Australia.
Land of immense distances.
A special kind of dog is needed to handle such large numbers of sheep, immense distances, and scorching heat.
This is: the Working Kelpie.
Many people do not know that there is a major difference between the Australian Kelpie and the Working Kelpie.
Below is an explanation by Working Kelpie legend Tony Parsons.
It is quite understandable that someone becoming interested in Kelpies for the first time does not immediately realize how significant the differences are between the show lines and the working lines of the Kelpie breed. I am not too proud to admit that I was misled when I started with Kelpies 58 years ago. Fortunately, I was soon set on the right track, and since then I have always been an advocate of the Working Kelpie.
To better explain the differences and keep it as simple as possible, I use the letter Y as an example. Suppose the base of this letter represents the Kelpies bred by John Quinn, the Maiden brothers, King and McLeod, and several other early breeders of the Working Kelpie. In 1902, the late Robert Kaleski drew up the first standard for Kelpies and Barbs, and for Cattle Dogs. These standards were recognized by the original Kennel Club of NSW. Kaleski's standards remained in force for many years. It is worth mentioning that his Kelpie standard was based on the black-and-tan Kelpie, which was regarded as the most original color and also as the primary original color of the emerging Kelpie breed.
Once the standards for Kelpies and Cattle Dogs were established, people began presenting them at shows. Old show programs clearly show that some of the original dogs in the show ring descended from genuine Working Kelpies. In fact, no other type of Kelpie existed. In the early years following the inception of shows, there was not yet much deterioration in working quality, because many people showing Kelpies were genuine stockmen. But by the 1930s, and perhaps even earlier, there was a clear decline in the working quality of show dogs compared to the qualities of Kelpies worked by people like Frank Scanlon, Jack Goodfellow, and others. Put simply: the show breeders had lost their way.
During this period, from around 1902 to 1930, show breeders had, for some strange reason, virtually abandoned the original black-and-tan in favor of red or chocolate Kelpies, with black dogs trailing as a distant second.
What I wish to make clear to all readers, both in Australia and internationally, is that the original Working Kelpie was a magnificent creation. It arose almost by chance, through a combination of factors that will never occur in the same way again. The fact that we still have good Working Kelpies today is testament to the quality of those early working dogs. Despite the many thousands of good Working Kelpies that were lost to accidents, mistreatment, and inept breeders, the breed has continued to produce outstanding dogs. This is because breeding was based on performance. By performance, I mean the way a Kelpie works. The genuine and great Kelpies possessed tremendous sheep sense, plenty of cover, and good footwork, and the best of them had drive-and-hold. It was precisely the latter that made them so different from the Border Collies that came later.
A few, a very small number, of stockmen have managed to preserve the unique qualities of the Working Kelpie over the years. But when Kelpie lines were developed for the show ring, these unique qualities were lost. As a result, there is no show-bred Kelpie today that comes anywhere near the original Working Kelpie. Footwork, cover, sheep sense, and the ability to drive-and-hold have all disappeared from these show lines.
It is important to point out that working quality can deteriorate in a single generation if one is not careful. How then can working quality remain high when, as in many show lines, selection for work has not taken place for years? Furthermore, I know from conversations with many show people that they have no idea what a good break means, let alone good footwork. They see a dog running aimlessly around sheep and think this is work. There is work and there is work, and the bench dogs have lost genuine working quality.
Returning to the letter Y, we see that the two arms have grown further and further apart over the years. This is not surprising, as virtually every working breed has been harmed by show breeding, and the original purpose has been forgotten. Show people speak of the purity of show dogs, but what is that purity worth if the show dogs are merely a caricature of the Working Kelpie? What matters is what a Kelpie does, not whether it has a lovely chocolate coat.
Since most people who show Kelpies are not stockmen, it is hardly surprising that they do not know what makes a good working dog. To appreciate a working dog, one must have worked with livestock and understand what is required of a working dog. One must be able to recognize natural working aptitude and select for it.
One can therefore understand why Swedish and other European breeders, who took the trouble to travel to Australia to find genuine working dogs, feel frustrated when they see their dogs given breed designations that do not do them justice, while show lines that merely masquerade as genuine Kelpies are favored. Even here in Australia, where breeders and enthusiasts of show Kelpies have less excuse for not knowing that their dogs fall severely short in working quality, there is little appreciation for the unique qualities that distinguish the genuine Working Kelpie.
At the risk of sounding immodest, but because I wish to make my point clear, I consider myself one of the keepers of the flame. That is to say: I try to preserve a nucleus of Kelpies that still exhibit some of the traits of the dogs of yesteryear. Not because I want to sell many dogs, as I have retired as a commercial breeder, but because the welfare of the Working Kelpie is close to my heart and there is nothing I would rather see than a top-class Kelpie at work. Despite the fact that many Working Kelpies are bred, finding truly outstanding Kelpies is becoming increasingly rare. For example, the quality of Kelpies bred in my home state of Queensland is the lowest I have witnessed in my lifetime. I am not alone in this opinion. If, after generations of breeding based on performance, we still cannot easily produce top-class Working Kelpies, how could breeders of show dogs produce such dogs when selection has almost never been based on performance, but solely on appearance?
