An Australian Cattle Dog with a blue merle coat pattern is referred to as a “blue-tick heeler” in everyday speech. The blue heeler, Queensland heeler, or simply heeler are the most popular names for this type of dog. The red heelers resemble them but don’t have any blue spots on their coats.
The American Kennel Club claims that Australian ranchers created Australian Cattle Dogs in the 1800s by breeding native dingos with imported working dogs like collies. The breed is renowned for its intellect and high level of energy. Heelers require a home with a job to keep them occupied and a strong leader as the owner.