Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog
The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog, commonly known as the Stumpy, is a naturally bobtailed or tailless, medium-sized cattle dog closely related to the Australian Cattle Dog. The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog and the Australian Cattle Dog share Halls Heeler origin. The ancestors of both breeds arrived in Australia with the First Fleet and/or later convict fleets. History 
The first domestic dogs to arrive in Australia came with the First Fleet in 1788 and later convict fleets. (Note: the Australian Dingo is not classified as a domestic dog.) A thriving stray dog population soon grew. Some of the strays, those with stock work potential, apparently found home with the free settler, George Hall. Thomas Hall, a son of George, developed them into working dogs of excellence. Robert Kaleski, who wrote the first standard for the Cattle Dog breed, called Hall's dogs Halls Heelers. The Halls Heelers were later developed into the two modern breeds, Australian Cattle Dog and Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. Kaleski also suggested that Thomas Hall imported dogs from England. However, this assumes correspondence between the Halls and contacts in England (none exists) and sailing time between Sydney and London, at the relevant time, was three months or more. Arrangements for dog import would have taken years to accomplish. The Sydney-based Kaleski described long-tailed (normal length tail), only, cattle dogs in his breed standard, published in 1902. If Kaleksi and his dog-breeding associates bred the occasional short-tailed pup they may have culled it (correctly) as defective. The short, or absent, tail is an inherited defect. In Queensland, however, the two types (long- and short-tailed) were originally exhibited as two varieties of the one Cattle Dog breed. but by the 1950s, separate classes – Cattle Dog (long-tail) and Cattle Dog (short-tail) – were more usual. During the 1950s administrative decisions taken by the Canine Control Council (Queensland), and consequent legal proceedings, threatened the future of the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog as an exhibited breed. Iris Heale (1919–2006), Glen Iris kennels, became the only registered Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog breeder. She exercised her monopoly by refusing to sell registered animals. During the 1980 some members of the Australian working dog fancy realised Heale’s death would also be the death of the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog as an exhibited breed. In 1988 the Australian National Kennel Council introduced a "Development Breeding Programme" to perpetuate the breed. The success of the scheme, to which Iris Heale gave active support, is evident in the growing popularity of the breed. As an accident of its history, Iris Heale’s thirty-year monopoly of the breed, the Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog developed independently of the Wooleston and Tallawong influences of the 1950s and 1960s that reshaped the Australian Cattle Dog. The Stumpy has remained more faithful to the lean, leggy dog of Kaleski’s day than has the Australian Cattle Dog. Breed recognition 
The Stumpy was first recognised as a breed, in its own right, in 1963 when the Australian National Kennel Council issued a breed standard for the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog. The name was changed to Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog in 2002 and in 2003 the breed was accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The breed has also gained acceptance by the American Kennel Club, the United Kennel Club, the Canadian Kennel Club and Dogs New Zealand. Appearance 
The ANKC standard (2009) asks for "a well proportioned working dog, rather square in profile with a hard-bitten, rugged appearance, and sufficient substance to convey the impression of the ability to endure long periods of arduous work under whatsoever conditions may prevail. The outer coat is moderately short, straight, dense and of medium harsh texture. The undercoat is short, dense and soft. The coat around the neck is longer, forming mild ruff. The hair on the head, legs and feet, is short. Tan markings are not permissible." (Cf. Australian Cattle Dog.) Temperament 

The ideal temperament of the Stumpy is described in the breed standard as alert and watchful, as well as responsive to its owner and reserved around strangers, but also notes that "it must be amenable to handling" at shows. All working dogs need early socialisation with people, and consistent training and activity throughout their lives. Activities 

Stumpies may compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, tracking, frisbee and herding events. Herding instincts and trainability can be measured at noncompetitive herding tests. Stumpies exhibiting basic herding instincts and can be trained to compete in herding trials. See also
 Dogs portal
 List of dog breeds
 Anatomical terms of location
 Dog terminology

References

External links 
 

FCI breeds
Herding dogs
Dog breeds originating in Australia