Wildcard Cattle Dogs (2025)

01/07/2025

Health Testing Update!

• Chubs has officially passed her first CAER OFA eye exam, completing the final requirement for her CHIC number!

• Rosie has passed her second CAER eye exam (maintaining her CHIC number) at 5 years old, maintaining clear and healthy eyes well into maturity.

We’re proud to continue prioritizing health and transparency in our breeding program.

30/06/2025

‼️‼️‼️ Exciting update! ‼️‼️‼️

The Chubs x Troeg breeding has officially taken place. We’re thrilled about this pairing and hopeful for a healthy litter. Pregnancy will be confirmed around 45 days from now. If all goes as planned, puppies would be expected in early September and ready to go home around the end of October.

It’s not too late to get onto the reservation list — feel free to reach out for more information! Stay tuned for updates!

26/06/2025

☀️ Hot Day? Keep That Cattle Dog Busy (Without Overheating) ☀️
When it’s too hot to romp and run — your ACD still craves structure, engagement, and purpose.

Here are safe, productive ways to work their brain and body without braving the heat:

🐾 Mental Work = Tired Dog
• Puzzle toys + snuffle mats
• Scatter feeding or basic scent games
• “Place” duration with distraction challenges

🏠 Indoor Training Ideas
• Learn a new trick! (Spin, bow, object targets, or paws up)
• Muzzle conditioning and nail desensitization
• Position drills: sit, stand, down, and transitions
• Leash skills and food drive games in your hallway

💧 Cool Enrichment Options
• Kiddie pool fun with floating toys
• Controlled sprinkler play or hose “find it” games
• Long down-stay under a fan or on a shaded patio

💡 A well-trained cattle dog doesn’t need chaos to be fulfilled — they need meaningful reps, structure, and calm confidence… even in 90+ degrees!

25/06/2025

🎓🐾 Congratulations to Wildcard’s Scurry! 🐾🎓
Scurry has officially graduated her Intermediate Obedience class — and we couldn’t be more proud of this sharp, focused little cattle dog!

Biddable, driven, and always ready to work, Scurry is a young female in our program showing strong promise in obedience and performance. She’s proof that brains, heart, and structure can (and should) go hand in hand. 💪🔥

We’re excited to see what’s next as she continues to develop in the Wildcard Cattle Dogs program!

19/06/2025

🧬 Health Testing Spotlight! 🧬

This is Sochi – Wildcard’s Light in the Storm, an offspring from our recent Rosie × Dave pairing, and currently living and thriving in her amazing home.

Her owner tested Sochi through Embark, screening for 274 genetic conditions. Out of all those, just three were marked as notable—and only one, PRA-prcd, is relevant to Australian Cattle Dogs. Sochi is a carrier, meaning she carries one copy of the gene and will never be affected by the condition.

🔍 To clarify: being a carrier is still a good result. Carriers are completely healthy, and when paired responsibly (with a clear dog), they will not produce affected offspring. This is why testing matters—not to eliminate good dogs, but to guide good decisions.

While Sochi will not be part of a breeding program, her results still offer valuable insight into the strength and structure of the Rosie × Dave pairing—and reflect the intentional choices we make in our program to produce healthy, capable, and well-loved dogs.

Breeding isn’t just about puppies. It’s about legacy, responsibility, and the homes our dogs go on to thrive in.

18/06/2025

The Little Things Matter. 🐾

When it comes to preparing for puppies, most people picture the whelping box. But there’s so much more that goes into doing it right.

Here are a few things that often get overlooked by others—

🧼 Sanitizing the space – Every surface, tool, and towel is prepped weeks in advance. Clean starts aren’t optional.
🧴 Grooming the dam – Nails trimmed, belly shaved, coat maintained—so puppies stay safe and mom stays comfortable.
🩺 Coordinating with our vet – We don’t wait until there’s a problem. Our vets are looped in early, with clear plans for emergencies.
📦 Stocking supplies – Gloves, scale, calcium gel, heating pads, record books, bulb syringe, colostrum—we don’t leave things to chance.
🥩 Dialing in nutrition – High-quality food (we feed Farmina), prenatal supplements, hydration monitoring, and weight tracking.
🧘‍♀️ Stress reduction – Calm environment, minimal disruption, and structure weeks before whelping to help the dam settle in.
🗂️ Organization – Paperwork, checklists, temp logs, puppy IDs—all prepped before labor ever begins.

