Meet Sage, a 6-year-old Blue Heeler who is owned and madly adored by Shannon. Sage lives at home with her brother, Mac, who you will also read about in our book, as well as their mom and dad.

Shannon describes Sage as the ultimate horse show dog. She is loving, kind, and obedient. Everything you’d picture when you think of a Blue Heeler. Blue Heelers are most commonly known for their intelligence, loyal personalities, and ease/willingness to train and work. This makes the breed such a popular one since they are so easy to get along with and a go-with-the-flow type. They are also great with kids.

Did you know that the Blue Heelers breed name is the “American Cattle Dog”? Mixing native Dingoes with Collies and other herding dogs a late Australian, George Elliott, developed the Australian Cattle Dog (aka the Blue Heeler) in 1840. Australian cattlemen and ranchers loved the breed’s toughness and work ethic. This allowed the dogs to quickly became the most popular cattle herders. The American Kennel Club officially recognizes the breed name as the “Australian Cattle Dog.” The blue coat version is the one called Blue Heeler, which is more of a “nickname” than an official name. Australian Cattle Dogs are also called Australian Heelers or Queensland Heelers.