Way back in the early '60s, I got a 6 week old female Kelpie from a commercial sheep operation. Her parents were some of the first to be imported. She was trained alongside a hard WORKING Border Collie. Almost a year later, She just couldn't understand the concept of sheep herding. So, I gave her away to became just a pet as she had a great personality but little else to pay for her keep.
THE AUSSIE WORKING KELPIE.
- Thread starter The Old Ram-Australia
- Start date
Roving Jacobs
Seeing Spots
Australia has my favorite herding dogs. Kelpies, koolies, all sorts of heelers, I love them all! My current dog is an ACD mix and when he's gone I hope to get a full cattle dog or stumpy. I like the kelpies but a lot of the ones I've heard of here in the US have serious medical issues (seizures, exercise induced collapse) so I wouldn't risk it and the koolies are just getting a foothold.
- Thread starter
- #13
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 985
- Reaction score
- 2,117
- Points
- 303
G'day babsbag,we bred goats for about 25 years and it was during this time I got our first red Kelpie bitch,she cost $10.00 at a local auction barn.Early in the peace I sought advice from an old "dogger' about my dog and he gave me some really "good advice" ."He said a dog is still learning until it is almost 2 years old and all she needs is to be taught "control" of her natural instincts.The fellow who bred "Sacha" was known to me and the bitch was stolen some time later at a stock sale .From my dogs first litter I gave him the pick of the litter for free.Pups from my bitch worked all over the place including Camden Park home of the famous MacArthur Merinos and a tourist place which operated locally.Sasha was great on goats and would "work out of sight" to collect our goat herd in her later years she was as "deaf as a post" and worked off of hand signals.
In later years I purchased a dog at a charity auction for $5.00 he was named Jack and he was a terrific dog but now he too is a bit "deaf" and so Max is a pup of his from a bitch that a young guy "gave me" ,she is "yard bred" and hopeless in the paddock,but Max has inherited working genes from both her and Jack and is proficient at both areas,I also have a "yellow"pup(Rusty) left over from a litter and between the two of them they will see out my sheep farming life.
Here are some pic's.Jack on the job.2.Jack and Ruby putting the mob into the yards.3.Jack ,Ruby and Max..
In later years I purchased a dog at a charity auction for $5.00 he was named Jack and he was a terrific dog but now he too is a bit "deaf" and so Max is a pup of his from a bitch that a young guy "gave me" ,she is "yard bred" and hopeless in the paddock,but Max has inherited working genes from both her and Jack and is proficient at both areas,I also have a "yellow"pup(Rusty) left over from a litter and between the two of them they will see out my sheep farming life.
Here are some pic's.Jack on the job.2.Jack and Ruby putting the mob into the yards.3.Jack ,Ruby and Max..
Last edited:
Baymule
Herd Master
Nice looking dogs! A working dog is poetry in it's purest form.
- Thread starter
- #15
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 985
- Reaction score
- 2,117
- Points
- 303
G'day,I'm glad you enjoyed the video and pic's,I would like to "address' some of the comments that resulted.
What farmers in the U.S. need to understand is that there are two types of Kelpies ,one type is bred for the "show ring" and does not have a "working bone" in its body.The other problems indicated by RJ, I suspect some may come from maybe 'line-breeding " we all know what happens to our sheep if we continue to use the same ram over grand-daughter/great grand-daughter.
As for Bossroo's comment,if she was from an early import she could easily been from "show ring " stock.Many of the "old doggers" who are not "purists" put a 'cut" of BC through their Kelpies to increase "control" for competitive trial work(Jack BTW has a cut of BC in him,hence the white tail tip and the white blaze on the chest).
All of the Kelpies I have owned and bred do not need "training" as such, the desire to work is bred into them what the handler needs is "control" of the dogs natural instincts.Unlike the BC's my dogs are required to "drive" the stock towards the destination as my sheep "hate ' me because when they are in the yards its for a reason that they "won't enjoy" (like shearing,crutching or a drenching gun being pushed down their throat).
Unlike the BC's Kelpies are "thinkers" and they learn whats required by "repetition".here is an example ,when I take a dog to move the sheep I go to the sheep the way I want them to come home,opening gates as I go,the dog learns this over time and senses what it is I want him/her to do.Max will cast ,but I do it to "block" the sheep rather than to bring the sheep to me "standing at the gate".I only use a few commands,"go back" ,"stop","here " and "heel".I use a "hand signal to tell the dog where I want him to go and when the sheep respond I raise my hand and command "stop" and command "here".I can then send him/her to the other side to move the rest of the "mob' to bunch up when nearing a gateway.
