Selection
of a Pup
Desexing
Choice
Of Working Strain Kelpies
Long
Absences & Restraint
Socialising
Your Kelpie (Obedience/Agility Clubs - Pictures)
Kelpies are very adaptable and, given a reasonable set of circumstances and conscientious owners, work out well as pets. They are particularly suited to adult households, where they can become clever and obliging companions.
Right from the time you select your puppy, it is advisable to be guided by your veterinarian on all matters of health, such as wormings, vaccinations, diet supplements and so on.
Whether to select a male or a female Kelpie is very much a matter of personal preference. If one wishes to generalise, bitches are very "home-orientated", affectionate and faithful, not showing much interest in other people's activities; dogs on the other hand can be much more curious about the outside world, and more easily distracted.
Desexing of pets is a good idea, but I believe it should not be done until the Kelpie is mature. Male dogs desexed before they are mature tend to remain adolescent in their behaviour, which can be a real nuisance from a training point of view. Contrary to popular opinion, desexed bitches do not automatically run to fat. If their diet is controlled in a sensible way and they are not overfed, they retain their sleek lines and lovely appearance.
Choice of Working Strain Kelpie
The decision to keep a working strain Kelpie as a suburban pet requires a serious commitment from the owner to ensure that not only the dog's physical but also his mental needs are met adequately. Not only should he be well exercised on a daily basis, but his quick intelligence and obvious eagerness to learn, must also be channelled in a positive way, so that the potential asset does not turn, instead, into a liability of incessant barking, car-chasing and property destruction. The household where there is a little or no time to attend to the training of a young dog is not a suitable environment for a Kelpie. There are many varieties of dogs, which are quite happy to live out their lives in a back garden with nothing to do, but the Kelpie is not one of them. He will actively cast about for things to do to relieve the boredom, and many of his ensuing projects will not be pleasing to his owners. No dog should be disciplined hours after he has committed a misdemeanour (such as the digging of holes) and a Kelpie treated thus will become unhappy and uncontrollable. Another problem in the upbringing of such a dog is the establishment of a pattern of wild extremes of behaviour brought about, firstly by his solitary environment when his family is absent and, secondly, when the family returns, by the encouragement of hysterical "wild house" play with children or unthinking adults. It is sad that there are still some children who are allowed to tease their pets (quite often with ball games). Where some varieties of dogs will cope by retreating entirely from the situation, the Kelpie often retaliates by becoming aggressive in his own defence, and obviously a properly managed household where the children's association with their pet is supervised, will avoid many of these problems.
Long
Absences & Restraint.
Where long absences are unavoidable
during the day, with family members away at work and/or school, it is advisable
to restrain the Kelpie by means of a "runwire" or dog yard so that his
freedom has limits. The sensible owner will always balance these absences
by plenty of attention during the time that he is able to be with the dog
and, therefore, the bonding together of dog and owner will not suffer.
If the opportunity is taken to exercise and train the Kelpie during these
times he will be much more co-operative about being on his own for those
unavoidable periods.
Socialising your Kelpie. (Obedience Clubs)
It is very important that the
pet dog be properly socialised so that he can cope successfully with other
dogs he may meet and with other people. Dogs kept in isolation away from
such things (often from a misguided idea of protection) do not learn how
to react in a normal way when confronted with these challenges and sometimes
develop unacceptable responses of fear or aggression. Weekly attendance
at the local obedience-training club is a very successful way of socialising
the young dog, and at the same time teaching him a basic set of very useful
commands. For general household obedience, six months of weekly group lessons
should produce a dependable and reliable pet, providing the "homework"
is done on a regular, daily basis. If the dog is only trained when he goes
to the training club, progress will be disappointingly slow and he will
only associate his lessons with that particular venue. The moral is, therefore,
that the more conscientious one is in practising the lessons, the quicker
a satisfactory result will be achieved.
(Click to enlarge)
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1 Spinifex Amarilla in Obedience
2 (from L to R) Spinifex Ari, Aveline,Alana & Amarilla
after an Agility trial.
3 & 4 Santolina (US) Flink in Agility
5 Eurowenban LH Tully Blue in Agility
6 &7 Spinifex Ari
8 Spinifex Amarilla
9 Alinta Kirra
10 Agility ??? / Escape-oligist ??? Noonbarra Buffy (age
4mth, fence height 2m [6ft], time less than 30sec -Up & Over)
Many pet owners join obedience clubs without intending to remain for longer than it takes to train the dog, but they often develop a great interest in the more advanced work if they have a clever dog which learns quickly. The Kelpie is a "natural", loving to learn and show off and is a very rewarding pupil for the keen owner.