The Australian Kelpie is a medium-sized dog which is used to herd sheep. The Kelpie is extremely alert, eager and highly intelligent, with a mild, tractable disposition and an almost inexhaustible energy, with marked loyalty and devotion to duty. It has a natural instinct and aptitude in the working of sheep, both in open country and in the yard. Kelpies like hard exercise and wandering and are not happy living in the city.
In the late 1800s, a rancher named Gleason swapped a horse for a black-and-tan sheep dog pup bred in Victoria of imported Scottish lines.  He named her "Kelpie", Gaelic for water sprite, and found her to be a fine worker. It was her offspring that gave the breed its name. Many fine working black dogs resulted from the lines created by back crosses to Moss, a black Australian dog from the Rutherford strain, particularly one named "Barb". For many years, there was a general belief that the black ones were a separate breed called Barbs.
Kelpies are still the top herding dogs in Australia. Sheep workers say a good Kelpie is equivalent to two men on horseback. They can be most useful in gathering sheep and bringing them into the pens, forcing them through the dipping vats, and loading them into trucks and railcars. Kelpies have been used effectively also with horses, goats, poultry and even reindeer. Kelpies are rarely exhibited. Lately, they have been used in areas other than herding and have been useful in search and rescue, dog guide and drug detection work. There are 4 to 7 puppies in litter of Australian Kelpie.
Photo courtesy of Callicoma
Australian Kelpie Breed Outline
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Country of Origin: | Australia |
| FCI Classification: |
Section 1-Sheepdogs; Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle dogs) |
| Utilization: | Sheep dog capable to do the herding work of several men and travel about 40 miles in one day. |
| Other Classifications: |
1. North American Australian Kelpie Registry (NAAKR)
2. United Kennel Club (UKC) - Herding Dog Breeds
3. Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) - Working Dogs |
| Personality: | Intelligent, loyal, friendly and independent. |
| Size Category: | Medium |
| Height: | 17-23 inches at shoulders |
| Colors: | Black, black and tan, red, red and tan, fawn, chocolate, and smoke blue. |
| Other Names: | Kelpie, Barb |
| Litter Size: | 4-7 puppies |
| Life Span: | 12-14 years |
| Grooming Requirements: |
The coat is a double coat with a short dense undercoat and a glossy, weather-resistant outercoat. Brush weekly to remove shedding hair. |
| Shedding: | Medium |
| Social skills: | Most generally, Kelpies are good with other pets, but they will try to herd them. |
| Suitability for Children: | Kelpies need early socialization and obedience training, otherwise they will try to herd children. |
| Exercise Needs: | These dogs need an athlete's training schedule - exercise, exercise, exercise - or they may develop severe behavioral problems. Although they are friendly and trainable, their high energy and great drive to work make them unsuitable for a house-bound or apartment living. |
| Train Ability: | They bond strongly to one owner and, although loyal and intelligent, they are independent thinkers. Some owners may find their level of independence difficult to deal with. |
| Health & Behavioral Issues: |
Responsible breeders will screen their breeding stock for hereditary diseases.
1. Cerebellar abiotrophy
2. Cutaneous Asthenia ((Ehlers-Danlos syndrome)
3. Progressive retinal atrophy
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Australian Kelpie Puppies
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