Canis Panther vs Austrailian Blue Heeler - Breed Comparison

The Canis Panther is a strong, muscled dog who has been developed in the USA in the 1970s by Scorpio Jones, Michael Stratten, and Lucas Lopez. They mixed the Doberman Pinscher, the Great Dane the Labrador Retriever and the American Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

This dog hasn’t got a long history, having only been established in the 1970's, but the breeders wanted a dog much like the Doberman but somewhat larger and stronger. It is a dog breed which is still fairly unknown in the United States and elsewhere.

In 1840, George Elliott made a match with Australian Dingo and Collie and got a clever and very active dog breed – Australian Blue Heeler. Soon, he showed his good herding instincts and protective nature and got really popular among the cattlemen and ranchers. Soon, as the USA soldiers arrived in Australia, they decided that it will be a great dog to bring home.

Australian Blue Heeler has short, double coat. The coat is water resistant and helps them when the temperature is too high as well. Their coat is rough to the touch, naturally. They can be found in blue or red coat colour mix. The Blue Heeler isn’t actually blue, but their black coat has a bluish tint. Red Heelers have red fur instead of black. They have long tails, strong legs, Dingo-like heads with pointy ears and muscular necks and balanced and athletic bodies.

The Canis Panther is a large dog measuring roughly 68 – 77 cm in height and weighing around 50 to 63 kg. He has a deep chest and strong neck. The coat is short and dense and it is is essentially a solid color - fawn, grey, blue, chocolate or black.

He looks magnificent with his cropped ears and short docked tail. Unfortunately with regulations surrounding the docking of dog’s tails, the dog these days is often left with a long tail.

He is an intelligent, territorial dog and makes an excellent watchdog. He is a dog which can be easily trained and socialized and then he makes a great family dog. He is loving and loyal to his human family, being somewhat aloof with strangers. His gets along well with children in the home as well as with other pets.

This breed is somehow designed for an outdoor life and outdoor activity. This implies that Blue Heelers have nature made of the high dose of energy. They are always ready to go anywhere you go, and they will be a loyal friend. They are actually very clever, intelligent and ready to help.

If you are a type of the person who prefers being indoors and having minimal physical activity, Blue heelers are not the type of a furry companion for you. They have a high daily need for the activity, and they love having lots of space to run and explore. Sometimes, you will realize that having a leash is a must because they will get so playful that they will forget about you!

If you start teaching them to be friendly with other dogs while they are still pups, they will accept that kind of lifestyle. But, if your Blue Heeler is raised as the only dog on the ranch, note that they won’t be very friendly toward other dogs.

Since most of the herd dogs usually respond to only one person, most of the Blue Heelers can follow this old instinct. They can be very independent, as well, and they are usually not the type of the dog that will always be around your leg waiting for a cuddle or ear scratch. But, they build the respect towards humans depending on how they treat him so they can be very lovable and friendly pets.

If you are still confused about their name, you must know that the Blue Heelers can actually lightly nip your heel for attention. They are not aggressive, but they tend to be very protective of the family, humans around them and their property.

The Canis Panther is a loving dog in spite of his large, guard-dog looks. He is intelligent, bold and courageous, and when trained and socialized is a devoted, loyal, loving pet.

He is known for his high intelligence and becomes so attached to his human family he will fight to the death for them if needs be. He is a territorial dog and won’t welcome strangers to his door.

The Canis Panther puppy is outgoing and playful, loving the company of kids in the family.He requires a firm owner who can see to it that he gets in a good quota of exercise. He is an energetic dog and if he isn’t given enough exercise he can become destructive and aggressive through no fault of his own but because of an irresponsible owner.

The Canis Panther is a large dog but given love and proper care he becomes the most awesome, strong devoted pet and protector.

Children friendliness

They are generally good with children, but you must be aware of their inherent desire to herd. Always supervise when your Blue Heeler is around small children.

