Australian Kelpie, Australian Kelpie Dog, Australian Kelpie Breeders, Australian Kelpie Picture

The Australian Kelpie was developed in Australia for herding sheep and cattle, and is still widly used for that purpose in Australia and New Zealand. They are medium-sized dogs and come in a variety of colours. Kelpies have been exported throughout the world and are used for herding sheep, cattle, goats, ducks, and other livestock.

The breed has split over time into the Australian Kelpie and the working Kelpie. The Australian is the variety that is seen at conformation dog shows.

Appearance
The Kelpie's has a double coat, with a thick undercoat and a weather-resistant outer coat. The coat comes in seven colors: black, chocolate, red, smoky blue, fawn, black and tan (from dark brown to a light cream), and red and tan - in the 'Australian' the color should be solid; the 'working' can have the colors either solid or with tan, and occasionally with small white markings. Different kennel clubs' breed standards have preferences for certain co colors, so what is acceptable for show dogs in some venues might not be acceptable in others. The color has no relationship to the dog's working ability, so ranchers looking for capable working dogs usually disregard the dog's color.

Kelpies stand between 17 and 23 inches (43-58.5 cm) at the withers and generally weigh from 24 to 45 lbs (11 to 30 kg).

Temperament
Clever, resilient and high energy, these dogs may run 60 kilometers(37 miles) in a working day. They can work in all temperatures, handling heat and cold(though not extremes) well. Seen often in commercials running on the backs of sheep, they do this as required in holding pens where it is not possible or safe to run between the animals.

Health
Kelpies are a hardy breed with few health problems.

History
The history of this breed is not well documented so its unclear how they cam into being. Some say the breed came from crossing Scottish sheepdogs with smooth-haired collies. Others say they were borne of crossing domestic dogs with the Australian Dingo. This has some credibility, as they share the Australian Dingoes resistance to paralysis ticks, but it is not born out from genetic testing.

Australian Kelpie, Australian Kelpie Dog, Australian Kelpie Breeders, Australian Kelpie Picture