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Australian Kelpie | Kelpie Dog Breed Introduction
Australian Kelpie or simply Kelpie is a medium-sized sheepdog that originated in Australia. It is a working dog that is capable of droving and rounding up livestock with little or no guidance. This breed has been exported throughout the World and has been used in mustering livestock primarily goat, sheep, and cattle. There are two varieties of Kelpies: Working Kelpie and Show Kelpie.
The former is bred for its working ability rather than appearance while the latter is selected primarily for appearance rather than working instinct. The Working Kelpies are generally taller but not heavier as Show Kelpies. Furthermore, show Kelpies are becoming more popular both in Australia and across the globe as companion dogs, family pets, sport dogs, and running mates due to their low maintenance, trainability, and good nature.
The Australian Kelpies are alert, intelligent, eager, and energetic dogs that work tirelessly all day. These are easy trainable dogs making them good pets especially with children and even-tempered dogs. Due to their high energy levels, Kelpies need a lot of physical and mental stimulation to avoid boredom and destructive behaviors such as digging, nuisance barking, or chewing on objects.
Australian Kelpie History
The development of Kelpies was a necessity after the opening of vast areas of lands in Victoria and New South Wales States of Australia. There was dramatic increase of sheep that some properties that were over two million acres had a quarter million sheep. Therefore, in such areas, herding by humans was impractical. The sheep were left to run freely after the wire fences were erected. It became necessary to to have dogs that would handle the sheep in the large areas.
A herding dog had to be developed to work in the conditions present in Australia such as dust storms, heat, vast distances, and rough terrain. The Kelpie was hence developed from dogs imported from Scotland. These dogs were smooth-haired with erect ears and were of Collie types. Some were also longhaired with a black and tan coat, medium-sized, and with semi-pricked ears. They also belonged to the Collie types. Litters from these dogs produced liver-brown puppies. The Australian Kelpie is recognized by FCI( Fédération Cynologique Internationale) and United Kennel Club. AKC is yet to recognize the breed. Although, Kelpie have been part of AKC’s FSS program since July 2017.
Australian Kelpie Lifespan | Kelpie Lifespan
The Kelpies have a lifespan of 10 to 13 years. Although, the Oldest Kelpie, Maggie from Woolsthorpe, Victoria died at the age of 30 years in April 2016.
Australian Kelpie Grooming
The Kelpie is a low-maintenance breed when it comes to grooming. It has a smooth double coat with a dense undercoat. They shed all-year round at moderate levels and heavily while experiencing seasonal change. Weekly brushing or combing is needed to remove the loose hair, dirt, and promote new hair growth.
Brush the coat at least three times a week if not daily during the shedding season to minimize the amount of shed hair on the surface. The Australian Kelpie need an occasional bath every 2 to 3 months unless they get into something stinky. Use a canine shampoo and conditioner to bath and moisturize the coat. After bathing your pet, thoroughly rinse off the grooming products from the coat using lukewarm water to prevent skin irritation. Wipe the eye corners using a clean damp washcloth or unscented canine wipes.
The Kelpies are naturally active dogs that will naturally get their nails worn out while working. However, show dogs will require nail trimming every 3 to 5 weeks using nail clippers or grinders to prevent splitting, overgrowth, and cracking. Brush the teeth of a Kelpie at least twice a week if not daily to remove tartar buildup using a dog formulated toothpaste and toothbrush. Clean the prick ears on a weekly basis using an ear cleanser solution and cotton balls to remove wax or debris buildup. While cleaning the ears, check out for signs of ear infection such as redness, odor, and a dark discharge.
Australian Kelpie Shedding
The Australian Kelpies are double-coated animals that tend to shed at moderate levels all-year round. Although, the shed hair is more noticeable in Spring and Fall when experiencing seasonal change.
Australian Kelpie Coat | Coat Type
The Kelpie has a double-layered coat with a short and dense undercoat. The top coat is hard, close, each hair straight, and lying flat so that it is rain resistant.
Australian Kelpie Hypoallergenic
The Australian Kelpies are not hypoallergenic dogs. They shed all-year round at moderate levels and heavily twice a year in Spring and Fall when experiencing seasonal change. A moulting coat allows dander and fur to spread around the house aggravating allergies. Apart from Kelpie’s dander and hair, saliva, mucus, and urine contain a protein allergen that also cause inflammation.
