FAQ

 

When I recieve initial enquiries for a puppy I often get asked the same questions, and thought it may be useful to have a page for the most frequently asked - I will add to this page over time and hopefully build up some useful information.

 

Some people when they enquire want to know which is more loving a dog or a bitch?  My honest answer to this is that it makes no difference and comes down to personal choice, obviously living with both can bring it's own problems when a bitch comes into season nearby you may have to be extra vigilant with a dog, or the flip side of the coin when a bitch comes into season you will have to deal with that.  Personally I prefer dogs as I find them easier to get along with whilst my husband prefers bitches as he finds them easier to get along with.

 

How much exercise should a puppy have?  Common sense has to rule here as you don't want to damage your young puppy, it would be silly to expect a young pup to be able to walk for an afternoon.  A common rule of thumb is 5 mins for every month in age, so a 4 month old pup could walk 20 mins throughout the day - even at this age I would not expect a pup to walk 20 mins in one go better to give two 10 mins walks.   As the pup grows and gains strength you can increase the walking time until eventually when you have an adult you can go for a hike and know that you have built your dog up to this level of excerise and minimising the risk of damge to joints and soft tissue.

 

Do Heelers get along with other pets?  The short answer to this is yes as long as the introductions are carried out sensibly, of course you will always get some Heelers that insist on chasing the cat - but that's true for many breeds.

 

Are Heelers good with children?  A lot of people ask this as they have read on sites that the search engines throw up that Heelers are not good with children - RUBBISH !!   I don't know where this information has come from or who was so misinformed to have written it.  A Heeler is no different to any other breed in that if the parents of the child practise common sense and teach children to handle their Heeler with  respect then that child will grow up with a friend.  Again I'm not saying that every Heeler is going to like all children but I'd be very surprised if a Heeler doesn't like it's own children !! But isn't that true of all dog breeds ??  All I can honestly say is that I have never had a problem with my own Heelers with children - I have often threatened to have a revolving door instead of a front door with my boys friends in and out !!  These are just a few snaps of hundreds that we have - if the boys are doing anything they can never not be supervised by a Heeler or two or three or four ........................................................................

 Are Heelers a healthy breed? When compared to some other breeds that have long lists of health testing requirements, the Lancashire Heeler is a very healthy little breed suffering with very few hereditary illnesses.  There are two DNA health tests that are available to breeders one for PLL and the other for CEA.  For more information on PLL please click the link http://www.aht.org.uk/genetics_pllfaq.html  for more information on CEA please click this link http://www.optigen.com/opt9_test_cea_ch.html  All reputable breeders are using the PLL DNA testing scheme, and looking at the database held at the AHT the problem is smaller in this breed than I think most breeders would have thought pre DNA testing.  Maybe not all breeders are using the CEA DNA testing but reputable breeders are getting their litters screened for this condition.  I am slightly concerened that there are those within this breed that seem to be intent on 'discovering' more health problems than are actually present - hey ho each to his / her own I suppose.

 

How long will a Heeler live? Well barring any accidents or major trauma the average seems to be 12-14 but I have heard of many reaching a greater age than this.  One thing I will say for a Heeler is that they don't seem to age quickly and are still very active into what other breeds would be considering their dotage - this is always a point that I make to new people enquiring as there is no point in taking on a puppy thinking that it will be less active at 7+.

 

Are Heelers easy to train? Well I suppose with respect this answer comes down to how good are you at trainging?  Are you willing to take your Heeler to pup to classes?  Are you able to offer a puppy consistent messages?  This list could go on forever but I don't see that a Heeler is any more difficult to train than other breeds. Remember they were a herding dog and so in there somewhere must be the ability to listen to instructions - I'm sure a drover long ago wouldn't have had a Heeler scattering his herd.  One point to make here is that some Heelers still have a strong herding instinct and if not taught otherwise when the pup becomes over excited can nip at your heals - not a major thing in the overall trainging of a puppy but one to be aware of.  There are Heelers competing in all events showing, agility, heelwork to muisic, obedience and even junior handling - each of these take special training and so I would answer maybe not all Heelers are easy to train they are certainly trainable.

 

Is it true that Heelers are a snappy breed? I'm sure that there are some Heelers out there who are snappy just as there are many other dogs from other breeds happily snapping away at humans who didn't take the hint at a warning growl etc.  When I think of all the Heelers that I know and not just my own I wouldn't put the label 'snappy' onto a Heeler.  Heelers are used in the Hearing Dogs for the Deaf as well as PAT dogs and many have their Gold citizen awards, these schemes wouldn't use a 'snappy' breed but again this may come down to the training that the dog had as a puppy - all dogs can snap not just Heelers.

 

Should I buy two puppies as company for each other?  NOOOOOO !!  There is enough work trainging one puppy and it isn't just doubled when you keep two , if you want two dogs get one trained and into adulthood before introducing another puppy - why only give half of your ability to a pup when it could have your whole attention as it deserves.

 

How long will I have to wait before getting a puppy? Sometimes breeders litters are spread out and so the availability of a pup may be good, on the other hand sometimes nobody has a litter so pup availability is zero and you will have to wait a while.  It also depends on how long a breeders waiting list is, if you want a puppy from a specific kennel then you should be prepared to wait for the right puppy for you. You may have decided that you only want a dog or only a bitch will do, or you may have decided that you would like to give showing your Heeler a go and again this will affect the waiting time.  Lancashire Heelers are not bred in their thousands like some of the massivley popular breeds and so a wait is inevitable in most cases. 

 

Why aren't Heelers more popular?  I don't know is the answer to this one !!  Maybe it has to do with the negative myths such as not getting along with children or that it is a snappy little dog or unhealthy breed I don't know.  Maybe it has to do with that it is a no frills breed it is what it is, but if that was the case I don't know many flashy (heavily coated) breeds kept as pets that are not clipped so it can't be that.  My theory is after being asked time and again "What breed of dog is that?" people are genuinley unaware of the Lancashire Heeler as a breed. This isn't like recommending a brand of jam where I can say to people have a go you'll love it, and if they don't they can pass it on, we are dealing with an animal and so that is out of the question.  All I can say is that if you are a fun loving person who has thought long and hard about having a puppy and are wanting a little dog with a big heart who wants to be a part of your family, is game to try anything as long as it involves being with his family and appreciates quick intelligence then a Lancashire Heeler could be the breed for you.