Breed Information
While its origins lie in the Scottish highlands, the Australian Kelpie is now a quintessentially Aussie dog breed. Used by Australian farmers to herd sheep since the 1800s, this intelligent, hard-working dog is loved as a family pet for its friendly disposition and affectionate nature.
SIZE
The male Aussie Kelpie should stand 46-51cms and females between 43cms and 48cms. Still very much a working dog, they are best suited to families on acreage but will manage with a large backyard so long as you can provide hours of outdoor play and running at an off-leash park.
COAT
The medium-shedding outer-coat of the Aussie Kelpie is close, straight, hard and lies flat, making it rain-resistant. The undercoat is short and dense, and hair around the neck is longer and thicker, forming a delightful ruff. Colours include black, red, fawn, chocolate and smoke blue, or a combination of tan and red or black.
CHARACTER & TEMPERAMENT
Alert, eager and easily trained, the Australian Kelpie makes for a good companion, provided your family enjoys ample exercise! They are highly loyal and will expect to be included in all family happenings and excursions.
Always eager to please and dedicated to its work, the Kelpie will undertake any task given to it with enthusiasm – be it rounding up sheep or retrieving a ball again, and again, and again.
With their natural instincts and high intelligence, Aussie Kelpies make for great guard dogs.
CARE
The coat of the Aussie Kelpie requires twice-weekly brushing and a bath whenever necessary. Ears should be regularly checked for infection and the undercoat lifted and looked through for ticks.
Australian Kelpies require mental stimulation as much as they need to physical exercise. Training, tricks and affection are essential to keeping your Kelpie happy.
Australian Kelpies are a “one-family” kind of dog and do not handle abandonment well – it is essential to never leave an Australian Kelpie on their own for long periods of time, or they will become bored and destructive.
TRAINING
It is very important to train and socialize your Australian Kelpie at a very young age. Obedience training is fundamental to their development as a cohesive member of your family and you must establish your position as “pack leader” as early as possible. With their intelligence and natural ability to pick up instruction from other dogs, Australian Kelpies are great students but require persistent and creative training, as they can be easily distracted when bored.
ACTIVITY
It is essential that Kelpies get extensive, daily exercise and are best suited to an active family. If you don’t live on acreage, it’s important that your Kelpie gets daily walks with outdoor play and plenty of off-leash time at a dog park.
Flyball and agility training are great ways to exercise this breed, and anything you can do to scratch their herding instinct will go a long way to keeping your Kelpie happy, too!
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