There are over a hundred thousand Australian Kelpies being used as a
in Australia alone. The medium sized pooch weighs anywhere from 25 to 45 pounds and stands 17 to 20 inches. Despite the “not-so-big” build, they are, with no doubt, one of the best herding dogs on the planet. They have extremely strong “sheepdog” instincts – they are very good at handling all kinds of animal a farmer may have in captivity. Be it goats, cattle, or even chicken, an Australian Kelpie did get the job done of keeping them in place. Guarding against predators, or at least warning its master of the presence of predators, is also another thing that this canine is capable of.
It was full of courage and intelligence, and knew immediately whether or not it needed its owner's help with warding off savage beasts. It also had plenty of stamina and an inclination towards labor – so working long grueling hours wasn't much of a problem. As I've said earlier, the Australian Kelpie is intelligent; this made it
pretty easy. That's something that everybody wants, so if you were to combine that trait with the others stated above, the animal having the “package” would become very desirable – this is what made the Australian Kelpie one of the most popular dog breeds in Australia.
Now that you know what this breed can do, let's start talking about its character. This is a loving and obedient pooch – it always looks forward to pleasing its master, which usually reflects in its work. Having children in the house will be okay, but better if the Australian Kelpie got to know them well enough from birth. That way, it'll be able to adapt itself to the behavior of the kids, and “grow” with them in the process. Now work is somewhat important to it; they thrive on it and develop their “personality” better while doing it. What kind of task could you possibly assign it if you aren't a farmer? Watchdog – they are good at keeping an eye out for intruders invading the property.
Australian Kelpies have keen senses; the slightest sound in the night won't be left unnoticed. When it does sense something out of the ordinary, it'll investigate immediately, then notify its master. Though they aren't
, they will still need early socialization, starting as a pup. Taking it out on strolls to meet the other pets and humans in town would be good for dealing with possible canine behavior problems. It is in general a good-natured breed, but it's always better to do what you can to make it even better. Keeping it in an apartment or indoor living won't work for it – not being able to expend all the energy stored up in it would make it do things that you won't like.
It would be best that you have an area enclosed in sturdy fencing for it to run around and play in. But having that set-up won't be enough – you'll still have to take it out for exercise, which includes walking or jogging.
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