| Australian Kelpie | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative names | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Country of origin | ||||||||
| Australia | ||||||||
| Classification | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Breed standards (external links) | ||||||||
| FCI, ANKC NZKC | ||||||||
| Notes | ||||||||
| The Canadian "miscellaneous class" is for breeds working towards full recognition. |
The Kelpie is an Australian breed of sheep dog, which has proven very successful at herding sheep in the mountainous areas of New Zealand. They are medium-sized dogs and come in a variety of colours, including red and black with white tips.
They are clever, loyal and friendly and typically have an excess of nervous energy. They are renowned for running along the back of sheep when they are herding them.
Some people claim that kelpies have some dingo blood. A possible reason for this belief is that, in areas where it is illegal to keep dingoes as pets, some dingo owners register their animals as kelpies or kelpie crosses.