Special Talents

Ball tricks, frisbee fun, running companion, herding cattle.

Adaptability

It is best to buy a puppy. These dogs get attached to one human and to the territory.

Learning ability

They are generally quick learners. If you teach them to be playful, friendly and loving, they will learn it in no time. So be aware of the decisions that can cost you when the dog grows up.

The Canis Panther breed is not known to have any particular illness and he can live to be 10, 11 or 12 years of age. However, like every other dog, there are some more common dog illnesses that you will need to be aware of and which are seen more commonly in larger dog breeds, some of which are -

Bone Cancer

Larger breeds can be prone to bone cancer, known as Osteosarcoma and found more often in the limbs. Dogs develop swelling in the affected part of the limb and the bones can break easily. If you notice swelling or limping, see that you get your pet to the vet.

Lymphoma

This is another kind of cancer which affects the Lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Dogs with Lymphoma may have an enlarged lymph node under the chin and neck for instance or the swelling could be in the groin area. Get your dog to the vet so as to have the lump biopsied.

Eye problems

Progressive Retinal Atrophy usually causes slow and painless loss of sight. This process takes years, but there are cases where this disease took only months before the dog ended up completely blind. It is advisable to take your Blue Heeler to the vet for a test that can tell you if your dog is carrying the gene for this disease.

Lens luxation is a disease where the lens of dog’s eye separates partially or completely. Good news is that this disease can be treated.

Joint diseases

Most common is the hip or elbow dysplasia. This is the disease where hip joints do not develop properly and begin to grind. This condition can sometimes be treated with physiotherapy, but there is a chance that your Blue Heeler will need a surgery. If you have a habit of regular vet checks and keeping your dog slim and fed with quality food, you can a make a big difference.

Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) causes the dog to have excess cartilage and deficient bone, where cartilage does not get replaced by bone during fetal development. This disease usually requires surgery and prescribed medicines.

Deafness

Congenital hereditary sensorineural deafness – CHSD is a common form of deafness.

Bilateral deafness can be identified when the dog is still a puppy, more-less at six weeks of age. A puppy with deafness in only one ear is harder to identify, but it can happen.

Portosystemic shunt means that the blood flow is getting back into the bloodstream instead of passing through the liver. That means that liver can’t clear out the toxins, and the organ itself fails to grow properly. This inherited type of shunt can be treated with surgery if the diagnose is set on time.

With his short coat, the Canis Panther is looked upon as a low mainenance dog. You’ll need to brush his hair at least twice a week though to remove loose hairs and keep the coat shiny.

Dental Care

Brush your pet’s teeth at least 2 or 3 times a week. You get special toothpaste and toothbrush for dogs and your vet can guide you on how to use them. If you don’t attend to your pet's teeth, he can experience tartar build up. This can lead to gum disease and tooth loss. Not only that, bad teeth can affect other parts of the body too.

Exercise

This breed comes from several large dog breeds and as a big dog, he is certainly going to need a good deal of exercise. He’ll need a walk every day or perhaps frisbee games in the park where he is made to run.

Any dog requires exercise, and especially a magnificent dog like this one. You want to make sure you maintain those lean, muscled limbs by ensuring he gets his fair share of exercise.

Feeding the puppy

Choose a dog food that will provide nutrients that will help in the bone developing. Since they are more likely to suffer from joint diseases, you must take this advice seriously. It would be great if you speak about this with your vet before you choose food on your own.

Feeding the adult

The best food for Blue Heeler is a high-quality food which supplies them with premium nutrition to fuel their activity.

They also drink a lot of water, so be sure that they always have a fresh water available.

Points for Good Health

Lots and lots of the outdoor activity and a quality food. You must be very cautious because this kind of dogs gets overweight easily because they just love the treats and extra food portion.

Games and Exercises

Any outdoor activity that is mentally challenging and interesting enough to keep them from running in the field trying to catch anything that moves.