10 minute read
Australian Kelpie
In the 1800s Australia emerged as one of the world’s biggest wool producers and became the focal point for thousands of prospective graziers. These migrants brought with them stock dogs of their homelands from which the Kelpie originated. It is important to note that the Kelpie was not bred from Border Collies or Dingoes, as is commonly documented, but instead a dog specially bred to work in Australia’s variable and harsh conditions.
This wonderful breed came from two black and tan short coated pricked eared Collies imported in the 1860s. A bitch pup came into the possession of JD Gleeson and he named her ‘Kelpie’ meaning water sprite. About the same time, a Victorian imported Brutus and Jenny which were mated on the voyage and produced a litter. Kelpie and a son from Brutus and Jenny were mated and whelped a pup, which was given to the C T W King and was known as King’s Kelpie.
King’s Kelpie made the name ‘Kelpie’ a household word following her win in Australia’s first sheep dog trial. Stockmen everywhere wanted a ‘Kelpie’ pup, and by the early 1890s the Kelpie as a strain was well established. Drovers say a good Kelpie is worth two men on horseback – a claim that has helped build the popularity of the Kelpie. An estimated 80,000 are working on properties around the country.
TEMPERAMENT
Today’s Kelpie is still a valuable farm dog while also showing its versatility as a Show, Obedience, Agility, Tracking and Companion Dog. They have participated in pet therapy programs and have been used as Guide Dogs.
On the working front, they are now found in many countries all over the world, working sheep, cattle, goats and even reindeer. As companion dogs, Kelpies have no equal. They are loving, gentle and kind, easily house trained and just want to be part of the family. Their greatest joy is being on the receiving end of their owner’s tender loving care, while its greatest disappointment is inactivity and lack of attention. Obedience provides a great way of getting to know and share the needs of this highly intelligent breed of dog. They make excellent watchdogs and have the courage of a lion and will defend their owners at
APPEARANCE
The general appearance of the Australian Kelpie should be that of a lithe, intelligent, alert dog showing hard muscular conditioning, conveying its almost unlimited stamina and incredible working capacity. It is paramount that the Kelpie be sound both physically and mentally, for without these attributes they cannot and will not be able to perform the duties for which they were bred – a working sheepdog.
They should be outgoing and friendly and look intelligent: eager and alert, yet gentle – the shape and contours of the head produce a rather fox-like expression, softened by the almond-shaped brown eyes. Kelpies come in seven colours – black, black and tan, red, red and tan, fawn, chocolate and smoke blue. They have a double coat, with a short dense undercoat which lies flat, so it is rain resistant, but is longer under the body to behind the legs and around the neck where it forms a ruff. The pointed pricked ears give an accurate visual indication of the intelligence of the breed and its willingness to learn.
The Kelpie is free from most inherited diseases and is a relatively low maintenance dog and easy to feed.
Intelligent, the Australian Kelpie will attempt to dominate its surroundings and the owner must display calm, firm authority over the dog at all times. With the right type of owner and proper amount of daily mental and physical exercise, this breed can excel.
Being a working dog, the Kelpie needs daily exercise to keep happy and healthy which includes freedom to run in a very big yard or regular long walks. Although adaptable to all environments, if you are unable to spend the necessary time and effort required to exercise your dog and understand its natural instincts and needs for leadership, then owning a Kelpie is not for you. It craves companionship, making it amongst the most social of breeds. GENERAL
Grooming: An average shedder, this breed is easy to groom. An occasional combing and brushing is all that is needed. Bathe when necessary, as it will remove all the natural oils in the weather resistant coat and dry out the skin.
Life Expectancy: When considering a Kelpie please realise you are taking it on for its lifetime which is usually between 10 – 16 years.
Average Size: Height at the shoulder Dogs – 46-51cms (18-20 ins) Bitches – 43-48cms (17-19 ins)
Compatibility with other pets: Excellent
The Zookeeper - Joel Fergie
Joel Fergie, also known as The Zookeeper, created the painting of ‘Megs’, a local working Kelpie who comes from Dawson River Kelpies, in Moura Queensland in 2019.
Having arrived in the town to work on a water tower artwork project Joel soon realised he had a few extra days free and with the help of some of the town locals and community groups, organized another large wall to paint. After meeting a few of the locals he eventually learned of Nicky Lorimer who runs a cattle property outside of Moura.
Nicky, along with her family, have a range of Kelpies on their farm. She is also an incredible photographer and working dog trainer. Joel visited the property and met a few of the dogs – ‘Megs’ stood out as a leader of the pack.