These may sound like “extras,” but they’re the standard here.
Because healthy, stable puppies start with intentional preparation.

17/06/2025

Looking for your next versatile sport dog? Don’t overlook the Australian Cattle Dog. 🔥

These dogs were bred to think fast, move smart, and go all day. With the right foundation, they’re incredibly capable in a wide range of disciplines—from obedience and agility to nosework, herding, tracking, dock diving, and more.

Why consider an ACD for sport?

✅ Insane work ethic – They don’t quit when the job gets hard
✅ Handler-focused – Loyal, driven, and willing to learn
✅ Athletic & compact – Built for speed, power, and balance
✅ Natural problem-solvers – They read environments fast
✅ Tough & resilient – These dogs bounce back and show up

While they do best with structure and clear expectations, ACDs are incredibly rewarding teammates for handlers who enjoy an active lifestyle and want a dog who truly wants to work with them. They bring intensity, yes—but also heart, humor, and a deep connection when given purpose.

💬 Curious if an ACD might be the right fit for you? We’re always happy to chat.

— Wildcard Cattle Dogs

15/06/2025

🐾 Meet the Stud: “Clarjo’s Mad Elf” - Troeg 🐾
The sire of our upcoming litter isn’t just a pretty face—Troeg brings brains, brawn, and an unshakable temperament to the table.

🔹 Stability You Can Count On
Troeg is socially and environmentally rock-solid. He’s traveled across states with me, who he didn’t know, stayed in hotels, navigated pet-friendly stores, and handled it all with calm neutrality. He’s the kind of dog who can read a room, walk in with confidence, and keep his cool—no reactivity, no drama, just quiet self-assurance.

🔹 Motivated and Food-Driven
Whether it’s training or new challenges, Troeg lights up when there’s food involved. His food drive makes him a joy to work with—eager, focused, and always ready to put in the effort.

🔹 Smart and Sensible
Troeg isn’t just obedient—he’s intelligent. He reads situations quickly and responds appropriately, balancing sharp problem-solving with handler awareness. He’s tough enough to work independently but biddable enough to stay in tune with his person.

🔹 Tough, but a Teammate
He’s got grit and durability that speak to his working roots, yet he remains respectful, handler-oriented, and reliable. It’s the kind of balance we look for in performance and ranch dogs alike.

🔹 True Herding Talent
Troeg has more than a just sport dog potential —he’s a capable herder with real working instinct. He thinks, moves with purpose, and carries the kind of drive that doesn’t quit.

This pairing is about pairing soundness of mind with functional ability—and Troeg is a prime example of that balance.

We can’t wait to see what this litter brings. Stay tuned.

🔴 Currently accepting applications for this upcoming cross 🔴
⬇️⬇️⬇️
Application:
https://form.jotform.com/251177589802163

14/06/2025

🐂 Why Australian Cattle Dogs Are Not Dog Park Dogs

We love this breed—but we also owe it to them to set them up for success.
And that starts with understanding what they were bred to do.

Australian Cattle Dogs weren’t developed to play nice with a group of off-leash strangers.
They were bred to make decisions under pressure, control movement, work independently, and respond to subtle handling—not chaos.

At the dog park, that usually looks like:
🔸 Herding and chasing other dogs
🔸 Nipping heels or shoulders when arousal spikes
🔸 “Correcting” dogs for being rude or pushy
🔸 Becoming overstimulated or reactive
🔸 Picking fights or being misunderstood

It’s not because they’re bad dogs. It’s because the dog park asks them to ignore every instinct they were designed for.

In a park setting, ACDs are often overwhelmed, frustrated, or forced to navigate rude behavior without guidance. That leads to tension, not confidence.

Instead of the chaos of the dog park, ACDs thrive in:
✅ Structured play with dogs they know
✅ Purposeful walks, hikes, or outings
✅ Training sessions that challenge their brain
✅ Herding, sport work, or other jobs

A well-bred, well-trained Cattle Dog doesn’t need the dog park to be fulfilled.
They need structure, challenge, and connection with you.

