| Australian Kelpies: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Australian Kelpie personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Australian Kelpie, including these excerpts:
"The lithe, hard-muscled Australian Kelpie can work stock for many hours and cover long distances in heat and dust without giving in.
One of the smartest of all breeds, the Australian Kelpie can also be one of the most challenging to live with. His superior intellect, combined with his independence, intensity, and passion for keeping busy, are his best features -- and the ones that make him unsuitable for most homes.
This sharp-eyed, quick-thinking, fanatical workaholic must be allowed to do his job with livestock, to learn advanced obedience or agility, to accompany you jogging or biking, or to chase balls or Frisbees.
Without physical and mental stimulation, Australian Kelpies become bored and hyperactive and will drive you crazy with obsessive, destructive behaviors as they seek creative outlets for their energy.
High intelligence means they learn quickly -- including how to do anything they set their mind to. They are master escape artists (going over and under fences) and zealous gatherers of cars, bikes, joggers, cats, other dogs, livestock, and running children -- circling, poking, pushing, and nipping if the person or animal or object doesn't cooperate.
You must stay one step ahead of this brilliant breed, and most people are simply not up to the task."
History
An estimated 200,000 Kelpies herd sheep, cattle, goats, and poultry in Australia.
Size
17-21 inches and 30-55 lbs |
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Australian Kelpies
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is medium-sized and completely natural-looking
- Is built like an athlete -- agile and quick-moving
- Loves to work and thrives on vigorous exercise and athletic activities
- Is smart, versatile, and capable -- when well-trained and well-exercised, can learn and do almost anything
An Australian Kelpie may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- Vigorous exercise requirements
- Extreme intensity and passion for keeping busy
- Destructiveness and barking when bored or not exercised enough
- Shyness or suspiciousness when not socialized enough
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Chasing and nipping at things that move: children, joggers, other animals, bikes, cars
- Shedding
- Waiting lists (hard to find)
An Australian Kelpie may not be right for you.
| If I were considering an Australian Kelpie... |
My major concerns would be:
- Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. Australian Kelpies MUST have regular opportunities to vent their energy and to use their busy minds to do interesting things. Otherwise they will become rambunctious and bored -- which they usually express by barking and destructive chewing. Bored Australian Kelpies can make a shambles of your house and yard.
| If you simply want a pet for your family, and don't have the time or inclination to take your dog running or hiking or biking or swimming, or to get involved in herding, or agility (obstacle course), or advanced obedience, or a similar canine activity, I do not recommend this breed. Australian Kelpies were never intended to be simply household pets. Their working behaviors are inappropriate in a normal household setting. Trying to suppress these "hardwired" behaviors, without providing alternate outlets for their high energy level, can be difficult. |
- Providing enough socialization. Standoffish by nature, Australian Kelpies need extensive exposure to people and to unusual sights and sounds. Otherwise their natural caution can become shyness or suspicion, which are very difficult to live with.
| If you have small children, or if you or anyone who lives with you is elderly or infirm, I do not recommend Australian Kelpie puppies. The temptation to nip at moving people is simply too strong in many young Kelpies. |
- Mind of their own. Australian Kelpies are versatile working dogs, capable of learning a great deal, but they are independent thinkers and can be manipulative. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
- Shedding. For such a shorthaired dog, Australian Kelpies shed much more than you might think. Their short hairs come off on your hands when you pet them, and stick tenaciously to your clothing, upholstery, and carpeting.
- Finding one. If you live in Australia, working Kelpies are everywhere, but in the United States, this breed is hard to find.
| Not all Australian Kelpies are alike! |
- There are energetic Kelpies, and placid Kelpies.
- Hard-headed Kelpies, and sweet-natured Kelpies.
- Serious Kelpies, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Kelpies, and Kelpies who love everyone.
| If you acquire an Australian Kelpie puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Australian Kelpie... |
There are plenty of adult Australian Kelpies who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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Copyright © 2000-2008 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author. |
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