australiean kelpie

                                               Welcome to my web site                                                 

The KELPIE dog is my passion and i like exchanging pieces of advice with those who share the same passion .

This web site is dedicated to them .

Your decision is taken or about to be taken .The KELPIE dog is maybe the dog you're looking for.

Does the hairball that you're going to choose correspond to your wishes,

or is simply that you fell in love at first sight?

These few pages will give you the opportuniy to know the qualities and defects of a rather unknown pur-bred dog.

               australien © kelpie.com  2000                                                      

origin

This dog is probably the result of a crossing of breeds between the dingo, a wild dog from Australie, and the short-haired Scottish

shepherd which appeared on the Australian continent aroud 1870 .

Asheep farmer called Allens imported in 1870 a couple of sleek-haired collies  named JENNY a BRUTUS .

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With a litter of puppies born during the ctossing,Jenny originated a new breed of

very good sheedogs.

Then news spread all over the country and KELPIE entered the legend.It was a black and tan little dog . KELPIE was then

impregnated by Cesar , one of Brutus' sons .

Mr King , a dog fancier,bought a little she-dog from the same family and called it KELPIE 2.This dog won the first sheepdog show in 1873.

In 1908, the breed was finally recognized as such and 9 dogs were presented under the name KELPIE at the first Royal Show in Melbourne.

The black ones were previously called " bards " because one of KELPIE`s sons was called that way .

                                   DISPOSITION                                                     

Quick,lively,very active, this dog is absolutey tireless .

Tough, it can cover very long distances.Very energetic, this dog seems to be unstoppable.It`s got an instinctive ability to be a sheepdog.

When the flock is very compact, it doesn`t hesitate to climb on the sheep`back in order to go more rapidly form one point to another !

Intelligent and attentive to his master, the KELPIE dog is also particularly gifted for agility .

Despite the fact that it looks like a little fox, this sheepdog is naturally gentle and docile. tally devoted to his master, it obeys easly. The kelpie dog gets on very well with children 

and goes spontaneously towards them.

No use trying to breed this dog as a guard dog since it is as gentle as a lamb.

Amateur breeding of Australian KELPIE dogs                           

Litter expected by the end of year 2003

Make a reservation if you want puppies bred with their family.

Registered L.O.F. Tattooed and vaccinated .22 champions with birth certificate.

Dog available tor breeding .France and Europe champion .From the best Australian and new-Zeal.lineage.

AUSTRALIEN KELPIE

F.C.I. - Standard No 293 /21.04.1997./ GB

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 11.09.1989.

ORIGIN : Australia. UTILIZATION :Sheepdog . CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. Group 1

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The general appearance shall be that of a lithe, active dog of great quality, showing hard muscular condition combined with great suppleness of limb and conveying the capability of untiring work.It must be free from any suggestion of weediness.

BEHAVIOUR / CHARACTER : The Kelpie is extremely alert , eager and highly intelligent , with a mild , tractable disposition and an almost inexhaustible energy, with marked loyalty and devotion to duty .It has a natural instinct and aptitude in working of sheep , both in open country and in the yard .Any defect of structure or temperament foreign to a working dog must be regarded as uncharacteristic .

HEAD : The head is in proportion to the size of the dog .The overall shape and contours produce a rather fox like expression, which is softened by the almond-shaped eyes .

CRANIAL REGION: Skull: Slightly rounded and broad between the ears. The forehead running in a straight profile towards the stop. Stop: Pronounced .

FACIAL REGION: Nose: The colour conforms to that of the body coat .Muzzle: Clenly chiselled and defined, preferably slightly shorter in length than the skull . Lips : Tight and clean,free from looseness. Teeth: The teeth should be sound , strong and evenly spaced, the lower incisors just behind but touching the upper ; that is a scissor bite .Cheeks: Neither coarse nor porminent , but round to the foreface . Eyes : The eyes are almond shaped , of medium size , clearly defined at the corners, and show an intelligent and eager expression . The colour of the eyes to be brown , harmonising with the colour of the coat . In the case of blue dogs a lighter coloured eye is permissible . Ears : The ears are pricked and running to a fine point at the tips , the leather fine but strong at the base , set wide apart on the skull and inclining outwards , slightly curved on the outer edge and of moderate size . The inside of the ears are well furnished with hair .

NECK : The neck is of moderate length, strong, slightly arched, gradually moulding into the shoulders, free from throatiness and showing a fair amount of ruff .

BODY : The length of the dog from the forechest in a straight line to the buttocks is greater than the height at the withers as 10 is to 9 . Topline : Firm, level. Loins : Strong and well muscled .Croup: Rather lomg and sloping . Chest : Deep rather than wide . Ribs : Well sprung . Flank : Of good depth .

TAIL : The tail during rest should hang in a very slight curve . During movement of excitement it may be raised , but under no circumstances should the tail be carried past a vertical line drawn through the root . It should be furnished with a good brush .Set on a position to blen with sloping croup, and it should reach approximately to the hock .

LIMBS : FOREQUARTERS : The forelegs should be muscular with strong but refined bone, straight and parallel when viewed from the front . Shoulders : Clen, muscular, well sloping with the shoulder-blades close set at the withers . Upperarm: Should be a right angle with the shoulder-blade .Elbow : Neither in nor out. Pastern : When viewed from the side, the pasterns should show a slight slope to ensure flexibility of movement and the ability to turn quickly.

HINDQUARTERS: Should show breadth and strength. When viewed from behind, the hind legs, from the hocks to the feet, are straight and placed parallel, neither close nor too wide apart . Stifles: Well turned. Hock: Fairly well let down .Feet : The feet should be round , strong, deep in pads, with close knit well arched toes and strong short nails.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : To produce the almost limiteless stamina demanded of a working sheepdog in wide open spaces,the Kelpie must be perfectly sound, both in construction and movement . Any tendency to cow hocks, bow hocks, stiltiness, loose shoulderqs or restricted movement weaving or plaiting is a serious fault . Movement should be free and tireless and the dog must have the ability to turn suddenly at speed . When trotting the feet tend to come closer together at ground level as speed increases, but when dog comes to rest it stands four square .

COAT:

HAIR: The coat is a double coat with a short dense undercoat. The outer coat is close, each hair straight, hard and lying flat, so that it is rain-resisting. Under the body, to behind the legs, the coat is longer and forms near the thigh a mild form of breeching. On the head ( including the inside of the ears ), to the front of the legs and feet, the hair is short. Along the neck it is longer and thicker forming a ruff. The tail should be furnished with a good brush. A coat either too long or too short is a fault. As an average, the hairs on the boby should be from 2 to 3 cm ( approx.3/4"-1.1/4") in length .

COLOUR: Black, black and tan, red and tan, fawn, chocolate, and smoke blue .

SIZE: Height: The height at the withers shall be for the dogs 46 to 51 centimeters ( approx. 18-20 ins.) Bitches 43 to 48 centimeters ( approx. 17-19 ins. )

FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should de regarded should be in exact proportion to degree.

N.B: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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