Common characteristics, progenitors of the Australian kelpie, reasons for breeding, development, origin of the name, popularization and recognition of the dog. The Australian kelpie or Australian kelpie is grown almost exclusively for working ability. Consequently, animals show a significant amount of variation. Most amateurs accustomed to purebred dogs can mistake a species for a random dog or a shepherd's cross. Some working kelpies look quite similar to the Dingo.
The head and muzzle of the kelpie are similar to those of other members of the collie family. Ears are both erect and semi-erect. The breed has medium-sized almond-shaped eyes that are usually brown in color. They have three types of coat: smooth, coarse and long. The body is slightly longer than in height. The tail is held at the top with a slight curve.
The "coat" can be double. The tail tends to match the entire coat. The color is usually uniform, ranging from cream to black. There are individuals with markings in other colors, with the most common being brown and white. Marks are most common on the chest and legs, but can be anywhere on the dog's body.
The origin of the progenitors of the Australian kelpie
The breed was first recognized as separate in the 1870s, but its ancestors existed much earlier. There is much controversy about the true origins of the Kelpie, but everyone agrees that the species was originally developed in Australia as a herding dog for working with sheep. Their history began in the early 1800s. At first, the Australian sheep and wool industry grew slowly, partly because most European livestock did not adapt well to the local climate, or did not produce quality wool.
In 1801, there were about 33,000 sheep in Australia. This changed in 1912, when Merino sheep were imported from Spain for the first time. The animals not only produced high quality wool, but they could survive in the hot local climate. Merino and the associated photography industry ultimately boosted the Australian economy and culture. By 1830, there were more than 2 million sheep on these lands. By the mid 1800s, Australia was considered the world's wool producing country. The export of sheep's wool dominated its economy.
Rebellious enough of all European species of sheep, merino sheep are difficult to flock and love to go astray. These trends have been compounded by the sheer size and harsh conditions of Australia's sparsely populated areas. The sheep that escaped were almost never found or found dead. To control their herds, farmers had to rely on dogs, the ancestors of the Australian kelpie. Since the vast majority of the early settlers came to Australia from the British Isles, they took with them their familiar native breeds. England, and especially Scotland, had a long tradition of herding sheep with canines and developed a number of different lines of shepherd dogs.
These species were not breeds in the modern sense. Rather, they were localized varieties of working shepherd dogs. In breeding them, the only thing that really mattered was the ability of the animals to work. These dogs have lived in the British Isles for so long that no one knows when or how they first appeared there. Most often it was assumed that the dogs arrived with the Celts or the Romans. The various lines were given different names, but many of them became known as collies. It was a general term applied to working shepherd dogs of certain physical types. There is much controversy as to what the Scottish word for collie originally meant. It most likely comes from "coalie", the name for black sheep in Scotland.
Reasons and history of the breeding of the Australian kelpie
Although it is unclear when the first collies were imported to Australia in the late 1700s or early 1800s. Over the decades, the hatchlings have adapted more to the hot climate and dangerous Australian conditions. Some were the result of planned reproduction, while others were the result of natural selection. New settlers and existing farmers have consistently imported more collies from the United Kingdom, steadily increasing the Australian canine gene pool.
Several lines were clean, and most of them strongly intersected with each other. At some point in the 1800s, it became common to cross collies with Australian dingos. Farmers used to keep this practice a secret, as dingoes were illegal in most of Australia, and these dogs were notorious sheep killers. These crosses were carried out because the farmers believed that these dogs were better adapted to the local climate and had the ability to work for long hours. Their thinking and adaptation are seen as traits that enhance performance.
The bred individuals, the ancestors of the Australian Kelpies, were supposed to have the ability to survive in Australia and work with the restless Merino. Due to the sparse population and the vastness of the area, such dogs are required to work independently of their owners, sometimes for several hours. Collies of Australia have become much more tolerant than their British cousins, and also more suitable for dry and dangerous places. In addition, their temperaments have changed and also made them more suitable for dealing with large predatory animals.
Australian canines instinctively developed intelligence and the ability to graze sheep for a long time, without any direction from humans. Although the Australian Collie was still regularly crossed with new "imports", by 1870 it had adapted and changed to the point that it was clearly different from its British counterpart. Perhaps his most striking feature was his tendency to run on the backs of sheep. If one of these dogs had to go through a herd to surround the cattle, they jumped over the backs of the animals, and did not run around them.
Development of the Australian Kelpie breed
The basis of the modern breed of the Australian Kelpie is a black and brown bitch with floppy ears, born at Warrock Station and owned by the Scotsman George Robertson. Sometime between 1870 and 1872, Jack Gleeson bought the dog and nicknamed it "Kelpie" after the water monster of Celtic folklore. Robertson bred his Scottish Collies in Rutherford or Northern Country style.
Experts agree that Kelpie's mother was Rutherford's collie. But, there is controversy regarding the nature of her father. Some have argued that his origin is the same, while others insisted that he was a dingo or mestizo with his genes. Either way, there is no evidence, and the mystery will probably never be fully disclosed. Kelpie Gleason was crossed with a black Scottish collie named "Moss" Rutherford, which was owned by Mark Tully. The two dogs have produced an exceptional line of working collies.
Around the same time that the Kelpie was born from Scotland, two other Rutherford black Scottish collies, Brutus and Jenny, were imported. These dogs are said to have been an Australian hybrid with dingoes, but this is probably just legend. The pets produced a puppy named "Caesar". From him came the "Royal Kelpie" bitch, who was an excellent shepherd dog and won the prestigious Forbes Sheepdog in 1879. "King's Kelpie" became famous and its descendants became highly sought after by Australian traders.
