General Information on the Australian Kelpie
Breed, Appearance, and History for this Medium Sized Sheep Dog
Nov 8, 2009
The Australian Kelpie is a silent herder with a strong work ethic. Using a reserved bark and his intelligent mind, this dog is able to complete many tasks without direction. Most at home in wide open spaces, Kelpies can adapt to less area if their active lifestyles are still maintained. Being a very intelligent dog, Kelpies can be wonderful family pets if given love and outlets for their boundless energy.
Different Breeds of the Kelpie
The Australian Kelpie, or just Kelpie, is an excellent working dog. Being bred to herd, these dogs have an innate ability to monitor and lead large groups of animals. Typically used around sheep and cattle, the Kelpie does equally as well with smaller animals like goats or chickens. These dogs are accustomed to working long days in open fields and this makes them more than adequate as a running partner for their human companions.
Kelpies today are actually two somewhat distinct groups of dogs. There are the working and the show Kelpies. Show Kelpies are bred with a more limited coat variety in comparison to working Kelpies. This is in part because some kennel organizations only allow certain coat colors. Show Kelpies are also heavier but more compact when compared to working Kelpies.
Appearance of a Kelpie
Because of the different groups of Kelpie, it can be difficult to identify a dog as belonging to a group just by a visual inspection. The dogs can vary in color from black or chocolate to a mixture of red and tan. Working Kelpies, because they can be bred with other working dogs, share the spectrum of color with the show Kelpies but can lack the uniformity of coat color seen in the show class.
History of the Kelpie
There are many stories as to how the Kelpies developed. One possibility is that the Kelpie is a combination of dogs used in Australia to work with the livestock. Kelpies were bred with the best traits of these early dogs.
Another story is that the Kelpie is a combination of a domesticated dog and a wild dingo in Australia. Since the dingo is wild it should not be kept as a pet. In addition, the wild dingo is notorious for killing many herd animals. By breeding a domesticated dog with a dingo it was possible to retain some of the wild dingo appearance while utilizing the temperament of the domestic dog.
These hard working dogs can make great pets. While not bred as guard dogs, Kelpies will protect their homes and families. Bred to work cattle, there is little this dog fears. Excellent dogs for runners, families with children could benefit from the almost endless stamina and natural herding instincts of this breed.
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