All about dog breed Australian Kelpie

Kelpie is considered one of the relatively young breeds, these unique shepherd dogs are distinguished by vigor, high performance and small size. In addition, representatives of the breed have excellent health and have extraordinary stamina. To independently grow such a pet, you need to know the rules of its content.

The breed of dogs Kelpie was bred 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 great shepherd, as the dog achieves maximum concentration when observing a herding herd. The bitches' weight with height at withers 49 cm is up to 19 kg, the weight of males varies from 15 to 22 kg with height at withers 52 cm. The average life expectancy of an animal does not exceed 14 years.

The head of the kelpie is proportional, of medium size, with the skull 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 almond-shaped, expressive eyes of medium size. Erect ears wide apart. The animal has strong and even teeth.

Kelpie muscular body, strong loins, deep chest. The legs are straight and parallel, the paws are round with large pads and powerful claws. The dog's tail is slightly curved, its length is small, but reaches the hock. As for wool, it has a very dense structure, tough and short, thanks to which the dog does not get wet. Kelpie color can be different, most often in nature there are the following colors:

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

The Australian Kelpie has a mass of virtues, which makes it a desirable pet in every home. The main advantages of this breed:

• stable psyche: if the pet is properly educated, he 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, they are few. The dog is demanding frequent walking in the open air and loves intense walks. In the nature of animals, the desire for dominance prevails, but if you start raising your pet in a timely manner, problems can be avoided.

Kelpies are considered energetic and cheerful dogs with high intelligence. They are devoted to their owner and in various situations they can make their own decisions. Due to the friendly nature of the animals work well in a team. In order to grow a good pet who would not show signs of aggression towards strangers, it must be socialized from an early age. Australian kelpies are most often used as rescuers and service dogs, since the guard qualities of the breed are assessed 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 tolerate children, they still make bad companions for kids. This is because dogs prefer rough games, during which they may inadvertently bite. With other breeds of dogs, kelpies get along well, creating close ties.

Keep dogs of this breed is recommended in the countryside, where the pet will be able to completely splash out their energy. If it is not possible to make a shepherd from kelpie, then it should be provided with sports activities. The dogs performed well in frisbee and flyball competitions. Because pets require a lot of free space, they are not recommended to be raised for living in an apartment.

Kelpi are not whimsical to the diet, most importantly, that their diet would contain many minerals and vitamins. It is not recommended to feed the dogs of this breed with dry food, it is best to make a mixed diet. The menu should include a variety of cereals, sea fish, fruits, vegetables, meat (except for lamb and pork), raw eggs and dairy products. While composing the diet, it is necessary to take into account the season, age of the dog and physical activity.

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

Vaccination of representatives of this breed is carried out from the following diseases: parvovirus enteritis, plague, infectious hepatitis, rabies, trichophytosis and coronavirus. Babies should be given the first vaccination at the age of two months; after vaccination, the first 12 days of a pet cannot be taken out, washed and overfed. It is forbidden to vaccinate when a young dog changes teeth. A one-year-old dog is given a comprehensive vaccination, which should be entered in the pet's passport.

The Australian Shepherd bitch requires special care during estrus, which first occurs between the ages of 8 and 12 months and repeats at the same interval of time every 6 months. A pipe usually lasts no more than 22 days, in some cases it can drag on for a month. Appeared bleeding, swelling of the external genital organs suggests 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 sluggish or, conversely, aggressive, the dog eats less and drinks more water.

In the case when the kelpie owner is interested in receiving offspring from the dog, then during estrus he must observe certain precautions.

• Going for a walk with a bitch is only necessary 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 the heat the bitches no longer respond to the host commands, so they should not be allowed to the males. Accidentally initiated sexual intercourse on the street is impossible to stop and as a result it threatens with an unwanted pregnancy or the fact that there are bloody babies in the house.
• In the fall and winter during estrus, the dog may quickly become cold, so it is recommended that walks be reduced to a minimum. Additionally, special dog clothes will help protect the dog from hypothermia. If the pet lives in free mode on the plot, it is recommended to cover it in the aviary.

Although Kelpie dogs are designed to be “shepherd”, they are easily trained and trained in other disciplinary areas. Experts recommend choosing a direction for training, depending on the nature of the pet, for this he will have some time to watch. A pet should like lessons, only this way he can achieve high results. Team games with other dog breeds are well suited for kelpies; in them, the animal manifests all its leadership skills.

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

After each class pet should be rewarded with praise and not accustom him to the constant delicacies. It is best to apply the method of contrasting teachings, that is, to combine both positive and negative rewards. For trainings you will need to purchase a whistle, the dog must learn to respond to commands after the beep. If patience is observed during training, then the training will take place quickly and without problems. The pet will understand what the owner wants from him, will begin to listen and learn new commands.

Since farmers brought up this breed to look after cattle, its representatives are distinguished by their curiosity and vigor, which allows them to control the grazing animals. If there are children in the house, the dog should be taught to communicate with them. A pet will become their indispensable friend and companion, but without training, mischievous games can end in tears: a dog may accidentally injure a baby.

Kelpie's shepherd mastery is inborn, but it 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 the talent in full. If you plan to keep the dog on the farm, then it must be taught and jumping over the sheep, thanks to this, in the future it will quickly gather the herd, without spending much time running around the animals.

In the next video you will find more information about the breed of dogs Australian Kelpie.