Australian Kelpie Breed

Australian Kelpie Dog Breed

The Kelpie is an Australian sheep dog successful at mustering and droving with little or no command guidance. They are medium-sized dogs and come in a variety of colours. Kelpies have been exported throughout the world and are used to muster livestock, primarily sheep, cattle, goats and poultry.

Breed standards vary depending on whether the registry is for working or show Kelpies. It is possible for a dog to do both, but his options for competition in conformation shows might be limited depending on his ancestry and on the opinions of the various kennel clubs or breed clubs involved.



Caracteristics
Working Kelpies stand about 50 cm (19.5 inches) at the withers for females, 55 cm (21.5 inches) for males; weight would be between 14–21 kg (31-46 lbs). Ears are pricked, but a few will have one or both ears flopped; the tail will often follow the coat type, and will vary between smooth to bushy. The dog's working ability is unrelated to appearance, so stockmen looking for capable working dogs disregard the dog's appearance.

Temperament
Kelpies are loyal, friendly, intelligent, energetic dogs that require a challenging job to be satisfactory companions. They need to be stimulated as idle and bored dogs become frustrated, noisy, and destructive.With personalised love and attention, they can be very placid and faithful, although they do need space to run. For the show or bench Kelpie, walks and socialisation may be sufficient to keep them happy. A working bred Kelpie must have a job to do and plenty of exercise and mental stimulation to remain healthy and companionable. A Kelpie is not aggressive towards people and cannot be considered a guard dog, though he will certainly bark when necessary. Working Kelpies may nip when working stock and should be taught early not to do so to humans.



Working bred Kelpies have done quite well in dog sports, search and rescue work, and can be good family dogs if they receive sufficient physical and mental exercise. The breed is unsuitable for a sedentary life and would not thrive in an apartment setting.

Source(Wikipedia)

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