Show breeders seem to understand none of the above. They never have in my lifetime, yet they have consistently criticized me for pointing out how flawed their judgment is regarding what constitutes a true Kelpie. They fall back on the argument that the Working Kelpie is supposedly a crossbred. All Kelpies were originally crosses, as they largely originated from lines of working Collies.
The show Kelpie descends from these dogs just as much as the Working Kelpie. All Kelpies stem from the same source. What show breeders have done is breed a line of predominantly red dogs that lack the qualities of the dogs from which they originated. They fail to understand that when it comes to moving sheep, it is about what a dog does, not merely what it looks like.
Those who strive to breed genuine and high-quality Working Kelpies, whether they reside in Sweden, the United States, or here in Australia, have got it right. The show people are entirely mistaken. We could lose every show Kelpie in this country and it would make little difference, but we cannot afford to lose what remains of the Working Kelpie lines. Their contribution to the wealth of Australia through our great wool industry is immeasurable.
Previously published in KELPIE NEWS magazine of the Purebred Working Kelpie Club.
* added by the editor
Working Kelpies are registered with the Working Kelpie Council in Australia (WKC).
Breeders affiliated with the WKC provide a guarantee on the dog's working ability. In short, this means that if the dog does not meet expectations around 1 year of age, it must be replaced by the breeder.
The FCI could not care less whether a dog works or not. Australian Kelpies with an FCI pedigree are bred according to a breed standard, based on physical appearance.
Furthermore, there are Working Kelpies with FCI recognition. These are dual-registered Kelpies, registered with both the WKC and the FCI.
This website focuses exclusively on the Working Kelpie.
The Kelpie is without doubt an exceptional breed. Capable of working tirelessly in scorching heat, freezing cold, and over vast distances, all day long. A good Kelpie can perform more work than a large number of people, especially in hilly terrain or across great distances.
A Kelpie is highly valuable in the paddock, the open field, and the yards, within the enclosures. It can muster a mob of sheep, drive them to the drafting yards, force them through races, and load them into trailers. Ever alert and attentive, the Kelpie must be able to work independently while also responding to voice and whistle commands. There are approximately six basic commands the dog learns to respond to in order to carry out its work.
A few terms used by Kelpie handlers:
Cast, also known as outrun: a Kelpie is sent out to muster a group of sheep when the handler wants them brought to a specific point, such as the handling race. The dog must be able to be cast over great distances and fetch the sheep. The best dogs have a natural aptitude for this.
Hold: Working Kelpies must be able to keep the gathered sheep together. Sheep possess a flocking instinct, but under pressure or stress, one may break away. The dog must immediately bring it back.
Keeping distance: Sheep do not constantly need to be pushed by the dog, especially over greater distances in the heat. A Kelpie should maintain some distance from the livestock so the flock can move at a steady pace. A dog with a natural feel for this is extremely useful. The Kelpie must also respond to commands such as 'walk in' or 'stay'.
Backing: when a dog moves across the backs of the sheep if they get jammed in the race.
Eye: A dog with eye moves slowly toward one or more sheep, keeping its head and shoulders low and staring intently at the animals. Often the dog moves in an exaggeratedly slow manner. A dog with flexible eye focuses on more than one sheep and controls them with its penetrating gaze.
Ever since its origin, the Kelpie has existed in two varieties: the original Working Kelpie and the Australian Kelpie, a breed developed specifically for the show ring and kept more often as a pet than as a working dog.
The working dog is not bred for color. Black and tan is considered the original color, but there are also red, blue, fawn, and yellow Kelpies.
Working Kelpies work hard and tirelessly; their intelligence is evident when you observe them in action. Working with sheep is an innate talent.
This breed requires space—the more, the better. Working Kelpies are workaholics and can easily cover 50 to 60 kilometers a day: an exceptionally active breed indeed.
The Australian Kelpie is slightly less active than the Working Kelpie, but no longer possesses the innate working traits required to actually work livestock.
The Working Kelpie is a very healthy breed. Breeding is conducted not only for temperament and intelligence, but also for health and conformation. This is in contrast to show dogs, which must be bred in accordance with a breed standard. The life expectancy of the Working Kelpie is 12 to 15 years.
Working kelpies are bred strictly for herding ability and livestock performance, retaining traits such as sheep sense, cover, footwork, and drive-and-hold. In contrast, show lines have been selected for appearance over generations, resulting in the loss of these essential working qualities.
The original standard drawn up in 1902 was based on the black-and-tan kelpie, which was regarded as the primary and most authentic color of the emerging breed before show breeders began favoring red and chocolate coats.
A genuine working kelpie is defined by natural sheep sense, good footwork, plenty of cover, and the ability to drive-and-hold livestock.
Yes, natural working quality can deteriorate in as little as a single generation if selection is not based directly on performance with livestock.