Working Kelpie
Working Kelpie
Temperament: Alert, Eager, Intelligent
Group: Foundation Stock Service
Height: 48.3–63.5 in
Weight: 12.7–27.2 lb
Life Expectancy: 12.0–15.0 yrs
Energy Level: Energetic
Trainability: Independent
Shedding: Seasonal
Grooming Frequency: Occasional Bath/Brush
The overall appearance of the Working Kelpie is that of a medium-sized, lithe, active, strongly-muscled dog conveying the capability of untiring work. He has been successfully used to manage a variety of stock, including reindeer, goats, cattle and of course sheep. Kelpies in Sweden have gained police dog titles and have pulled sleds. They are also being widely used as search and rescue dogs.Kelpies need companionship. Though he can be content to stay for hours on the chain, he also needs to be with you for some time each day and needs exercise, walks or games with a ball or a stick. One cannot expect this dog, which has been bred to work, to stay outside the house without any mental or physical stimulation. Inevitably, he will set about looking for an occupation, which could include chasing cars, trying to ‘work’ them as he would control sheep. A Working Kelpie makes a fine family dog, gets along well with ‘his’ children and, because they are naturally gentle, almost all Working Kelpies live peaceably with other family pets. The Working Kelpie is extremely alert, eager and highly intelligent. He possesses an open, friendly, active but placid disposition with a good balance between keenness to work and ability to relax. With an almost inexhaustible energy, the Working Kelpie has a marked loyalty and devotion to work and a strongly-inherited natural instinct and aptitude in working sheep and other livestock, both in open country and in the yards.