Kelpie The Legend Documentary Film

Kelpie The Legend Documentary
Kelpie The Legend Documentary Film
Kelpie The Legend Documentary Film Youtube
The Kelpie

Australian Kelpie

Other names

Kelpie, Barb

Common nicknames

Farmer Dog

Origin

Australia

Patronage

Farm dog, smart, mature, good at training

Traits
Weight	14–20 kg (31–44 lb)
Height	39–51 cm (15–20 in)
Coat	short double coat
Colour	black, black and tan, red, red and tan, chocolate, chocolate and tan, blue, blue and tan, fawn, fawn and tan, cream, black and white
Life span	12–15 years^[1]^[2]

Classification / standards
FCI	Group 1 Herding dogs, Section 1 Sheepdogs #293	standard
AKC	FSS (Working Kelpie and Australian Kelpie)
The AKC Foundation Stock Service (FSS) is an optional recording service for purebred dogs that are not yet eligible for AKC registration.
ANKC	Group 5 – Working	standard
CKC	standard
NZKC	Working	standard
UKC	Herding Dogs	standard

Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

Without a doubt the one I would most like to see is their 1958 documentary, 'The Legend of the Loch' which was hosted by that famous BBC presenter. They argue that it is no use relying on chance photographs or film of the beast on the rare occasions when the loch is still enough for these to be taken. The Loch Ness Kelpie in 1856 08/12.

The Australian Kelpie, or simply Kelpie, is an Australiansheep dog successful at mustering and droving with little or no guidance. It is a medium-sized dog and comes in a variety of colours. The Kelpie has been exported throughout the world and is used to musterlivestock, primarily sheep, cattle and goats.

The breed has been separated into two distinct varieties: the Show (or Bench) Kelpie and the Working Kelpie.^[2] The Show Kelpie is seen at conformation dog shows in some countries and is selected for appearance rather than working instinct, while the Working Kelpie is bred for working ability rather than appearance.^[2]

2Appearance

History[edit]

Sign at Ardlethan, New South Wales, claiming the town as 'The home of the Kelpie'

The Kelpie Monument in Casterton, 'Birthplace of the Kelpie'.

The ancestors of most Kelpies were British dogs known loosely as collies (sometimes spelled colleys). These were mostly black, i.e. dark brown, dogs – hence the name collie, which has the same root as coal.^[3]^[4] (The official collie breeds were not formed until about 10 or 15 years after the Kelpie was established as a breed,^[5] and the first recognised Border Collie was not brought to Australia until after the Federation in 1901.^[6]) Some collies were imported to Australia for stock work in the early 19th century, and were bred with other types of dogs – usually with an eye to working sheep without direct supervision.

For much of the 20th century and early 21st century it was claimed that kelpies were partly descended from dingoes.^[7] In 2019, a genomic study indicated that the kelpie had no dingo ancestry.^[8]

The first dog known as a Kelpie was a black and tan female pup with floppy ears bought by Jack Gleeson about 1872^[9] from a litter born on Warrock Station near Casterton, owned by George Robertson, a Scot.^[10] This dog was named Kelpie after the kelpie, a mythological shapeshifting water spirit of Celtic folklore.^[11] In later years she was referred to as '(Gleeson's) Kelpie', to differentiate her from '(King's) Kelpie', her daughter.

The second 'Kelpie' was '(King's) Kelpie', another black and tan bitch out of 'Kelpie' by 'Caesar', a pup from two sheepdogs imported from Scotland. '(King's) Kelpie' tied the prestigious Forbes Trial in 1879,^[12] and the strain was soon popularly referred to as 'Kelpie's pups', or just Kelpies. The King brothers joined another breeder, McLeod, to form a dog breeding partnership whose dogs dominated trials during 1900 to 1920.^[9]

An early Kelpie, Sally, was mated to Moss, a Smooth Collie, and she produced a black pup that was named Barb after The Barb, a black horse which had won the Melbourne Cup in 1866. Consequently, black Kelpies became known as Barb Kelpies or Barbs.^[13]

There were a number of Kelpies named Red Cloud. The first and most famous was John Quinn's Red Cloud in the early 20th century. In the 1960s, another Red Cloud became well known in Western Australia. This started the tradition in Western Australia of calling all Red or Red and Tan Kelpies, especially those with white chests, Red Cloud Kelpies.^[14] Other notable specimens include Gunner and Red Dog (c. 1971 – 21 November 1979), a Kelpie mix which was the subject of a movie, Red Dog, released in 2011.