Nicky had a classic photograph of ‘Megs’ with a big cheeky grin poking her head through the stock gates and he knew it would make a beautiful painting. The following day he began the artwork on one of the larger walls in the main street of town.
Joel worked on this piece for a couple of days. While painting, he invited a few local emerging artists down and showed them some techniques he uses for painting on a large scale. He welcomed the opportunity to meet local artists and learn a little more about the town.
This painting was one of those special paintings where he just smiled the whole time.
After finishing the work, he had a heap of lovely feedback and was asked to come back again later that year. He brought a few friends along and they painted a few more works in town. It’s a beautiful and welcoming part of Central Queensland.
MORE ABOUT ‘THE ZOOKEEPER’ – JOEL FERGIE: Joel Fergie is a Sunshine Coast based artist whose large-scale artworks span from inner city urban laneways to remote regional communities throughout Central Australia.
His large-scale murals found on water towers and grain silos aim to disassemble the routines of daily life. Through nature, his work looks to bring feelings of positivity to people in public spaces.
Growing up in Darwin, Northern Territory, an ever-present fascination with the Australian wilderness shaped The Zookeepers’ passion for the environment. Through an adventurous childhood exploring remote communities across northern Australia, Joels’ art looks to share stories of those which go often under the radar.
As street art expands from urban spaces into regional and remote spaces, The Zookeeper looks to explore the impact of this modern art form on those in these unique places. When creating public works, The Zookeeper looks to create strong relationships with the people within the communities in which his artworks sit. These relationships are integral in the development of the themes and concepts within his artwork.
When creating an artwork in a public space, The Zookeeper looks to develop themes which reflect the people in which these artworks relate. Although not always immediate the relationship between an artwork and its community can invariably offer an opportunity for people to work through barriers that often divide one another.
– Junior Handler
– David Margan
If you wander our show rings you would note our ageing demographic.
Its vital for our future that we encourage the young to discover the pleasures and challenges of our fraternity, they are our future.
One of those is Junior Handler, seven-year-old Hudson McKillop-Davies, “I love learning about different breeds and getting to know the dogs. They make me happy, they make me laugh and I love spending time with them.”
Hudson and his family joined Dogs Queensland three years ago. They joined to find a hobby that the whole family could share and enjoy. They had already done their research and decided on the breed that would drive the family plan, Saint Bernards.
It was a good choice as they are known to be loving, gentle, tolerant in spite of their size and, importantly, eager to please, easy to train.
It must have worked because they now have five! For Mum, Lauren McKillop-Davies, dogs have never been just pets and as a locum teacher’s aide she began to use them as therapy animals and the whole family started coming to Dogs Queensland shows to see what went on and they were all sold.
As Hudson recently approached his seventh birthday his Mum, Lauren, asked him how he’d like to celebrate it, well as any seven-year-old would his list was long, he wanted a suit, shoes, dog books, a grooming box, leads and Pokémon stuff but his biggest wish was, “I want to have a dog show party and go in the breed ring”.
Seeing his birthday fell on Anzac Day he got his wish, “He got to show plenty of dogs in the rings for his birthday and even though he didn’t take a ribbon home he said it was the best birthday ever.” Said Lauren.
Hudson is an interesting boy as it seems he has no interest in the ribbons or the ‘everyone wins a prize’ tiny tots, he doesn’t want praise he just
But he’s still just seven and when asked what he most liked to do at our shows, apart from working the ring, this is what he said; “I like to see different dogs and play with them, and I like going to the vending machine and getting in photos.”
Getting in photos?
Well, apparently, it’s a ‘thing’ these days. Hudson and his siblings, Byron 12, Indigo 10 and Jhack 8, have a competition to see how many other people’s photos they can get in!
Perhaps that’s why Hudson’s been encouraging his school mates to get involved in our dog world, more people, more dogs, more cameras, more photos.
Lauren McKillop-Davies says that the encouragement that other exhibitors have given to her family has been just terrific, “They just love the enthusiasm of the Junior Handlers, their desire to do well, to learn and their interest in other dog breeds. They’ll come up and ask Hudson and Indigo if they would like to exhibit their dogs and my kids just love doing that.”
But what about those judges with their stern eagle eyes?
Hudson, Byron, Indigo and Jhack may compete in hijacking photos but in the ring they’re very supportive of each other.
Hudson has his eye on some more breeds, his particular favourites are Huskies, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and Basset Fauve de Bretagnes and what does he want to do when he grows up?
Show dogs, of course.
“Dogs Queensland has been such a wonderful club to be a part of as a young family, it really has been a blessing for us to be members.” Said Lauren McKillop-Davies.