Origin of the name of the Australian kelpie
These dogs were originally known as "Kelpies" puppies and by 1890, this strain was well established. At some point, the name "Kelpie" came to be applied to all similar Australian collies, not just the direct descendants of "King's Kelpie". The breeders partnered with fellow hobbyist McLeod, together producing the dominant Australian Shepherd Trials from 1900 to 1920, enhancing the breed and lines' reputation. By the early 1900s, the Kelpie was recognized as Australia's first herding dog.
Several other early specimens of the species became very famous. One of the earliest kelpies was a bitch named "Sally" who was bred to a male "Moss" from the Gleson kennel. She gave birth to a black puppy named "Barb". Subsequently, all black-colored offspring were named after him - "Kelpie-Barn". Another famous early dog was a red male, John Quinn's Red Cloud. Many other tan or red individuals were also named after him.
Popularization of the Australian Kelpie
Australian cattle breeders were very concerned about the performance of their dogs, and their kelpies were very different: with different ears and body parameters. Also, dogs can appear in almost any solid color, most of them have some markings, especially on the chest. While their performance was enormous, there were no typed external conformations for display in the ring.
In the early 1900s, some Australians became interested in standardizing kelpies for shows. In 1904, Robert Kaleski published the first standard, which was adopted by several of the leading breeders and the NSW Kennel Club. However, most stockbrokers abandoned the idea for fear that it would destroy the breed's working capacity.
Since the early 1900s, two varieties of kelpies, working and show, have been developed in Australia. The former continued to display the diversity of their ancestors, while the others became more and more typical. Australian kelpie breeders prefer solid colors without markings, erect ears and short coat. Most clubs officially refer to the breed as the Australian Kelpie, although this name most closely refers to "Show Kelpie".
While both show and worker breeders consider them to be the same breed, only registered dogs participate in the competition. While accurate statistics cannot be obtained, there are almost certainly over 100,000 Kelpie workers grazing Australian sheep and cattle. Although the practice is rarely discussed openly due to legal issues, these dogs still occasionally cross paths with dingoes.
Since the early 1900s, Australian kelpies have been exported to many countries around the world. There, local farmers realized that the variety is almost unmatched when it comes to grazing livestock over large areas. Outside its homeland, the breed is most popular in: Argentina, Canada, New Caledonia, Italy, Korea, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden and the United States.
It is unclear when the first breed arrived in America, probably in the late 1920s or early 1930s. The first kelpies were imported by farmers to control flocks in the vast American west. The American Working Kelpie Registry (NAWKR) was created to register Australian Kelpie workers in the United States and Canada.
These pets proved to be very valuable to the villagers and became a popular working breed from these places. The species is particularly well suited to the hot, arid conditions that prevail in states such as Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona, but can also adapt to colder conditions further north and in southern Canada.
Although the United States has a developed sheep and wool industry, the primary livestock in this country has always been cattle, and this is not changing in any way. Pastoralists dominate the agricultural economy of the American West. In recent decades, American and Australian kelpie breeders have begun to focus more and more on the breed's cattle handling capabilities. As the Australian Kelpie is more adaptable in this regard, it is becoming more popular with American ranchers.
During the 1900s, Australian kelpies were imported to Sweden. In this country, the breed has taken on a new role as a sniffer dog for law enforcement and related agencies. The species is not only highly intelligent and trainable, but tireless and capable of working on its own. Surprisingly, representatives of the species are quite capable of adapting to the cold climate of Scandinavia, or at least to the more southerly parts.
As in Australia, the vast majority of the Australian kelpie in America are workers. Imported over the decades from Australia, the kelpies have laid a solid foundation for many of the companion lines in the United States. Since there are so few show kelpies in America, it is believed that this is a rare breed. However, several thousand Kelpie workers are employed in the United States, in addition to the 100,000 plus those who live in Australia and other countries.
Recognition of the Australian Kelpie
Initially, the American Kennel Club (AKC) took an interest in the recognition of the variety and registered it in the Miscellaneous Class category for several years. However, NAWKR has long held a low opinion of the AKC and is strongly opposed to recognition. Working dog breeders and hobbyists see the AKC focusing solely on appearance with no regard for performance. Although this is not entirely true, this opinion is shared by most experts.
It is true that many AKC recognized breeds have lost much of their working ability, such as the irish setter, rough collie and american cocker spaniel. In addition, it brings great popularity of such canines among the American public who want to purchase them for display. This has led people to buy dogs that are not family-friendly and the species get a bad reputation or many pets end up in animal shelters.
Australian kelpie breeders were worried as their species could not adapt to life in the vast majority of homes. In the early 1990s, the Australian Kelpie received full recognition from the United Kennel Club (UKC). The UKC is much more respected by all breeders and lovers of working dogs because this registry focuses on the ability of the animals and is less visible to the American public.
In the late 1990s, the AKC announced that unless significant progress was made in gaining full acceptance of the variety, it would be excluded from Miscellaneous Class. The NAWKR did not appear to have made any progress and the Australian Kelpie was removed from this category in 1997. There appears to be no current interest on both sides to reach a consensus with the AKC.
In America, the Australian Kelpie remains almost exclusively a working breed, much to the satisfaction of most hobbyists. Despite their incredible intelligence and physical ability, members of the species are very poor at adapting to life as a companion. This variety requires some of the most intense exercise, and also requires an enormous amount of mental stimulation.
The vast majority of the animals kept as companion animals are show or rescue kelpies. All of these canines are some of the most successful competitors in agility and obedience competitions, as well as any other dog sport. Although kelpies are a rare pet in the United States, there are many working specimens in this country and their population is at a safe level.
