GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: 43-51cm ( 17”- 20”).
Colour: Black, black/tan, red and tan, chocolate or blue.
Coat: Outercoat - harsh and dense. Undercoat — short dense.
Gait: Free and tireless with the ability to turn sharply at speed.
Litheness is a hallmark of this breed and this coupled with suppleness and stealth are essential characteristics. Rather foxlike in head with a shorter, clean cut muzzle. The triangular erect ears are always responsive. The muscular body is longer than the height at the shoulders, the fore and hind quarters are well angulated and the lowset tail is carried out in action.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
Ever alert and eager with an almost inexhaustible amount of energy, the Kelpie makes a loyal and devoted family companion. These dogs have a natural instinct for working with sheep and display exceptional abilities in sight, scent and hearing. In the sheep yards, it is a common sight to see them run across the backs of the sheep when complying with an order from their master. In the field, in order not to disturb the sheep, they drop to their bellies and silently inch their way towards them. Minimal coat care is needed with only occasional bathing or grooming to keep the coat healthy.
HISTORY
Originally known as the Barb, the history of the Kelpie is not too dissimilar from that of the Australian Cattle Dog. Their origins go back to the black and white Smithfield bob tailed dogs, but unlike the progenitors of the Cattle Dog, different crosses were selected for their ability to work with sheep rather than cattle. In 1870 when some smooth Collies arrived from Scotland, these were bred with the local dogs, resulting in improved herding abilities. One particular bitch called ‘Kelpie’ was so successful, and the winner of the first ever sheepdog trial and later, as a producer of top class workers, that she and her descendants were honoured with the title of ‘Kelpie Sheepdogs’.