fully vaccinated,  spayed/neutered and microchipped. 

Do Your Homework!!

If you are interested in having a cattle dog in your life, PLEASE do some homework.  While these are Great dogs, they are not for everyone.  They are very energetic and you must make a commitment to exercise them.  They are not always good with other dogs, cats, smaller farm animals, smaller children.  While this is not the case for all of these dogs, you must be aware of what each individual dogs personality is like and whether it will work into your lifestyle.  They are also very smart and are easily bored if they are not challenged mentally so you will need to take the time to train them.

Below is a list of sites where you can read more about these dogs: