Bred as work dogs , Australian kelpies still screw being put to work whether their task is herd sheep , arrest a ball , or making it to the finish line of an lightsomeness course . They require lots of exercise and genial stimulation and make great darling for participating families who want up-and-coming , affectionate , and truehearted companions .
Australian kelpies were bred to herd sheep across huge expanse of rugged terrain , all the while hold their work dog sprightliness . They makeexcellent hike partnersand surpass at flyball , agility , and other variation that want a combination of mental and physical toughness . kelpy are as devoted to their families as they are to their flocks and make firm familiar that delight expend metre with their owners — especially if it involves high octane activities .
As their name suggests , Australian kelpie are more pop on the island nation where the strain develop and are not as common in the U.S. But kelpie - lovers in the States should n’t stress : There are national breed clubs and a few Australian kelpie rescue groups that specialize in the breed for owners who go down in love .
Appearance
At first coup d’oeil , the Australian kelpy might be mistaken for a mixed stock " mutt " with the goad ear and curling butt of aGerman shepherd ; the brusque , glazed fuzz of a smooth - coatedborder collie ; and the black and tan coloring of aRottweiler , but thesemedium - sized dogsare a breed all their own .
kelpie are impregnable , muscular dogs . Despite an average peak of 17–20 inches , they can librate up to 60 pounds . Their sturdy , compact organic structure are underwrite in short pelt that comprise of a dumb priming and outercoat of stocky , straight hair . disastrous and tan is the most common color , but the strain ’s fur can range from pure disastrous , chocolate , and violent to grayish brown and smoke down in the mouth . Some kelpies also have chicken coats , which lead to a long - take belief that the breed come down from the dingo , according toClaire Wade , PhD , professor of animal genomics at the University of Sydney .
Kelpies have a " washing and go " pelage that requires minimal grooming — though act upon dogs or those that drop a lot of time hiking or engaged in other outdoor activities might need more veritable brushing or bath .
Temperament
If kelpy could talk , their favorite Good Book might be , " Let ’s go ! " The dogs , whether breed for work and those bred as companions , have staying power to dispense with . Kelpies do well in home thatprovide hatful of exercise — a short manner of walking around the block is not enough to satisfy their need to be on the go . Hiking , swimming , and laugher at the dog park are first-class activities to help kelpy burn off some of their vim .
" They also make really great sporting dog for [ activeness like ] flyball or agility or bobtail diving , " Wade allege .
Australian kelpies might have go - go - go personalities , but do n’t count them out for movie Nox . They ’re just as well-chosen to curve up on the lounge with you , especially after a full day of activity .
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Kelpies are anintelligent breedthat requires mental stimulation . Offering teaser toysor playing games like fetch or hide and seek is just as of import as utilization . Before fetch home a kelpy , Wade suggests prospective owners ask : " Can I keep his brain combat-ready and put up him a home where he has enough mental stimulant to be happy ? "
Living Needs
kelpy were breed to herd sheep across vast loose spaces . While the wienerwurst do n’t need a farm and a mickle to thrive , they do appreciatea large fenced yardand mountain ofopportunities for exercise .
" This is not so much a dog for a Manhattan flat with a doggy thunder mug , " Wade says . " The proprietor who have been living successfully in the suburban area [ with kelpie ] are the ones who do something dynamic with them , like legerity or other bodily function that require them to use their Einstein . You ca n’t just lock them up in the backyard . "
Kelpies are outgoing and sociable and canlive in harmony with childrenand other pet . But , thanks to their instinct , they may attempt to herd them . Consistent positively charged reinforcement trainingis a must so kelpy learn to be on their good behavior and do n’t attempt to treat family members like sheep .
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trueness is also a hallmark of the strain . Because kelpies were bred to act alongside Farmer and fauna , they develop strong bonds with their proprietor and fellow family pets . They favour spending time with their pack to being alone .
Care
The Australian kelpie a low - maintenance breed that requires minimal training . Anoccasional bathandregular brushingto transfer extra hair are all it take to keep your kelpie look his proficient , andnail trimsare also essential to prevent overgrowth . Like all breeds , Australian kelpiesrequire regular vet caution , vaccines , parasite prevention , anddental concern .
Thanks to their eager - to - please personality , training Australian kelpiesis a snap . Their training shouldfocus on rewardsand , as with all breed , incontrovertible reward . Because kelpies love to have a task to do , using game and fast - paced body process during training will assist them master canonical commands and determine new illusion . Skip long , insistent training seance and focus on brusk , high - energy training routines alternatively . If kelpies finger like get word fresh thing is their occupation , they ’ll work severely to excel .
Health
Despite being hardy work dog with a lifetime of 12–15 year , Australian kelpies are prostrate to a duet health conditions . Hip and elbow dysplasia , a gaunt condition that induce the ball and socket of the joints to rub and fag together , are common in kelpies .
A common genetic disease known ascerebeller abiotrophy , or CA , also touch kelpie . Wade remark that there are two form of the disease : One affects Australian kelpie puppies and the other affects adult dog . CA regard the cerebellum , the part of the mental capacity that regulates movement ; it can cause deficiency of balance and coordination and pawl with the disease often have a wobble in their walk . When it ’s diagnose in puppies , it can be overcome . But older dog diagnosed with CA be given to have a worse medical prognosis .
" Older dogs [ diagnose with CA ] tend to degenerate quickly , " Wade explain . " It ’s a progressive disease that gets progressively uncollectible and the dogs do n’t usually do n’t survive . "
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If you notice any signs of CA in your pup , alert your veterinary . There is a familial examination that can give a prognosis .
History
There are two major origin stories for the Australian kelpy . In the first , Australian farmers buy work on dogs from Scotland ; the firedog were crummy because their prick ear were prostrate to frostbite in the coarse climate of the Highlands ( but they were perfect in Australia , where the shape of their ears helped dissipate the heat ) .
The locals noticed the imported working dogs had the same pricked ears , sturdy builds and blackened and suntan or yellow coats as the dingo , the native dog of Australia . The similarity in their appearance guide to rumour that the breed was developed from a cross between a Scottish collie and a Dingo .
" It fit into the local folklore of tough Australians who find like a routine of an outcast , and so that was one of the stories that fly high , " Wade explain . " They wish to claim that ’s why they do so well in our harsh conditions . "
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In a disjoined version of the origin narration , husbandman were believed to attach out female wienerwurst in their sheep grazing land to lure in dingoes to obliterate them ( and keep the dingoes from killing the sheep ) but the angry dog bred with the sour dogs , result in a cross that is now recognise as the Australian kelpie .
However , Wade has debunked the Canis dingo connection . In her 2019research , she found no perceptible dingo desoxyribonucleic acid in the Australian kelpie .
" I ca n’t say for sure there has never been dingo in there , " she accommodate . " But I ’m pretty certain there ’s not much unexpended if there ever was [ a connection ] . "
no matter of how the strain originated , the Australian kelpy remains one of the most popular stock in Australia where it is jimmy for its work with sheep and as a companion .
