Which breed is an Australian cattle dog with a naturally short tail?

The Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog is an Australian cattle dog born with a naturally short or absent tail.

Known informally as the “Stumpy,” this medium-sized working breed developed from early Australian herding dogs associated with the Hall family. Those dogs, called Hall’s Heelers, contributed to both the Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog and the Australian Cattle Dog. The Stumpy was selected for managing cattle across demanding stations and rough terrain.

Its tail is an inherited trait, not simply the result of docking. Breed standards describe a naturally short tail, often under 10 centimetres long. The Stumpy has a short, dense coat, prick ears, and blue-speckled or red-speckled colouring. Unlike the Australian Cattle Dog, tan markings are not permitted by the Australian standard.

A common mix-up is treating the Stumpy as merely a short-tailed variety of the Australian Cattle Dog. The breeds share ancestry, but kennel organizations now recognize them as separate breeds. The Australian National Kennel Council issued a separate standard in 1963, and the breed received its present name in 2001.