Description. The Lancashire Heeler is a small dog that is muscular and compact. They stand 10-12 inches in height and weigh in at between 6 and 13 pounds. They are set close to the ground with their legs being disproportionately short for the dogs overall shape and size.

Their head is in proportion to the body and is topped with wide set ears that are erect and give an alert appearance. The legs, whilst being short, are well muscled and sturdy looking, the hind legs especially so.

This breed has a long and deep chest leading to a firm stomach (unless overfed and under exercised). They have a tail that is set high and is mostly carried over their back.

The Lancashire Heelers fur is seasonal and is shorter in the summer than in the winter, especially around the neck where they have a plush mane in wintertime. The coat appears short and sleek in summer.

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History. The Lancashire Heeler was originally a cattle dog. In years gone by the areas in the North of England used to breed dogs for particular uses. This led to each region having their own breeds that were similar, but not quite the same, as neighboring counties. The Lancashire Heeler was used to round up or guide cattle and would do so by running around the cattle and nipping at the ankles. With the decline in the reliance on dogs for herding purposes the breed declined in popularity and reached the edge of extinction. Today’s dog is a re-creation of the Lancashire Heeler, and is almost identical to the original dogs. As a breed they are rarely used as cattle dogs nowadays and are kept almost exclusively as pets.

Temperament. This is a friendly breed, with people they know, but may be aloof or wary with people they do not already know. As a herding and hunting dog The Lancashire Heeler needs mental stimulation as well as plenty of exercise. They are excellent for hunting small game rabbit, rat, etc, so are not safe to leave unattended with smaller household pets. As a herding dog, by instinct, they must be taught not to try and round up the family. Whilst this is initially very entertaining, you will soon find it an irritation so it must be trained out as early as possible. The breed are working dogs and require a firm, but calm and fair, training method. You must establish yourself as the alpha and ensure the dog knows their place within the family. Play is a good method of stimulating the dogs mind and can be used to assist training. As long as the dogs’ needs are met you will have a devoted friendly family pet.

Health issues. With a life expectancy of 12-13 years the Lancashire Heeler is a generally healthy breed.

Grooming. The Lancashire Heelers’ coat is long in winter and shorter in summer. This is not a problem, just a thing to be aware of. This dog will only require regular brushing and bathing only when necessary.

Living conditions. As long as this dog gets frequent walks and sufficient mental stimulation they will happily live in an apartment.

If you can't find a local breeder in your area don't worry, many breeders are using the major airlines like American, Delta, Continental and Northwest airlines for shipping their puppies.

At this time the airlines will ship puppies to the following States: Alabama AL - Alaska AK - Arizona AZ - Arkansas AR - California CA - Colorado CO - Connecticut CT - Delaware DE - Florida FL - Georgia GA - Hawaii HI - Idaho ID - Illinois IL - Indiana IN - Iowa IA - Kansas KS - Kentucky KY - Louisiana LA - Maine ME - Maryland MD - Massachusetts MA - Michigan MI - Minnesota MN - Mississippi MS - Missouri MO - Montana MT - Nebraska NE - Nevada NV - New Hampshire NH - New Jersey NJ - New Mexico NM - New York NY - North Carolina NC - North Dakota ND - Ohio OH - Oklahoma OK - Oregon OR - Pennsylvania PA - Rhode Island RI - South Carolina SC - South Dakota SD - Tennessee TN - Texas TX - Utah UT - Vermont VT - Virginia VA - Washington WA - Washington, D.C. - West Virginia WV - Wisconsin WI - Wyoming WY - Hawaii HI.