The working Kelpie originated in Australia around the mid 1800's. It is said that the Dingo was thought
to have played an early part in the development of the breed but that the Kelpie has no connection with the Border Collie
whatsoever. The Border Collie was formed after the Kelpie was established. The breed was mainly developed from strains of
dogs working various stock. Numbers today, in Australia, are in excess of 450,000 with most of these being required for work.
Breed Colours
Black Kelpies once
fairly common but these days are rarely seen in working dogs.
Red and tan very popular and
the second most common colour, although numbers may be in decline as some of the black and tan male sires now used for breeding
do not carry any red and tan genes.
Black and tan is the most common working dog colour in
Australia and was considered to be the colour of the first Kelpie that was born around the late 1860's or early 1870's.
Less common colours blue, cream and fawn and tan.