You don’t own a pet—you own a purpose-bred partner.
Honor that purpose, and they’ll give you everything they’ve got.

13/06/2025

🔥 Meet the Dam of Our Upcoming Litter: Wildcard’s Who You Calling Chubs 🔥

Don’t let the name fool you—Chubs is anything but soft.

She’s built like a machine: compact, muscular, and lightning-fast. Every movement is deliberate, efficient, and explosive. Whether she’s flying through drills or locked into a scent puzzle, she brings intensity without losing clarity.

What makes her special:
🍗 Serious food drive – focused, eager, and easy to motivate
👃 Impressive natural hunt ability – thoughtful in nosework, with strong commitment to task
🏃‍♀️ Athletic and responsive – fast off the line, agile under pressure, and always ready to go

Chubs is the kind of dog that gets things done—cleanly, efficiently, and with heart. She’s biddable without being soft, strong without being reckless. The type of dog you can trust to think and move fast.

We’re incredibly excited for this pairing and expect pups with sharp minds, balanced temperaments, and serious potential across working, sport, and performance homes.

Stay tuned—sire announcement coming soon.

12/06/2025

How an ACD Interprets Space: Pressure and Movement in Training

Australian Cattle Dogs are spatial thinkers. As a breed developed to control livestock through movement and pressure, their understanding of space is sharp, deliberate, and deeply instinctive.

This shows up clearly in training:

🔹 They read your body position, not just your words.
An ACD is more likely to respond to how you move than what you say. Step into their space, and they yield. Step away, and they may advance. Pressure means something to them—it’s how they were bred to influence livestock.

🔹 They use space to communicate.
Crowding, flanking, darting behind—all of this is a conversation. An ACD uses movement to test your boundaries and clarify their own. A trainer who understands that pressure is a language will communicate far more effectively with this breed.

🔹 They are sensitive to push/pull energy.
Too much pressure can overwhelm. Too little, and they’ll test leadership. Success with an ACD often lies in your ability to modulate pressure—knowing when to step in, when to give space, and when to stay neutral.

🔹 They thrive on purposeful movement.
Because they were bred to control motion, random or unclear movement from a handler can confuse or frustrate them. Precision, timing, and intention are key when asking an ACD to follow your lead.

⸻

Understanding how ACDs interpret space and pressure is key to building mutual respect.
You’re not just training a dog—you’re learning to speak the language of a thinking, spatially aware working animal. And when you get it right, the results are powerful.

11/06/2025

Health Matters: What We Screen for in Our ACDs

Australian Cattle Dogs are tough, but responsible breeding is what makes that toughness last. At Wildcard, every dog in our program is screened with purpose—because health, structure, and soundness aren’t optional for working dogs.

Here’s what we screen for and why it matters:

🧬 Genetic Eye Conditions (PRA & PLL)
PRA leads to progressive blindness; PLL causes painful lens displacement.
➡️ We DNA test all breeding dogs and pair only clear or carrier-safe combinations.

👂 Congenital Deafness
This can affect one or both ears and isn’t always obvious without testing.
➡️ We BAER test puppies and breeding dogs to confirm hearing status.

🦴 Hip & Elbow Dysplasia
Joint issues can limit mobility and impact working ability.
➡️ All breeding dogs are evaluated through OFA or PennHIP.

🫀 Patella, Cardiac & CAER Eye Exams
The dogs in our program also undergo health screening for patellar luxation and cardiac health.
➡️ We complete CAER eye exams, and dogs housed in our program receive their OFA CHIC number before being bred.

🔹 AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T. Program
Wildcard Cattle Dogs is proud to participate in the AKC Bred with H.E.A.R.T. program, which recognizes breeders committed to health testing, education, accountability, and responsible breeding practices.

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We don’t just breed for performance—we breed for soundness, longevity, and transparency.
Our dogs are more than pedigrees—they’re backed by purpose-driven health testing and a commitment to the future of the breed.

Wildcard Cattle Dogs

01/07/2025

30/06/2025

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19/06/2025

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