Kelpie

The Kelpie’s ancestors originated in Britain, as the working collies and farm dogs that could drive sheep, cattle, deal with pests like rats and rabbits and were hardy, intelligent and biddable. 
They were not intentionally created as a breed, they just arose out of necessity. Farmers who were working large numbers of sheep across huge areas of rough bush-land needed a tough dog, not too big, but fast and with incredible intelligence and stamina.

Once in Australia, the sheep they found themselves working were large, feisty and independent-minded as earlier attempts at sheep-rearing in Australia using softer, easier going breeds had failed due to the harsh conditions both on the farms and in transporting sheep to Australia in the first place.

The original Kelpie was a black and tan, floppy earred female pup, born in around 1872 on a sheep station near Casterton. She was named ‘Kelpie’ by her new owner Jack Gleeson, after the water spirit of Celtic folklore. She went on to produce several litters who carried her name in some way and eventually the strain became known as ‘Kelpies’ and were sought after for their working ability.
Since those days the Kelpie has proven popular not only as a working dog but as a sporting dog, for agility, heelwork to music and flyball in particular.

Kelpies are a generally health dog breed, seeing as they’re bred to be hardy. Their athletic physique means that they have a high exercise requirement. This can be good but it does mean that they are slightly more prone to dog Hip Dysplasia. It’s also suggested that they could be prone to Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) and Cerebellar Abiotrophy as well.

Ideally, if you own a Kelpie dog breed, you’ll have several hundred acres of grazing land and a thousand sheep who need moving but if that isn’t you, a strong involvement in agility, CaniX or some similarly energetic and competitive dog sport will suffice. Suited to owners with prior experience of hard-as-nails active working dogs, who live rurally and have lots of spare time for dog related activities.

Two hours of exercise per day is really the bare minimum the Kelpie dog breed requires – if you could make that 4+ hours, and add in lots of problem solving, some agility, a spot of swimming and a dash of trick training, you may be approaching the mental and physical exercise this breed needs.

Very economical on space, the Kelpie will fit into the corner of the smallest dwelling, but will benefit from a securely fenced dog garden of a decent size. Better suited to rural or quiet suburban living, the busy to and fro of city life is likely to over-stress this breed.

The Kelpie dog needs to have a balanced diet including all the main nutrient groups and a constant supply of fresh water. It's also important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed your pet at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of their particular food.

The Kelpie dog breed is easy to groom with a bristle brush and pin brush once a week, but check paws, ears, eyes etc over after each walk to ensure there are no parasites or cuts and scrapes. Find out more on dog grooming with our guide. 

The Kelpie will enjoy dog training as long as you can incorporate that training into daily life, and ‘train as you go’. They are likely to be bored with set sessions of training and will fail to see the point, so you need to work very hard to keep things interesting, unpredictable and fulfilling.

Kelpies respond very well to positive reinforcement based training – indeed to use any other method would likely result in a sullen and untrusting dog who is quick to bite or run away.

They’re capable of doing extremely well at agility, heelwork to music, man trailing, caniX, scent work and more, as long as you can motivate them to work with you.

Not ideal with small children or in homes with a constant traffic of children and their friends as this breed is keen that social groups stay together, and children find it understandably stressful to be herded and eyeballed (or nipped) into a group! With older children able to take part in training, and for the family who live and breathe dog training and dog sports, the Kelpie could be a fun companion and team-mate.

While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together. Adults should strive to gently introduce dogs and children, whilst supervising all interactions between them.
 

• For the working Kelpie dog, white blazes and points are not unusual as these dogs are selected for working ability rather than appearance.
• Show type Kelpies registered under the ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council) come in Black, Chocolate, Red, Smokey Blue, Fawn, Black and Tan and Red and Tan. They have a soft smooth double coat, and pricked ears
• A Kelpie called Maggie was thought to be the world’s oldest dog at the time of her death. She was 30 years old when she passed in 2016.