A magnificent herding dog that thrives in open space. Usually not suited to apartment life. Australian Kelpies are extremely tough and hardy dogs that can appear tireless. Need lots of exercise. They are easily trained and have a great appetite for work that has earned them a great reputation in their homeland. Will enjoy activities such as dog agility events, flyball, retrieving, Frisbee, rally, and competitive obedience. Working Kelpies come in almost any color with 3 types of coat: smooth, rough and short. Some also have a white blaze or points. Show dogs show less variation being solid colors on a short coat only.

Identifying Features: Average Height: 17 - 20 in

The Australian Kelpie is a medium sized dog breed that has been around since 1870 in its native land, where over 100,000 members of the breed are found today. They are renowned as excellent herding dogs that are thought to have been predominantly descended from "English Colleys" (Collies) that were imported to Australia during the 19th Century. The name Kelpie comes from the water Kelpie described in a book by Robert Louis Stephenson. There is a marked distinction between show and working dogs with different registries existing in Australia for the two types. Working Kelpies can be any color and have 3 coat types: smooth, short and rough, whereas show bred Kelpies are limited to solid colors only with a short double coat. Australian Kelpies are currently recognized by the United Kennel Club in the United States.

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