How to Identify an Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Co-authored by Toni Woods

Last Updated: June 6, 2025

Inspecting the Structure

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Noticing the Coat

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Assessing Temperament

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Tips

The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is a cattle dog breed assigned to the herding group. ^{[1]
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American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
Go to source} Bred to have both stamina and a great ability to work, the Stumpy is thought to be the first dog breed from Australia. ^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
Go to source} As one of several cattle dog breeds from this region and in general, they are similar to several other dogs. By discovering what makes them different, however, this wikiHow will help you identify an Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Inspecting the Structure

Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs are overall medium in size. While males stand at 18–20 inches (46–51 cm) in height and weigh 38–45 pounds (17–20 kg), females have a height of 17–19 inches (43–48 cm) and are 32–35 pounds (15–16 kg) in weight. ^{[3]
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American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
Go to source}
A Stumpy's head is flat yet of notable breadth with a clear but only slightly apparent stop. Their foreface is fairly long, and the head seems to narrow a small amount as it approaches the eyes. ^{[4]
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The ears of an Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog nearly form points as they stand pricked erect. They are decently far apart and a rather small size. From their high-set spot on the head, their leather extends and is a bit thick. You should also find a good amount of hair inside the ears. ^{[5]
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Stumpys have dark brown-colored eyes that are set to appear neither protruding nor too full. They are shaped to resemble decently sized ovals, and they help give the dog an expression of intelligence and alertness while being a bit suspicious. ^{[6]
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An Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog's muzzle denotes strength despite having a blunt end that it tapers to. It includes deeply set jaws full of power, a black-pigmented nose, a decent fill below the eyes, cheeks that are muscled well, and teeth placed so that the lower ones touch those on the top but are closed behind one another. ^{[7]
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The paws of a Stumpy are of good strength and deeply padded. They are knit close together and are a round shape. Their toes form arches, and their dark nails are a short length and rather strong. ^{[8]
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Avoid jumping to conclusions about the tail. Although the breed is called the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, not every dog of this breed will have a natural bobtail. However, the tail is never docked. Regardless of the tail's length, it extends from a high-set position on the backline without standing very far above the back level. ^{[9]
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- The tail's natural length should preferably be no longer than 4 inches (10 cm), ^{[10]
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  Research source} but some dogs may be born with long tails. ^{[11]
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  Trustworthy Source
  American Kennel Club
  The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
  Go to source}
Stumpys are proportionately square, of great substance for working, overall rugged appearance-wise, and denoting of endurance. They have a muscled neck in the form of an arch, shoulders that slope, a deep chest of fair breadth, ribs that are decently sprung, straight legs, and a level back. Their gait is tirelessly sound and supple with much freedom and the ability to be powerful and suddenly fast-paced. ^{[12]
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Did you know? Though people may assume that the only structural difference between Stumpys and Australian Cattle Dogs is their tail, both breeds are identical in height, but the Stumpy is the longer-limbed of the two breeds. ^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
American Kennel Club
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a purebred dog pedigree registry in the United States. The AKC advocates for the responsible ownership of dogs and promotes purebred dog events, such as the Westminster Dog Show.
Go to source}

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Noticing the Coat

An Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog may have either a blue or red speckle coat.

A blue-coated Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog has a coat that is solid blue, whether in the form of pure blue or mottled blue. However, it is possible for black markings to appear on the head and body. ^{[14]
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A Stumpy with a red speckle coat is completely and evenly speckled across the entirety of their body, and the dog's undercoat is also this color, rather than being a light color such as cream or white. It is possible for patches of red to show up on the body and for markings of a darker shade of red to occur on the head. ^{[15]
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Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs are a double-coated breed, which means they have an outer coat and an undercoat. Their outer coat is of a medium harshness and fair density, and it is appears straight on the dog's body. The undercoat has a much softer texture but is still a bit dense. ^{[16]
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Both a Stumpy's outer coat and undercoat are fairly short in length. The feet, legs, and head are coated shortly, while the neck has longer hair in the form of a small ruff. ^{[17]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Assessing Temperament

Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs are true working breeds. They need a great deal of exercise and a job of some sort to keep them occupied. ^{[18]
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As a clever breed, Stumpys require consistent training with a firm owner. In addition to physical exercise, they need mental stimulation to prevent destruction. ^{[19]
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Though they can get along fine with children if properly socialized, Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs tend to do better with older children and teenagers. Otherwise, they are decently companionable dogs. ^{[20]
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Stumpys may try to "herd" moving things, such as other animals. They may even try this with animals of larger sizes, so they need to be trained to prevent this behavior. ^{[21]
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Known to be vastly loyal, Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dogs show their loyalty by protecting their families. They are not known, however, to be very affectionate, compared to other breeds. ^{[22]
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Tips

Think about using a DNA test if the dog in question is your own. This will confirm if your dog is an Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog.

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How to Identify an Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Steps

Inspecting the Structure

Noticing the Coat

Assessing Temperament

Expert Q&A

Tips

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