The Texas Heeler is a non pure bred dog found mainly in Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. They are a cross or mix between the Australian Cattle Dog

Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog is a breed of herding dog originally developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. In the 19th century, New South Wales cattle farmer Thomas Hall crossed the dogs used by drovers in his parents' home county, Northumberland, with...

, and the Australian Shepherd

Australian Shepherd

The Australian shepherd is a breed of herding dog that was developed on ranches in the Western United States. Despite its name, the breed, commonly known as an Aussie, did not originate in Australia They acquired their name because some of the Australian sheepdogs arrived in the United States with...

, but can be a cross between the ACD and the Border Collie

Border Collie

The Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....

. They are bred mainly for their ability to work cattle. Although, they were found mainly on ranches in the past, they are currently being enjoyed in dog sports such as agility

Dog agility

Dog agility is a dog sport in which a handler directs a dog through an obstacle course in a race for both time and accuracy. Dogs run off-leash with no food or toys as incentives, and the handler can touch neither dog nor obstacles...

, frisbee and Rally Obedience also.

Appearance

Texas Heelers are medium sized dogs that generally weigh between 25 - 50 pounds (11–23 kg). Their coats can vary in texture from short and smooth to medium length and color including black, blue merle or blue ticked with white and / or tan trim. They usually have smooth or medium length coats (1 to 3 inches). Texas Heelers are generally prick eared, but their ears may also fold over. They usually stand between 17-22 inches (43–61 cm) tall,most have bob-tails but can have long tails.