Kelpie Training
The Australian Kelpie is an intelligent and compliant dog that can be taught to do just anything. This breed is also eager to learn new skills making it easily trainable. Training also provides a great way for Kelpies to be happy and involved since they are eager for a job to do. Owners should also assume pack leadership for a successful training. This mode of leadership allows a Kelpie to reach its full potential since it understands it is under the leadership of a respected, loving, and trusted leader who will make decisions for the well-being of the entire pack.
Socialization training is key to raising a well-mannered and well-adjusted Kelpie. This training enables the dog to develop social skills limiting the probability of the Kelpie trying to herd kids and other animals. The youngsters of this breed also require lots of socialization early in life to ensure they will be comfortable in an urban setting and accepting friendly strangers. Socialization training starts from the age of 3 weeks while the pup is still living with the breeder until the age of 16 weeks after the dog has already settled in its new home.
Normally, parents take their pets home from the age of 8 weeks. Although, socialization training maybe a life-long process to ensure the dogs develop a well-rounded temperament and personality. To socialize a Kelpie, expose it a wide variety of people, places, surfaces, situations, sight, smell, and sounds such as baby crying sounds, doorbells, sirens, vacuum cleaners, washing machine, whistles, and lawn mowers. Enrolling a Kelpie in puppy class will also serve as a form of socialization. These classes create an enabling environment where puppies interact with each other. These classes are also beneficial to owners. They not only help them to identify and correct bad habits but also have access to training information and assistance.
Keep the training sessions fun, upbeat, and challenging to avoid boredom and distraction. Use positive training methods to reinforce good behaviors through the use of treats, playtime, toys, verbal praise, and petting. This is a sensitive breed. Harsh correction methods such as yelling, kicking, shoving, beating , and use of prong or choke collars should not be used on them. They make training counterproductive. Start teaching basic command words like come, sit stay, lie down, heel, and drop it one at a time to avoid overwhelming the pooch. Effectively housebreak a Kelpie by creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training.
Australian Kelpie Temperament | Personality
- Alert.
- Intelligent.
- Energetic.
- Loyal.
- Devoted.
- Eager.
- Independent.
- Sensitive.
- Trainable.
- Affectionate.
Australian Kelpie Exercise
The Kelpie has an almost inexhaustible energy and need daily exercise to keep them stimulated. Long walks, jogging, running, or playing fetch will suffice. However, this breed is not suitable for apartment living as it needs space for its limitless energy.
Kelpie Barking Problem
The Kelpie is an alert breed that may bark when someone is approaching. However, it may easily develop a barking problem if it is not taught the quiet command once the alarm has been appropriately sounded. improper physical and mental stimulation may also result to a barking problem.
Kelpie Height
A female Kelpie has a height of 17 to 19 inches ( approx. 43 to 48 cm ) while its male counterpart has a height of 18 to 20 inches ( approx. 46 to 51 cm ).
Australian Kelpie Weight
Mature Kelpies may have a weight of 35 to 50 pounds ( approx. 16 to 23 kg ).
Australian Kelpie Size
The Australian Kelpies are medium-sized dogs that have a height of 17 to 20 inches ( approx. 43 to 51 cm ) and a weight of 35 to 50 pounds ( approx. 16 to 23 kg ).
Kelpie Bite Force
Reportedly, a Kelpie has a bite force of 200 to 400 PSI.
Kelpie Biting
As a sheepdog, the Kelpies are prone to nipping and biting due their innate herding instinct especially puppies while playing, exploring the environment, and when teething due to discomfort. Parents should discourage biting before it gets out of hand through bite inhibition training and redirection.
Australian Kelpie Health Issues
The Australian Kelpie is a hardy and robust breed. Although, it may suffer from certain health issues such as luxating patella, cerebellar abiotrophy, hip dysplasia, and cryptorchidism.
Apart from Australian Kelpies, other dog breeds include:
Pug.
Australian Kelpie Names
A pet parent may decide to get a name for the pet before it joins them home from the breeder or days after it has already settled home with them to understand in-depth the personality of a particular dog. Kelpie owners may get name inspirations from the Aussie heritage of the breed, coat color and texture, personality, Celebrity Kelpies, food, movies, books, songs, historical figures, or nature.
