Dog Series Part #2: Kelpies

04/13/2021

A bit about them

A hard working and endlessly energetic breed of working dog.

Kelpies are a well known working dog breed in Australia and can be found on most farms where cattle and sheep need herding.

"Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend" - Corey Ford

Common name

Kelpie or Australian Kelpie

Name origin/meaning

The name of this breed comes from the first of its kind.
The first 'Kelpie' was named Kelpie, in reference to the Celtic mythical creature, a Kelpie.

While I won't go into the lore of mythical creatures here, mythical Kelpies often appeared as horses, but were said to be at least 10 times stronger.
This possibly relating to the dog Kelpies work commitment and consequence naming of the breed.

Appearance:

Weight:

Coming in at 10-20kg, they can be quite light and nimble dogs.

Height:

Dogs, being quadrupeds, have their height measured from the 'Wither', which is the top of their shoulders.

With a maximum height of around 51cm tall at the Wither, they are rarely classified as anything larger than a medium sized breed.

Colour:

With an array of colours options, Kelpies can look quite different sometimes.

They can come in variations of Red, Black, Blue, Chocolate, Tan and Fawn with differing patterns.

Shape:

Slender, muscley and athletic, this breed likes to work and be active a lot and this shows in their physique.

Tail:

Narrow and usually low hanging, a Kelpies tail acts like a rudder or counterbalance, giving them elevated agility.

Lifespan

From 10 to 15 years.

History

Kelpies are well considered to be closely descended from an early version of British working collies.
Distinct from Border Collies, as Kelpies were considered a breed 10-15 years before Border collies were.
(The first Border collie brought to Australia in 1901 was called 'Hindhope Jed')

When the early version of a collie was brought to Australia in the 19th century to manage sheep, the breed was consequently cross bred with various species until the first Kelpie was born in Casterton in South East Victoria. (It was long thought that Dingoes were one of the contributing breeds to Kelpie, but a study in 2019 showed no Dingo ancestry.)

Casterton erected a bronze statue of a Kelpie out the front of its Town Hall in 1996 to commemorate its 150th anniversary. In 1997 a working dog auction was held in Casterton and each year after that, to the point which by 2001 the annual event became known as the Casterton Kelpie Festival. The Event is held in June for anyone interested in checking it out!

This first Kelpie was named 'Kelpie' and her offspring were called variations of 'Kelpie', helping solidify the breed name. The breed quickly became very popular throughout Australia to herd sheep, giving the new breed a population boom.

Back in the Motherland (Great Britain) and the New World (USA), word of this amazing farm dog spread and the breed was soon in demand across the entire Western world. To this day Kelpies are widely used across Australia and the USA to herd sheep and as general working dogs.

While most Kelpies are bred for working, some are bred to be show dogs, Bench Kelpies.

Bench kelpies are like evolution in reverse, they are generally a bit heavier built and shorter than their working counterparts, which also ties to their decreased work attitude. This sub-breed is slowly being bred to become a more household friendly version, with all the looks of a working Kelpie, but with less demand for physical and intellectual stimulation.

Compare the 'Working Kelpie' to the 'Bench Kelpie' below.

Kelpies are now found all over the world for varying purposes, in Sweden in particular they are used as successful sniffer dogs.

They often feature in agility contests because of their easy trainability, being some of the fiercest competitors.
Being able to jump up to 3m high walls, they are hard to contend with.

Temperament

Kelpies are extremely active dogs coupled with very high intelligence. This rare combination makes them tireless and diligent working dogs. Farm life for this breed is the way to go.

If kept as a household pet, they need a lot of physical and intellectual stimulation. They make good trade worker companions and workout buddies. Being able to run at 72km/h and up to 60km in a day, these guys would make an ideal running partner.

If not adequately stimulated however, a Kelpies high intelligence and energy can allow them to become destructive and mischievous in ways you may not have thought possible for a dog.
If you have smaller pets as well, you may easily find them being rounded up by your Kelpie!

Their coat is double layered, making them whether resistant, however can lead to a lot of shedding year round. Nothing a weekly brush won't fix!

Common ailments

A Kelpie is generally a very healthy dog and hereditary diseases or issues are uncommon, but not non-existent.

Hip dysplasia, thyroid issues, Cryptorchidism (Testicles not descending) and some eye issues (Collie Eye Anomaly and Progressive Retinal Atrophy) will time to time effect Kelpies.

Red Dog!

Red Dog, from the movie Red Dog, is a Kelpie!

So if you need further reference of what a Kelpie looks like, or just feel like enjoying a good movie, go watch Red Dog.

Bibliography

https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/australian-kelpie/

https://www.purina.com.au/en/dogs/breeds/australian-kelpie#.YIulg7UzaUk

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Kelpie

https://www.pawshake.com.au/blog/kelpie-dog-breed-information#:~:text=Kelpie%20Background,sheepdogs%20and%20even%20wild%20dingos.

https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/australian-kelpie#/slide/1

https://www.petbarn.com.au/petspot/dog/dog-breeds/kelpie/