Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is a kelpie really considered a rare breed? In Sydney (yes I realise they are Australian) they are everywhere! Every second dog has kelpie in it pretty much. I had a kelpie/ lab mix (mum reckoned it had part horse, she grew so tall and thin) when I was younger, and when I bought Cody (border collie/ australian cattle dog) they had BC/kelpie mixes there too. I would say they were one of the most popular medium size dogs around (maltese/shihtzu for small dogs, goldens or GSDs for large). They are beautiful dogs, always willing to please and always ready to play. Our problem was that Jenna learned to jump the fence, and after that there was no stopping her. We ended up giving her to a family friend, a young girl who lived on property, as her dog had been hit by a car.

I didnt realise that they hadnt really travelled the world like most breeds, its really strange to think of the differences across countries. It is very hard to get an Aussie around here, I love them but nobody breeds them, closest you can get is a border collie.

I had never even heard of a kelpie until someone told me Mya looked like she had Kelpie in her. I live in Maine but Mya came from WA state. I lived there for two years.
What do you think?

Other than that rusty brown colour (which many breeds can have) I cant really see any similarities, and as far as Ive experienced they are usually just black/tan, brown/tan, or black with a small patch of white on the neck/chest area. The colours have sometimes been compared to that of a dobie. The photo is a copyright free one I found which is the typical appearance of a Kelpie, looks very much like mine growing up.

You have certainly got a beautiful dog there. I love the way her ears sit... they are adorable! How old is she?

She is seven years old. I can't believe she is seven. It's hard to say that. I wish she was still 3 years old LOL.

I think people say that because of the way she does the low to the ground herding thing. Then the face. I just say she is a chocolate lab mix. It makes it easier.

Yes, they are rare in the US. People see my dog and just look at her. The most common response is "what breed is that" others ask if she is part german shepherd...yeah, right, a 40 lb german shepherd. Nobody ever asks if she is a Kelpie or knows right off that she is a kelpie. She's not purebred, mom was a red BC. She had two brothers who looked like red BCs, and tiny little leah, who looked like a black and tan Kelpie. Aside from her white coloring on her legs, she looks purebred.

She's an awesome dog! So responsive. She watches and hears everything. Even if she pretends she's not paying attention to me, the minute I say something directed at her (and I don't have to change the tone in my voice - she doesn't like that anyway), she's right there. She's so willing to please. She comes to me when I call her, she goes away when I tell her to as well. If we're on a walk and she finds something to eat and picks it up, she'll drop it the second I tell her to, no matter what it is. She's just a great dog!

She hates it when people make strange noises (it took a while to convince her I was okay when I would cough or sneeze). Pretty much just doesn't like people to make noises that are not normal for them to make. She likes to bark .

Dawn

She is adorable!
That is funny about the noises. My dog doesn't like noises either. When she was a pup I used to oink at her just because she would get so mad at me. She has gotten better now, but she is also seven years old. She is a mixed breed. I have no idea what she is.