Wow! Thank you for all that information. Very interesting. I had never heard of the heeler breed before but I know some people here in Maine with a farm and they too have herding dogs. They look nothing like the Australian ones though. I guess there were probably several breeds bred for herding in different locales. Theirs are extra large fluffy dogs with white hair, but very protective and wary of strange animals (they keep out wild animals from attacking the goats and ducks and such.)
I had not ever heard of a heeler either until I found Jax. The white fluffy dogs sounds like an Australian sheep dog. My business partner had one she rescued who was deaf.
The heelers were bred from mainly Australian dogs starting with the dingo the guy domesticated. Then the Australian kelpie and highland collie, which I think is from Australia. Don't know where the dalmatian originated from, but they are the 4th part of the heeler.