Kelpies have now been exported to many countries including Argentina, Canada, Italy, Korea, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States for various pursuits.^[13]

Kelpie circa 1915

By 1990, Kelpies have been trained as scent dogs with good success rates. In Sweden they are widely used for tracking and rescue work.^[13]

Appearance[edit]

Black and Tan Kelpie

The Kelpie is a soft-coated, medium-sized dog, generally with prick ears and an athletic appearance. 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. The Kelpie generally weighs 14–20 kg (31–44 lb) and measures 41–51 cm (16–20 in) at the withers.^[15]

Breed standards[edit]

Robert Kaleski published the first standard for the Kelpie in 1904. The standard was accepted by leading breeders of the time and adopted by the Kennel Club of New South Wales.^[16] Contemporary breed standards vary depending on whether the registry is for working or show Kelpies. It is possible for a dog to both work and show, but options for competition in conformation shows might be limited depending on ancestry and the opinions of the kennel clubs or breed clubs involved.

In Australia, there are two separate registries for Kelpies. Working Kelpies are registered with the Working Kelpie Council (WKC)^[17] and/or the Australian Sheepdog Workers Association.^[18] The WKC encourages breeding for working ability, and allows a wide variety of coat colours. Show Kelpies are registered with the Australian National Kennel Council, which encourages breeding for a certain appearance and limits acceptable colours. The wide standards allowed by the WKC mean that Working Kelpies do not meet the standard for showing.

In the US, the Kelpie is not recognised as a breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC).^[19] However, the United Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club recognise the Kelpie and allow them to compete in official events.^[20]^[21] As of 2015, Australian Kelpies have been accepted by the AKC as Herding Dogs allowed to compete in AKC sanctioned Sheep Herding Trials.^[22]

Working Kelpie[edit]

Kelpie walking across the backs of sheep

An Australian Kelpie competing in a cattle dog trial, Woolbrook, NSW

Kelpie going back down a race to move the sheep forward

The Working Kelpie comes in three coat types: short, smooth and rough. The coat can be almost every colour from black to light tan or cream. Some Kelpies have a white blaze on the chest, and a few have white points. Kelpies sometimes have a double coat, which sheds out in spring in temperate climates. Agouti^[23] is not unusual, and can look like a double coat.

Scottish kelpie legend

Working Kelpies vary in size, ranging from about 19–25 in (48–64 cm) and 28–60 lb (13–27 kg). The dog's working ability is unrelated to appearance, so stockmen looking for capable working dogs disregard the dog's appearance.

A Working Kelpie can be a cheap and efficient worker that can save farmers and graziers the cost of several hands when mustering livestock.^[24] The good working Kelpies are herding dogs that will prevent stock from moving away from the stockman.^[9] This natural instinct is crucial when mustering stock in isolated gorge country, where a good dog will silently move ahead of the stockman and block up the stock (usually cattle) until the rider appears. The preferred dogs for cattle work are Kelpies, often of a special line, or a Kelpie cross.^[25] They will drive a mob of livestock long distances in extremes of climates and conditions. Kelpies have natural instincts for managing livestock. They will work sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, and other domestic livestock. The Kelpie's signature move is to jump on the backs of sheep and walk across the tops of the sheep to reach the other side and break up the jam. A good working Kelpie is a versatile dog—they can work all day on the farm, ranch, or station, and trial on the weekends. Kelpies compete and are exhibited in livestock working trials, ranging from yards or arenas to large open fields working sheep, goats, cattle, or ducks.^[13]

Show Kelpie[edit]

Kelpies that are bred under the ANKC registrations are registered for show (Main Register) only in the following colours: Black, Chocolate, Red, Smoky Blue, Fawn, Black and Tan and Red and Tan. They have a double coat and pricked ears. The other colours can be registered as pets and sporting dogs (Limited Register): Blue and Tan, Fawn and Tan and Yellow/Cream. It was during the early 20th century that Kelpies were first exhibited, at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.^[13] Different kennel clubs'^{[citation needed]} Show Kelpies are generally a little heavier in build and not as tall as Working Kelpies.^{[citation needed]} ANKC 'Show' Kelpies are now becoming very popular both nationally and internationally as family pets, companion dogs, running mates and sport dogs due to their trainability, good nature and low maintenance of care and can be found all over the world.