Max and Rusty are highly competitive for my praise and Max "resents how close Rusty is to me if I attach a "check"lead to him if the need to work the sheep while I have both of them out together.Max seems "distracted' if I have Rusty close while he is away from me completing a "task".Ruby on the other takes any harsh words for something she has done incorrectly "to heart" and its almost like my disapproval effects her immensely and I have to praise her as soon as possible to repair her "hurt feelings".Jack is just to old to "worry" anymore,he knows he is my favorite even though he is not up to the work anymore ,he is first of the tethers and the first to be fed ahead of the two younger dogs.
As for the video I will try to get my daughter to film some stuff when she is over at the time,and I will try to include "sound" so you can see how the system works in practice.
Well, that's enough for now,happy to respond to any questions.....T.O.R.
What farmers in the U.S. need to understand is that there are two types of Kelpies ,one type is bred for the "show ring" and does not have a "working bone" in its body.The other problems indicated by RJ, I suspect some may come from maybe 'line-breeding " we all know what happens to our sheep if we continue to use the same ram over grand-daughter/great grand-daughter.
As for Bossroo's comment,if she was from an early import she could easily been from "show ring " stock.Many of the "old doggers" who are not "purists" put a 'cut" of BC through their Kelpies to increase "control" for competitive trial work(Jack BTW has a cut of BC in him,hence the white tail tip and the white blaze on the chest).
All of the Kelpies I have owned and bred do not need "training" as such, the desire to work is bred into them what the handler needs is "control" of the dogs natural instincts.Unlike the BC's my dogs are required to "drive" the stock towards the destination as my sheep "hate ' me because when they are in the yards its for a reason that they "won't enjoy" (like shearing,crutching or a drenching gun being pushed down their throat).
Unlike the BC's Kelpies are "thinkers" and they learn whats required by "repetition".here is an example ,when I take a dog to move the sheep I go to the sheep the way I want them to come home,opening gates as I go,the dog learns this over time and senses what it is I want him/her to do.Max will cast ,but I do it to "block" the sheep rather than to bring the sheep to me "standing at the gate".I only use a few commands,"go back" ,"stop","here " and "heel".I use a "hand signal to tell the dog where I want him to go and when the sheep respond I raise my hand and command "stop" and command "here".I can then send him/her to the other side to move the rest of the "mob' to bunch up when nearing a gateway.
Max and Rusty are highly competitive for my praise and Max "resents how close Rusty is to me if I attach a "check"lead to him if the need to work the sheep while I have both of them out together.Max seems "distracted' if I have Rusty close while he is away from me completing a "task".Ruby on the other takes any harsh words for something she has done incorrectly "to heart" and its almost like my disapproval effects her immensely and I have to praise her as soon as possible to repair her "hurt feelings".Jack is just to old to "worry" anymore,he knows he is my favorite even though he is not up to the work anymore ,he is first of the tethers and the first to be fed ahead of the two younger dogs.
As for the video I will try to get my daughter to film some stuff when she is over at the time,and I will try to include "sound" so you can see how the system works in practice.
Well, that's enough for now,happy to respond to any questions.....T.O.R.
My Kelpie looked just like this photo. Her litter mates were all good working dogs, except her. She was obedient and had a great personality, but she just never could learn to do her herding job even when paired with one of the best herding Border Collies around as her mentor owned by a gentleman from Scottland who had about 1,000 sheep. He owned my kelpie's mother and kept 2 of the litter mates who all worked well.
My Kelpie looked just like this photo. Her litter mates were all good working dogs, except her. She was obedient and had a great personality, but she just never could learn to do her herding job even when paired with one of the best herding Border Collies around as her mentor owned by a gentleman from Scottland who had about 1,000 sheep. He owned my kelpie's mother and kept 2 of the litter mates who all worked well.
mystang89
True BYH Addict
Completely agree.
- Thread starter
- #19
The Old Ram-Australia
Herd Master
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 985
- Reaction score
- 2,117
- Points
- 303
G'day Bossroo,I guess you were just "unlucky" with that pup....T.O.R.
Mike CHS
Herd Master
Very pretty dogs that obviously know what their job is.
What amazed me about the video was the lack of work by the herdsman. Our dogs need constant guidance or there is no telling where our sheep will wind up.
What amazed me about the video was the lack of work by the herdsman. Our dogs need constant guidance or there is no telling where our sheep will wind up.
Last edited:
