All about the Australian Kelpie dog breed

Kelpie is considered one of the relatively young breeds, these unique shepherd dogs are distinguished by their energy, high working capacity and small size. In addition, representatives of the breed have excellent health and have extraordinary stamina. In order to independently grow such a pet, you need to know the rules of its maintenance.

The Kelpie dog breed was bred in Australia. Compared to other breeds, the Australian dog has certain genetic differences: it has a large viewing angle. This feature makes the animal magnificent shepherd, since the dog reaches maximum concentration when observing a grazing herd. The weight of bitches at a height at the withers of 49 cm is up to 19 kg, the weight of males varies from 15 to 22 kg at a height at the withers of 52 cm. The average life span of an animal does not exceed 14 years.

The head of Kelpie is proportional, of medium size, while the skull is slightly rounded and has a clear transition to the muzzle. The nose of the animal is small, its color depends on the color of the dog’s coat. This breed has medium-sized almond-shaped expressive eyes. The vertical ears are wide apart. The animal has strong and even teeth.

The body of Kelpie is muscular, the back is strong, the chest is deep. The legs are straight and parallel set, the legs are round in shape with large pads and powerful claws. The tail of the dog is slightly bent, its length is small, but reaches the hock. As for the wool, it has a very dense structure, stiff and short, so the dog does not get wet. Kelpie color can be different, most often in nature the following colors are found:

• the black;
• ginger;
• smoky with a blue tint;
• pale yellow;
• chocolate.

Australian Kelpie has a lot of advantages, which makes him a welcome favorite in every home. The main advantages of this breed:

• stable psyche: if the pet is brought up correctly, it will never show aggression towards other animals and people;
• excellent health and endurance: thanks to this, the breed has a working purpose;
• simplicity in leaving;
• lack of molting.

If we consider the shortcomings of the breed, then they are few. The dog is demanding of frequent walking in the fresh air and loves intensive walks. The nature of animals is dominated by a desire for dominance, but if you start raising a pet in a timely manner, problems can be avoided.

Kelpies are classified as energetic and cheerful dogs with high intelligence. They are loyal to their master and in various situations can make their own decisions. Thanks to their friendly nature, animals work well in a team. In order to raise a good pet that does not show signs of aggression towards strangers, it must be socialized from an early age. Australian kelpies are most often used as rescuers and service dogs, since the watchdog qualities of the breed are rated as average.

This type of dog never fights over territory, but the dog is always ready to protect his family and home. Despite the fact that pets are tolerant of children, they still turn out bad companions for kids. This is because dogs prefer rude games, during which they may accidentally bite. Kelpies get along well with other dog breeds, creating close ties.

It is recommended to keep dogs of this breed in suburban areas where the pet can completely pour out its energy. If there is no way to make a “shepherd” from kelpie, then he should be provided with sports activities. Dogs showed great performance in Frisbee and flyball competitions. Since pets need a lot of free space, they are not recommended to be bred for living in an apartment.

Kelpies are not whimsical to the diet, the most important thing is that they would contain a lot of minerals and vitamins in their diet. It is not recommended to feed dogs of this breed with dry food, it is best to make a mixed diet. The menu should include various cereals, sea fish, fruits, vegetables, meat (except lamb and pork), raw eggs and sour-milk products. In this case, when composing a diet, it is necessary to take into account the time of year, the age of the dog and physical activity.

The Kelpie breed was bred by Australian farmers in the outback, so even at that time the dogs were used to simple grooming conditions, or even dispensed with it. Based on this, modern representatives of the breed are absolutely unpretentious to the content. All that a pet needs is periodic brushing. Bathing dogs is not necessary, as they perform water procedures on their own. Every day in the evening, the owner needs to check the dog for injuries and damage.

Vaccination for representatives of this breed is carried out from the following diseases: parvovirus enteritis, plague, infectious hepatitis, rabies, trichophytosis and coronavirus. The first vaccination should be given to babies at the age of two months; after vaccination, the first 12 days of the pet should not be taken outside, washed and overfed. Vaccinations are prohibited when a young dog's teeth change. A one-year-old dog is given a comprehensive vaccination, the data of which should be entered in the pet's passport.

Special care is required for Australian Shepherd dogs during estrus, which occurs for the first time at the age of 8 to 12 months and is repeated at the same time interval every 6 months. The estrus usually lasts no more than 22 days, in some cases it can be delayed for a month. Appeared bloody discharge, swelling of the external genitalia suggests that estrus has begun. During this period, urination becomes more frequent in dogs, so the owner will have to walk more with the pet. In addition, the pet's behavior changes, it can be lethargic or, conversely, aggressive, the dog eats less and drinks more water.

In the case when the owner of the kelpie is interested in obtaining offspring from the dog, then during estrus he must observe certain precautions.

• Going for a walk with a bitch is only necessary on a leash, since even the most obedient individual at this time can turn into an uncontrolled animal and run away at any moment. Also, during estrus, bitches stop responding to the owner’s commands, therefore they should not be allowed to males. It is impossible to stop an accidentally initiated sexual intercourse on the street and as a result it threatens with an unwanted pregnancy or the fact that unclean babies appear in the house.
• In autumn and winter, during heat, the dog can quickly get cold, so walking is recommended to be reduced to a minimum. Additionally, special dog clothes will help protect the dog from hypothermia. If the pet lives in a free regime on the personal plot, it is recommended to cover it in the aviary.

Although kelpie dogs are designed to be “shepherds”, they are easy to train and train in other disciplinary areas. Experts recommend choosing a direction for training, depending on the nature of the pet, for this he will have to watch for some time. The pet should like classes, the only way he can achieve high results. Team games with other dog breeds are well suited for kelpies; in them, the animal shows all its leadership inclinations.

It is important to pay attention to how the puppy contacts his brothers and parents at an early age. They are usually inherit all the habits and habits of relatives. The first walks are best done in the company of a trained dog, so the baby will be able to learn from examples.

After each lesson, the pet should be rewarded with praise and not accustomed to constant treats. It is best to apply the technique of contrasting teaching, that is, combine both positive and negative rewards. For training you need to buy a whistle, the dog must learn to respond to commands after a beep. If patience is observed during training, then training will pass quickly and without problems. The pet will understand what the owner wants from him, will begin to listen and learn new commands.

Since this breed was brought up by farmers to look after cattle, its representatives are distinguished by curiosity and energy, which allows controlling grazing animals. If there are children in the house, then the dog should be taught to communicate with them. The pet will become their indispensable friend and companion, but without training, mischievous games can end in failure: a dog can accidentally injure a baby.

Kelpie’s pastoral skills are innate, but should be continued from an early age. To do this, it is desirable that the puppy is next to an adult, then he will feel more confident and will reveal his talent in full.If the dog is planned to be kept on the farm, then it is necessary to teach it and jumping over the sheep, thanks to this it will quickly collect the herd in the future, without spending a lot of time running around the animals.

In the next video you will find more information about the Australian Kelpie dog breed.