The kelpie is the Australian sheep-herding dog. It is definitely descended from collie stock, but it may also have dingo in its ancestry.
I found an interesting page on Australian kelpies, and some good documentation of their dingo ancestry.
It’s well known that the Australian cattle dog (Queensland heeler, red heeler, or blue heeler) is a mixture of collie, dingo, Dalmatian, and bull terrier. However, the dingo ancestry of the kelpie is always denied, mainly because it’s a sheep dog and dingoes eat sheep. To say that the sheep killer is in your good working dogs is to give the dingoes a little break. And to say anything good about dingoes in the very rural parts of Australia is bit like saying anything good about coyotes in virtually any rural part of North America. Also, many Australian states did not allow dingo ownership, so the people who were interbreeding dingoes into their dogs probably did deny any such crossing.
I don’t know if this website is true, but I find it a bit convincing. The kelpie does have dingoish features, and black and tan dingoes are not unknown, although it is usually said that the black and tan coloration comes from interbreeding with domestic dogs.
Depending upon your perspective, the dingo is either an Australian wolf, a feral dog, or a primitive breed of dog. I take that all three are accurate. It is the “wolf” of Australia, and it is derived from an Asian animal that was somewhere between wolf and dog. It was kept as a dog in Asia, but when it arrived in Australia, it soon moved into a semi-domesticated position. The thousands of years of benign neglect on that continent gave the dingo a chance to become fully wolf.
Can I be the first to say “The Ding-go eight meye Bay-be!” ?
After the Russians successfully domesticated the fox in about 30 generations, I wonder if the dingo would be an acceptable wild gene pool to domesticate or use as a source of new blood.
Until gene therapies become cheap and easy, it’s really the only way we can get a “do over” on dogs, no?
Dingoes don’t have very high genetic diversity, but it doesn’t seem to hurt them…yet.
They are only 4,000 years old, and the ones Europeans discovered in America were far more dog-like than the ones are now. The Native Australians kept them as sort of dogs that they cuddled and loved but never fed. What changed? Europeans started killing and shooting them. This changes the nature of the beast, just as the selection for tameness changed the foxes.
I think that this is what happened to the wolf. We gone totally crazy after the wolf, and the temperament of that species has also changed. Lewis and Clark killed wolves with pocket knives. The Indians didn’t kill large numbers of wolves, and wolves and Indian dogs sort of co-mingled. (Today’s wolves eat dogs) When we decided to slaughter off the wolf, we selected for nervous and very neurotic individuals. And now the animal is nearly impossible to domesticate.
The only evidence I have for this is that ancient people really weren’t that sophosticated. Domesticating a wolf had to have been bone-headedly easily. Otherwise, they would have never been able to. I don’t entirely agree with Coppinger’s “dump dog” thesis, but it does play a part, mainly keeping the animals alive when they are discouraged from accompanying humans on the hunt. (The Australian natives never used dingoes to hunt. They tried to keep them away when they were hunting. The people of New Guinea did train dogs to hunt with them, specifically domesticated versions of the New Guinea Singing dog).
That Lewis and Clark tidbit is choice red meat. Very interesting means of reading between the lines to determine temperament.
Another thought. Now that we’re past an election cycle and the question was asked again and again “are you better off now than you were 4/8 years ago?” …. Are dogs better off now than they were 100 years ago?
I had never even herd of an Austrailian Kelpie until someone bought one for my 2 year old as a suprise present. I was definately suprised but am completely in love with our 10 week old Kelpie pup. He is so smart and already sits, shakes, and rolls over. He is well on his way to being house broken and we couldn’t be happier. We would actually like to get another Kelpie for Pete to play with in the future.
Kelpies are not pets… They need a full time job where they can use their incredible energy level, instincts & intelligence. You can have it as a pet, but good luck with keeping it from being bored.
My dog Ruby (got her from a rescue in January, she was in So. Carolina) looks just like this dog, only with a slightly heavier coat. She’s a great dog — but then, we have a fenced yard and a dog door, so she can be outside as much as she wants. She’s definitely a hunter — death to voles!
Our Kelpie is one of the most loyal pets ever. She is loving, friendly and so patient with my 3 little girls. She hasn’t been destructive other than a few towels off the line when she was under one and we have always lived in town. Highly trainable and obedient. She is older now and at 12 she is still energetic and has a sparkle in her eye. If you have ever worked with sheep and a Kelpie every now and then you throw a Kelpie that will kill sheep given the chance, depends on how good a dog they are as to if you keep them. I worked on a property where one Kelpie would be able to work the lambs to the outside of the mob to have a go at them, as long as you know where the lambs are and where your dog is you can control them. Based on this it wouldn’t surprise me at all they had they a bit of Dingo blood in them, they can be very skilled killers if the instinct is in them.
I found an abandoned puppy in the country which I assumed was a coyote hybrid (gigantic ears, down pointing tail, wicked smart, wild/shy to an extreme). It turned out she is a kelpie which was obvious after she filled out and grew up. She has been the best pet I’ve ever owned in my entire life. I had no idea dogs could be this intelligent. We walk her twice a day and I usually take her to work with me (which has a big yard she can use) because being alone is torture for her. She stays right near me and NEVER runs away. She will do exactly as told and learns commands almost instantly. Only downside is that she can be overprotective of me. If I am in her presence (and only me) she might bite a stranger who enters a room etc. The vet can only examine her in my absence. I crate her when people visit which works out great (she knows in the crate that she is ‘off duty’ and will sit quietly). I have had her for two years and am now looking for a second kelpie rescue. I don’t think I’ll ever have anything but kelpies from here on out. She’s so fast and acrobatic as well as being eerily smart. She’s an amazing animal. You might have to work with your kelpie to make a pet situation work (they need exercise and attention) – but it’s worth it as far as I can tell. But know that you are entering an intense relationship. My dog watches me constantly. Her eyes never stay averted from mine for more than a second or two. Even when she is romping around with other dogs. She is obsessed with me and is literally awaiting my command every second of every hour of ever day. If you can handle that kind of connection, this is the dog for you.
about 4 months ago we found a frozen and starved puppy out in a field. He would have died that night so we took him home and i was fortunate to be able and stay home with him the next 2months.They think he was about a year old. He want from no socialization and being extremely weak and passive to a very fit and loveable dog. Am still questioning exactly what he is because he does like alot like both dingo and kelpie- beyond he is white with tan markings only and bright blue eyes. The only real problem is that i am back at work and he is home alone during the day. Since day one he was loved me and grown to love my kids. He does not seem to like men. I question what happened to him originally because no matter how the old man tries “Tuff” will only tolerate him if he is sitting-other wise he has to be kenneled when inside.The dog never barked once until recently and is extremely protective of the kids and I. I know he is a worker dog and needs someone who can be more involved with him…if anyone has any suggestions I’d greatly appreciate them. I want him to have the best home possible and just don’t know that I can provide it for him. Rehibilitation was rough but “Tuff” deserves to be loved….please advise :)