Regardless of where you will get the inspiration, ensure the name chosen freely rolls off your tongue and will not make you embarrassed once uttered out loud in the public parks or malls. Kelpies and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels. Avoid giving your pet a name that rhymes with a command word to avoid confusion. If the owner settles with a long name, they should find a cute nickname for the Kelpie. If this breed shares a name with any family member or guest who frequent your home, it may cause chaos. Some of the names that Kelpie owners give to their pets include:
- Witty.
- Phil.
- Grover.
- Barky.
- Chloe.
- Juliet.
- Reno.
- Tyro.
- Karma.
- Baleen.
- Emery.
- Heaven.
- Heather, etc.
Australian Kelpie Food | Dog Food
The amount of food that Kelpies feed on depend on their activity level, age, metabolism, size, and body build. Kelpie puppies tend to have a high metabolism rate as compared to adults and senior dogs. Therefore, a puppy needs to feed 3 or 4 times a day from when it starts weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, Kelpies should feed on two meals a day for the rest of their lives with snacks and treats in between. However, Kelpie owners should watch out for calorie consumption and weight level to avoid overfeeding their pets.
Kelpies may feed on dry food, wet food, home made, or a raw diet depending on the budget and time of the pet parent. Regardless of the food type, parents should ensure the dog feeds on a balanced diet. This allows it to maintain a good health eventually allowing it to develop cognitively and physically. If the Kelpie parent decides to feed the dog the commercial dry or wet food, he or she should ensure the first three ingredients are proteins from a known source.
The commercial dog food should never contain preservatives, chemicals, additives, Meat by-products, generic meat products, and fillers. The same goes to the snacks. Feed a Kelpie with food for small-sized puppies, adults, and senior depending on its age. Make a habit of regularly checking the physique of your pet to know whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can easily spot the ribs, chances are the dog is underweight. Although, if the ribs are not visible but you can feel them without pressing hard, the Kelpie has an ideal weight. If you cannot feel the ribs, the pet is obese. After getting a puppy from a breeder, the owner is likely to switch to another quality food. They should gradually do this over a period of one month by mixing both old food and new food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the Kelpie is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Australian Kelpie Black | Red | Colors
A Kelpie may have a red, black, black and tan, red and tan, chocolate, fawn, or smoky blue coat color.
Kelpie Allergies
A Kelpie may suffer from various forms of allergies such as:
Food allergies – Although rare, a Kelpie may suffer from a true food allergy that causes an immune response. It is usually accompanied with skin issues and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Contact allergies – This allergy causes inflammation once the skin of a Kelpie comes in contact with the allergen. Some of the contact allergens that affect Kelpies include plastics, grooming products, latex, lawn chemicals, medications, carpet cleaning detergents, and bed linens.
Skin allergy – This allergy is as a result of food, contact, and environmental allergies that manifest on the skin.
Environmental allergies – Some of the environmental allergens that affect Kelpies include pollen, grass, dust and dust mites, trees, mites, house molds, grass, and fleas.
Kelpie Eyes
A Kelpie has medium size, almond-shaped, and brown colored eyes.
Kelpie Ears | Ears Stand Up
Naturally a Kelpie has prick (erect)ears.
Kelpie Teeth
A Kelpie has a total of 42 adult teeth whereas puppies have 28 deciduous teeth.
Kelpie Tail | Australian Kelpie Tail
The Kelpie’s tail reaches the hock. The tail is rest while the dog is excited or in movement and it hangs in a slight curve when the dog is resting.
Are Australian Kelpies Aggressive
No. The Kelpies are not aggressive dogs. However, they will protect the family and property when need arises.
Are Australian Kelpies Good Family Dogs
Yes. Australian Kelpies are loyal, affectionate, alert, energetic, and intelligent dogs that make create pets for active families.
Australian Kelpie Quick Facts
- A solid black colored Kelpie is known as Barb.
- The word Kelpie means a black horse shape-fitting water spirit from the Scottish folklore that is able to adopt human form.
- There are two varieties of Australian Kelpies; working Kelpies and show kelpies.
