When Do Blue Heelers Calm Down? – How To Help Them

The Australian Cattle Dog, or the Blue Heeler, is a working dog created specifically to herd cattle. So it’s no wonder that the dog is filled with energy. But when do Blue Heelers calm down?

Blue Heelers will start calming down at the age of 2-4 years. They will be completely calm at around 4-6 years of age. However, this dog will always have a playful and lively nature. There are things you can do to help your Blue Heeler calm down faster.

• Blue Heeler Breed Characteristics And Behavior
• At What Age Do Blue Heelers Settle Down?
• Age And Blue Heeler Energy Levels
• How To Help A Blue Heeler To Calm Down

Blue Heeler Breed Characteristics And Behavior

The Blue Heeler, or the Australian Cattle Dog, is a working dog breed created in Australia. Its purpose is to herd cattle. Blue Heelers are medium-sized dogs with athletic and muscular bodies. They have a short and smooth double coat that can come in blue or red, mottled or speckled colors with markings.

Blue Heelers are affectionate and loyal dogs that can get along with children and other dogs if properly socialized. They are eager to please and intelligent, but sometimes have stubborn streaks that require persistence.

Why Are Blue Heelers Hyperactive?

Because these dogs were created as working dogs, the Australian Cattle Dog energy levels are high and need spending. If these dogs don’t get to spend their energy during the day, they will become hyperactive and destructive. That’s why these dogs would fit best with active families.

These dogs can also show aggressive behavior toward other dogs and strangers. This is due to their protective nature. They might also show herding behavior by nipping the feet in order to “herd” you. All of these behaviors can be dealt with by proper training.

At What Age Do Blue Heelers Settle Down?

Blue Heelers will reach their full size at the age of 18-24 months. But that doesn’t mean that they will act like adult dogs at that age. These dogs will start calming down at the age of 2-4 years. Some will start earlier than others. The dogs will be completely calm at the age of 4-6 years.

Up until then, these dogs will act just as hyperactive as when they were puppies. Once they reach their full size, they will slightly start losing their energy over time. Even when they calm down, these dogs will still need playtime and exercise but a little less than before.

Age And Blue Heeler Energy Levels

Blue Heelers live for about 12-16 years. During that time, they will have higher energy levels at a young age, and then slowly lower them while they age.

0-1 Year

While it is still a young puppy, the Australian Cattle Dog will be filled with energy and curiosity. After it developed all its senses and gotten independent from its mother, the puppy will want to play around with its owner and environment. Dogs can have evaporated milk at this stage if their mother is not around. After it reaches 6 months, you should start training and socializing the puppy so it doesn’t develop any behavioral problems.

2-4 Years

This is the period when the Blue Heeler puppy will slowly start calming down. The age of 2 is usually the time when the Blue Heeler reaches its full size and can be considered to be an adult. These dogs will still have the energy of a teenager, but if trained properly, they will know how to control themselves.

5-9 Years

If the dog still has that same high-energy attitude, a lot of owners will wonder “at what age Cattle Dogs calm down?”. Well, for some Blue Heelers, the calming down happens during this period. These dogs should know how to act around other animals and strangers and know when they will get to spend their energy. But training and exercise will still be important.

9+ Years

Once the Blue Heeler has gone a bit older, it will slowly lose its energy even more. If the dog is still healthy it can still enjoy a lot of activities that a younger dog would. But it will need less exercise overall. Health problems like hip dysplasia and arthritis can appear at this age and cause the dog to have problems moving.

How To Help A Blue Heeler To Calm Down

To keep the high energy of the Blue Heeler at bay, you need to know how to calm it down. Training and exercise are one of the many options you can try.

Training Blue Heelers For Calm Behavior

One of the best things you can do is to start training the puppy from an early age. Blue Heelers are intelligent and curious dogs and they will be glad to learn new commands from their owners. 

You can teach your dog certain commands to stop their hyperactive behavior when it’s bothering you. Proper Blue Heeler obedience training and positive reinforcement can do wonders for you and your dog. One problem is that this dog can have stubborn streaks and times. The owner should know how to be persistent and dominant to deal with this.

Satisfying The Blue Heeler Exercise Needs

We know at what age Cattle Dogs calm down but they should be exercised all throughout their lives. Spending the energy will calm the puppy down and it can sleep in peace.

Blue Heelers will need around 2 hours of exercise daily. This can be split into more sessions during the day. When walking the pup, make sure it has a leash on so it doesn’t run off after some cat. Besides walking, you should also take your dog running or hiking, or play some games like frisbee in the dog park. Taking it to agility courses will also help in preventing Blue Heeler behavioral issues.

Mental Stimulation For Blue Heelers

Mental stimulation is great for reducing Blue Heeler hyperactivity. One way to mentally stimulate the dog is to buy it a lot of toys. There are many puzzle toys made to stimulate the dog while helping it spend its energy. Chew toys are also great, especially during teething.

Be careful when choosing toys for your pup. Dogs can choke on rope toys so they aren’t recommended for dogs that want to chew a lot. A simple ball may sometimes be better. Just make sure you are engaged in the play of fetch so it’s fun for both of you.

Blue Heeler Socialization Techniques

Because Blue Heelers can get overprotective at times, you need to socialize them early on in their life. This will prevent the dog from attacking strangers and other dogs when it gets older.

To properly socialize your dog, start meeting with the closest family first. Meetings with children should be supervised because these dogs can nip their feet trying to herd them. Once the dog meets the close family, start having other friends over, especially if they have pets too. When it gets used to them, you can take the dog to the park or the doggie daycare to meet more people and dogs.

Diet For Blue Heeler Calmness

The type and amount of food your dog eats will have an effect on its temperament and actions. Australian Cattle Dogs need around 2-3 cups of food daily. If they get too little food, they might become frustrated and hangry. The food you give to this dog needs to be filled with protein and low in carbs. It should also be filled with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fatty acids.

You can also give some medication and supplements for Blue Heeler calmness. Valerian root is great for dogs as it helps with the Blue Heeler anxiety management. Veterinarians can also recommend medications for calming the dog down.

So When Do Blue Heelers Calm Down?

Blue Heelers, or Australian Cattle Dogs, are known for their high energy developed by their herding dog genetics. This high energy makes the dogs hyperactive throughout their developing years, but also in adulthood. 

On average, Blue Heelers start calming down at the age of 2-4 years. But it will take a few years to completely mature and calm down. You can expect to have a calm dog once it becomes 4-6 years old.

These dogs can live up to 12-16 years. During that time you can do a few things to calm it down. Training, exercising, and socializing the dog are some of the most important things. A proper diet, supplements, and mental stimulation are also important.

FAQ

Why are Heelers so clingy?

Australian Cattle dogs have been bred for years to work as herding dogs alongside their owners. This is why they are great at connecting with their family and being protective. But this also makes them clingy.

Do Blue Heelers have separation anxiety?

Blue Heelers are susceptible to separation anxiety because they are very loyal and affectionate with their owners. They shouldn’t be left alone for too long because they can get destructive.

Do Blue Heelers ever stop biting?

We know when Blue Heelers calm down, but the biting and nipping will stay longer than that. This behavior stems from the herding history of the breed. But you can try to get rid of it by proper training.