Australian Kelpie

History

The ancestors of most Kelpies were British collies, dogs that were usually black or very dark brown. Some of these collies were brought to Australia in the early 1800s for herding livestock and were bred with other dogs to create animals that could work sheep without a handler constantly directing them. A story from a 1950 newspaper claimed the first Kelpies came from a planned mating around 1870 between a smooth-haired Scottish Collie and a dingo, reflecting a common belief that Australian working dogs got their toughness from dingo ancestry.

In 2019, news reports said a University of Sydney genetic study found no dingo ancestry in the Kelpie, but the lead researcher, Professor Claire Wade, later explained that the study only looked at specific genes for ear shape and coat color, not the whole genome. She said she never claimed there was no dingo blood in the breed. The first dog called a Kelpie was a black and tan female puppy with floppy ears bought by Jack Gleeson around 1872 from a litter at Warrock Station near Casterton, owned by George Robertson.

She was named after the kelpie, a shapeshifting water spirit from Celtic myth. Later known as Gleeson’s Kelpie, her daughter, King’s Kelpie, tied for first place at the Forbes Trial in 1879. The strain became known as Kelpie’s pups, or simply Kelpies. The King brothers and a breeder named McLeod formed a partnership, and their dogs dominated trials from 1900 to 1920.

Appearance

The Kelpie is a soft-coated, medium-sized dog with prick ears and an athletic build. Coat colours include black, black and tan, red, red and tan, blue, blue and tan, fawn, fawn and tan, cream, black and blue, and white and gold. Weight generally ranges from 14 to 20 kg, with a maximum of 25–27 kg, and height from 41 to 51 cm at the withers. Robert Kaleski published the first breed standard in 1904, accepted by leading breeders and the Kennel Club of New South Wales.

Contemporary standards vary between working and show registries. In Australia, Working Kelpies are registered with the Working Kelpie Council (WKC) or the Australian Sheepdog Workers Association, which allow a wide variety of coat colours; Show Kelpies are registered with the Australian National Kennel Council, which limits acceptable colours. The WKC's wide standards mean many Working Kelpies do not meet show standards. In the US, the Kelpie is not recognised by the American Kennel Club (AKC) but is recognised by the United Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club; since 2015, Australian Kelpies have been accepted by the AKC for herding trials.

Working Kelpies have three coat types (short, smooth, rough) and can be almost any colour from black to light tan or cream, sometimes with a white blaze or white points. Agouti is not unusual. Working Kelpies vary in size from about 19 to 25 inches and 28 to 60 pounds.

Notable Kelpies

A 30-year-old Kelpie named Maggie was thought to be the world's oldest dog at her death. A Black and Tan Kelpie named Roy appeared in the drama series McLeod's Daughters, and his offspring Turbo appeared later. A Red Kelpie named Rusty is featured in the show Bluey, along with his brother Digger and sister Dusty. The film The Fall Guy features a Kelpie, and a Kelpie named Dart portrays the dog Frankie in the series Return to Paradise.

Did You Know?

• Show Kelpies generally excel in agility trials and may be shown in conformation in Australia.
• Working Kelpies are often described as 'workaholics' with a strong drive to herd.
• A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 12 years for the breed based on a sample of 49 deaths.