The Australian Cattle Dog is a relatively healthy and long-lived breed. Their average life expectancy is 12 to 15 years with many dogs living well beyond that age. The longest-lived dog as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records is, in fact, an Australian Cattle Dog ! (He lived to 29 years of age)

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, it becomes a SERIOUS issue.

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.