Overview: The Australian Kelpie is a working dog that whose primary task is herding. It is often friendly with other people and loves its master. It may not do very well around other dogs if they act dominant. This breed can be a good watchdog, however because of its trusting and friendly nature it wouldn't do well as a guard dog.

Temperament: The Australian Kelpie is a friendly and loyal breed who will stay by the side of its master. It needs to have a lot of exercise, both physical and mental, to keep it occupied and not become bored and destructive. This breed is quite friendly with people it knows and even those it doesn't know. It may try to nip at people, however if taught not to at an early age, that behavior can be eliminated.

History: One of the Australian Kelpie's ancestors was a breed called Colley, or Collie. The name Collie comes from the word collier which means ship. Some of these Collies were brought to Australia for stock work during the 19th century and were mixed with other breeds, perhaps including the Dingo. The modern Collie didn't make its first appearance until about 15 years after the Australian Kelpie was first bred, meaning that the Collies used back then were different from what is recognized today. As it was illegal to own a dog from the Dingo breed there were those that claimed it was a Kelpie or a cross of a Kelpie with something else since the Dingo and Kelpie looked similar. Some people even deliberately crossed the Kelpie and the Dingo together to bypass laws. The Dingo has been known as a sheep killer since the first settlement of whites in Australia. So it considered poor breeding practice for a dog to be mixed with Dingo. The first of the Australian Kelpie was a black and tan female puppy called Kelpie, supposedly named after Celtic folklore. This pup was purchased by Jack Gleeson and a few years later was known as Gleeson's Kelpie. Kelpie was bred with a dog that was from two sheep herding breeds imported from Scotland. It was this litter that was first get called Kelpie's pups, or just Kelpies for short.

Names: The Australian Kelpie is also known as the Australian Sheep Dog.

Physical Characteristics: The Australian Kelpie can be about 19.5 to 21.5 inches in height and can weigh 31 to 46 lb. Usually the ears are pricked, however sometimes a dog may have one or both ears flopped. It usually has only a single coat, but it can have a double coat and in that case it will shed it during the spring and summer. The physical appearance of the breed is strong and built for speed.

Care: This canine needs to have ample amounts of exercise to stay in shape and to keep it happy. If it does not get enough physical and mental activity in it may become loud and destructive, even detached from its master. A long walk or jog and a good playing session would do this breed good. It needs to have a large yard to run in and is best at chasing things.

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