Temperament[edit]

Kelpie competing in a dog jumping class

Show Kelpies generally excel in agility trials and may be shown in conformation in Australia.

Kelpies are intelligent and easy to train dogs making them well tempered and good pets especially with children. However they do require a lot of physical exercise and mental stimulation. Otherwise they can get bored and be disruptive by constantly barking, digging or chewing on things they shouldn’t. Taking them on medium to long walks or playing fetch are great ways to keep them stimulated. They are also naturally curious so It’s recommended that owners have large enough yards for them to explore and run in.

Health[edit]

Kelpies are a hardy breed with few health problems, but they are susceptible to disorders common to all breeds, like cryptorchidism, hip dysplasia, cerebellar abiotrophy and luxating patella. Current research is under way to find the genetic marker for cerebellar abiotrophy in the breed.^{[citation needed]}^[26]

Show coat colours[edit]

Black Kelpie
Red Kelpie
Chocolate Kelpie
Black and Tan Kelpie
Red and Tan Kelpie
Smoky Blue Kelpie
Fawn Kelpie

References[edit]

^'Australian Kelpie'. Breed Standard. New Zealand Kennel Club. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
^ ^a^b^c'Australian Working Kelpie'. Burke's Backyard. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
^'coal'. Online Etymology Dictionary – via etymonline.com.
^'collie'. Online Etymology Dictionary – via etymonline.com.
^'beginnings'. Petsburgh. 13 April 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2008 – via geocities.com.
^'early'. Petsburgh. 9 December 2007. Archived from the original on 9 December 2007 – via geocities.com.
^'The mysterious origins of the Australian kelpie'. abc.net.au. 9 April 2016.
^Chew, Tracy; Willet, Cali E.; Haase, Bianca; Wade, Claire M. (2019). 'Genomic Characterization of External Morphology Traits in Kelpies Does Not Support Common Ancestry with the Australian Dingo'. Genes. 10 (5): 337. doi:10.3390/genes10050337.
^ ^a^b^cParsons, Anthony D. (1986). The Working Kelpie. Melbourne: Nelson. ISBN9780170067621.
^'The Victor Trumpers of sheep dog trials'. 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
^The Kelpie Foundation & John D Jack GleesonArchived December 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^Historical Sheepdog TrialsArchived September 29, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a^b^c^d^eSloane, Steve (1990). Australian Kelpie. US: TFH Publications, Inc. ISBN9780866228664.
^'Australian Kelpie'. HeyDogs.com. Archived from the original on June 3, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2009.
^'Kelpie'. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. World Almanac Education Group. 2002.
^Walsh, G. P. 'Kaleski, Robert Lucian Stanislaus (1877–1961)'. Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
^The Working Kelpie Council of AustraliaArchived March 22, 2004, at the Wayback Machine
^'ASDWA - Australian Sheep Dog Workers' Association -'. asdwa.org.au.
^'Dog Breeds - Types Of Dogs'. AKC.org. American Kennel Club.
^'Australian Kelpie'. United Kennel Club. Archived from the original on 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2014-12-03.
^'CKC Breed Standards'. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05.
^Club, American Kennel. 'Working Kelpie'. akc.org.
^Parmer, Ida. 'Basic Coat Color Genetics'. hnrworkingkelpies.com. Retrieved 2017-10-05.
^'Learning to train your four-legged workers'. Farming Ahead. February 1997.
^Messner, Andrew (2006). Green Gully Historical Report. New South Wales Department of Environment and Conservation.
^Lavigne, Guillaume de (2015-03-19). Free Ranging Dogs - Stray, Feral or Wild?. Lulu Press, Inc. ISBN9781326219529.

External links[edit]

Media related to Australian Kelpie at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Australian_Kelpie&oldid=913567873'

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