Derek Australian Cattle Dog / Blue Heeler Troy, VA

For the record, and for those interested in this sweet guy . . . PLEASE do your research on Australian Cattle Dogs. They are highly active and require extreme exercise. They are herding dogs and need both strong physical and mental stimulation to keep them from becoming bored and looking for other ways to keep themselves occupied - a neighborhood walk or a hike on the weekend won't work for this breed. They need to run to the point of exhaustion on a daily basis. They need a Job! Herding, agility training, frisbee / disc competition type activities would be perfect!

On top of this, Derek is deaf. He needs a fenced area for training. He cannot hear you call him and we do not allow the use of shock collars, so he will require patience and LOTS of training. There are vibration collars that can be used for deaf dogs, but they are very different than shock collars, and do require training.

From Derek's foster Mom . . .

Derek is an 8 week old pure bred Australian Cattle Dog. He is a little love bug and wants to spend his day cuddled up next to you! He has three canine foster siblings, but instead of a good game of tug-of-war with them, he would rather play a game of retrieving toys with you. He has also met a cat and showed no interest in him. Derek is a special guy as he can only hear with his heart. But he doesn't let that slow him down one bit! He is learning hand signals and is doing great! You need to meet this sweet boy!


Look who has just arrived at Green Dogs Unleashed!!! Derek, a pure Australian Cattle Dog is already bubbling with energy. As you can see in the photos, he already loves playing in the snow. Ok, who are we kidding, he loves playing any where, any time ! We know he is a cuddler and loves attention, but as he only arrived Jan 6, we don't have much more on his personality. He came to us listed as deaf, but we have not done any extensive testing yet. He will definitely be a loving companion for someone though! This breed is FULL of energy, so he will need a job and a family that stays busy with him. He will not be content to just hang out. Please be ready to stay on the move with this one!

Please complete an application if interested in adoption this guy!