All about the Australian Kelpie dog breed

Kelpie is considered one of the relatively young breeds; these unique shepherd dogs are distinguished by their vigor, high performance and small size. In addition, the representatives of the breed have excellent health and have extraordinary endurance. To raise such a pet on your own, you need to know the rules for keeping it.

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

The head of the 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. Erect ears are set wide apart. The animal has strong and even teeth.

The body of the kelpie is muscular, the loin is strong, the chest is deep. The legs are straight and parallel, the legs are round in shape with large pads and powerful claws. The tail of the dog is slightly curved, its length is short, but reaches the hock joint. As for the coat, it has a very dense structure, hard and short, thanks to this, the dog does not get wet. The color of the kelpie can be different, the following colors are most often found in nature:

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

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

• stable psyche: if a pet is properly raised, it will never show aggression towards other animals and people;
• excellent health and endurance: thanks to this, the breed has a working purpose;
• ease of care;
• no shedding.

If we consider the shortcomings of the breed, then there are few of them. The dog is demanding of frequent walking in the fresh air and loves intense walks. In the nature of animals, the desire to dominate prevails, but if you start raising a pet in a timely manner, problems can be avoided.

Kelpies are energetic and cheerful dogs with high intelligence. They are loyal to their master and can make decisions on their own in various situations. Thanks to their friendly nature, the animals work well as a team. To raise a kind pet that does not show signs of aggression towards strangers, it needs to be socialized from an early age. The Australian Kelpie is most often used as a rescue and service dog, as the breed's watchdog qualities are rated as average.

This type of dog never fights for territory, but at the same time the dog is always ready to protect his family and home. Despite the fact that pets are tolerant of children, they still make poor companions for babies. This is due to the fact that dogs prefer rough games, during which they can accidentally bite. Kelpies get along well with other breeds of dogs, creating close bonds.

Keeping dogs of this breed is recommended in suburban areas, where the pet can fully throw out its energy. If it is not possible to make a "shepherd" out of the kelpie, then it should be provided with sports activities. The dogs showed themselves excellently in frisbee and flyball competitions. Since pets require 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 their diet contains a lot of minerals and vitamins. It is not recommended to feed this breed of dogs 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 dairy products. At the same time, when composing a diet, it is necessary to take into account the season, the age of the dog and physical activity.

The Kelpie breed was bred by Australian farmers in the outback, so even at that time, dogs were accustomed to simple conditions of care, or even did without it. Based on this, modern representatives of the breed are absolutely unpretentious to the content. All that is needed for the pet is periodic cleaning of the coat. It is not necessary to bathe the dogs, as they perform the water procedures on their own. Every evening, the owner needs to check the dog for injuries and damage.

Representatives of this breed are vaccinated against the following diseases: parvovirus enteritis, distemper, infectious hepatitis, rabies, trichophytosis and coronavirus. The first vaccination should be given to babies at the age of two months; after vaccination, the pet should not be taken outside, washed and overfeeded for the first 12 days. It is forbidden to vaccinate when a young dog's teeth are changing. A one-year-old dog is given a comprehensive vaccination, the details of which must be entered in the pet's passport.

Australian Shepherd bitches require special care during estrus, which first occurs at the age of 8 to 12 months and is repeated at the same time interval every 6 months. The heat usually lasts no more than 22 days, in some cases it can drag on for a month. Bloody discharge that appear, swelling of the external genital organs indicates that estrus has begun. During this period, dogs urinate more often, 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 event that the owner of a kelpie is interested in obtaining offspring from a dog, then during estrus he must observe certain precautions.

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

Although Kelpies are designed to be "shepherds," they are easily trained and trained in other disciplinary disciplines. Experts recommend choosing the direction for training, depending on the nature of the pet, for this you will have to watch him for some time. The pet should like the activities, the only way he can achieve high results. Team games with other breeds of dogs are well suited for kelpies, in which the animal shows all its leadership inclinations.

It is important to pay attention to how the puppy contacts his siblings and parents at an early age. They tend to inherit all the habits and habits of congeners. The first walks are best done with a trained dog, so the kid can learn from examples.

After each lesson, the pet should be rewarded with praise and not accustomed to constant treats. It is best to use the contrast teaching technique, that is, combine positive and negative rewards at the same time. For training, you will need to purchase a whistle, the dog must learn to respond to commands after the beep. If you are patient during training, the training will take place quickly and without problems. The pet will understand what the owner wants from him, will begin to listen and master new commands.

Since this breed was bred by farmers to look after livestock, its representatives are curious and energetic, which allows you to control 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 tears: the dog can accidentally injure the baby.

Kelpie pastoralism is innate, but should be continued from an early age. For this, it is desirable that the puppy is next to an adult, then he will feel more confident and reveal his talent in full.If the dog is planned to be kept on the farm, then it must also be taught how to jump over the sheep, thanks to this it will quickly gather 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.