Australian Kelpie. Charlotte Schwartz
this can translate to the Kelpie’s viewing everyone and everything as part of his flock. Some Kelpies nip while herding, and this behavior appears in the pet home, too. The dog can be trained not to nip, but he can’t be trained not to herd! Pet owners must put their dogs’ safety foremost, realizing that a Kelpie will be off and running after anything that he thinks needs “rounding up,” which can be dangerous. Intense herding instincts are bred into this dog, which is why the Kelpie is such a wonderful working dog but is typically a less-than-ideal pet.
The active and independent-minded Kelpie likewise is affectionate and enjoys attention from the owners to which he is so loyal.
STOCKDOG CLUBS
In addition to Working Kelpies, Inc., there are specialty stockdog clubs throughout the US, such as the Red River Cattle Dog Association and the Western Cowdog Association. These associations are open to all breeds used to work livestock, and they promote the development of the dogs’ natural abilities through competitions, trials, educational activities and training programs. The WKI’s website (www.kelpiesinc.com) is a wonderful source of information on the breed and links to other clubs, organizations and points of interest for those dedicated to the working stockdog.
Being a highly intelligent and independent breed, the Kelpie is able to think on his own. For this reason, the breed is not highly successful in sports like obedience, freestyle, etc., which require repetition. The Kelpie seems to wonder why he has to do the same thing over and over again. His independence means that he will travel far to retrieve a stray cow or sheep, not tiring or giving up until the job is done. While this is a great benefit to the farmer, it is not a desirable quality in a pet dog.
While the Kelpie obviously is on his own when working, he should not just be “left loose” at other times. Usually Kelpies are kept in secure kennel runs or fenced areas when not working or inside the home with the family.
There are many books written by farmers and drovers about their working dogs. Many of the stories in these books are about the unique devotion, endurance and courage of Kelpies who have made a difference in the lives of the writers.
Take Jip, for example. A solid black Kelpie, Jip often moved a flock of sheep all by himself from one farm property to another while the farmer did other chores. The distance between the two properties was a little more than 4 miles. Once Jip got the flock moving, the farmer would call ahead to his other farm and arrange to have someone open the paddock gate for Jip. Once the dog moved the sheep into the paddock, he’d wait by the gate until the farmer came to pick him up. Jip also proved himself indispensable as a helper around the farm. He would frequently carry the farmer’s lunch in a basket out to him as he worked in the field.
A large, dark mahogany Kelpie, Drummer was his master’s constant companion. He loved to ride in the farmer’s truck each day as they moved about the property. Once, when the farmer had to go away on business for two weeks, he left Drummer on the farm to guard the family and property. When the farmer returned, he stopped overnight at another one of his family’s homes about 2 miles from the farm where Drummer was on watch. The next morning when he went out to his truck, Drummer was in the back of it, waiting to go to work with his boss. No one ever learned how the dog had known his master was back in town. Yet the dog had walked the miles from the farm to the town home and found his master’s truck to take up his vigil.
HEART-HEALTHY
In this modern age of ever-improving cardio-care, no doctor or scientist can dispute the advantages of owning a dog to lower a person’s risk of heart disease. Studies have proven that petting a dog, walking a dog and grooming a dog all show positive results toward lowering your blood pressure. The simple routine of exercising your dog—going outside with the dog and walking, jogging or playing catch—is heart-healthy in and of itself. If you are normally less active than your physician thinks you should be, adopting a dog may be a smart option to improve your own quality of life as well as that of another creature.
While the Kelpie is typically bored with the repetition of obedience training, he must learn the basic commands for his safety and good behavior.
These stories are just samples of Kelpie behavior that demonstrates their loyalty, intelligence and eagerness to please their owners. These stories and hundreds like them give solid testimony to the fact that Kelpies do not like to be separated from their masters. Consequently, they are not ideal pets for people who must leave their dogs at home for long hours each day while they go off to work. The Kelpie’s devotion to master and family, combined with the breed’s desire to work, makes him a poor candidate for suburban backyard pethood. However, Kelpies’ mild dispositions and tractable intelligence, along with their inexhaustible energy, make them ideal dogs to work livestock and do chores around the farm.
Though breeders of working Kelpies prefer that their dogs be used for work, Kelpies have the potential to be successful in a number of dog sports. Of course the breed excels in herding events; breed clubs and multi-breed stockdog clubs offer these as ways to test and develop the Kelpie’s innate skills. The sport of agility is another arena that offers exciting activity to Kelpies. Due to their athleticism, they quickly learn to master the art of jumping, climbing and making quick, sharp turns as they move from one obstacle to another. Running through long tunnellike mazes is barely a challenge to these quick and agile dogs, and maneuvering across a seesaw becomes child’s play once they learn how to do it.
BOREDOM SPELLS TROUBLE
Kelpies without sufficient work to do can become so frustrated and bored that they begin to exhibit extremely undesirable behavior, such as chewing furniture, woodwork, clothing, etc. A bored Kelpie will bark incessantly for no apparent reason (actually, frustration is the reason) and will sometimes void in inappropriate places, such as in the house, on the porch, around the pool or on the owner’s bed. Before long, the dog is so out of control that the owner decides he can’t cope with the problem behavior anymore. He will then turn the dog over to an animal shelter. If the dog is lucky, he’ll be rescued by someone who cares about the breed and is willing to put the Kelpie to work and help the dog develop a new and better lifestyle. If the dog is not lucky, he faces euthanasia. Therein lies the tragedy of the neglected pet dog or the mismatch between owner and breed.
Tracking, backpacking and scent-hurdle races are also attractive sports for Kelpies. In short, they adapt well to activities that offer fun, active participation and challenges to keep them mentally and physically stimulated. Heat, humidity, dry and dusty plains, flat deserts, rolling hills, mountainous terrain—the Kelpie adjusts to all types of climate and landscape. As long as he’s with his master and keeping busy, he’s happy.
The Kelpie’s characteristics are fascinating elements of this unique breed of dog. Provided that the Kelpie owner recognizes and accepts the breed’s natural traits and genetic tendencies, and especially if the owner puts his Kelpie to work, man and dog can enjoy many years of companionship and rewarding experiences together.
With typical herding body language, this Kelpie rounds up a wayward toy.
A breed standard is a detailed word picture of what an ideal dog of that particular breed should look like. Usually a standard comes into existence when breeders and fanciers get together and form a breed club. That organization then proceeds to spell out the details of the desirable physical conformation, temperament and other important points of their breed. Eventually, the breed club applies to the national