Jett Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I was wondering what theories may come out of this. I have a young kelpie who is constantly on top of things. I am always seeing him sitting or sleeping on top of the outside table. He always sits on chairs. On top of the barbeque. And now he has taken to jumping on top of my car, and sleeping on the roof! He is like a cat! Any ideas?? Just curious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Piximatosis Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 No theories but my Rotty x is the same. Sleeps on the roof of her kennel rather than inside it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesomil Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 No theories, but my Kelpie is the same. He is always lying on top of the outside table. He just loves to be on something high, no matter what it is. Not sure why though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I'm no expert, so only a guess. Isn't getting up high a sign of dominance in dogs? Not that dominance is a bad thing.....just means doggie confidence boosting, I'd think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superminty Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 My kelpie spends a lot of time on top of the picnic table in our yard. My theory: it enables him to survey "his" domain. He is very territorial. We have a gate that stops the dogs running down the side after Cash made a habit of barking at passers by. So now he stands on the table and barks at them over the gate. Having said that, both dogs sleep on the table in the sun from time to time. Best sunbaking spot in the yard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caesars mum Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 It is propably an instinct to have a good vantage point for protecting there territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clicking Mad Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 The first thing I thought of was "backing". As in, riding sheep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kymbo Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 I had a kelpie x that did the same sort of stuff :/ No other dog I have had has done it. Sorry, that probably isn't much help, nor a theory...but the common word in all the posts is 'kelpie' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FGM Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 My mums border collie would rather sit in a chair outside than in her kennel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jett Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 Seems to be a working dog thing I wonder if it does have something to do with what Clicking Mad said... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superminty Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 The first thing I thought of was "backing". As in, riding sheep My boy will not back sheep - he'd rather go under. If you put him up there, he dives off asap. He does "ride" sheep sometimes though but the back feet always stay on the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellyBeggs Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Its a kelpie thing........ my kelpie will lay ontop of anything rather than be at ground/floor level. And the higher he has to climb to get up there the happier he is. I think its why he likes being in the ute. He also likes to lay, looking over the world, with his front legs crossed over out front......sometimes hanging off the edge of what ever he is sleeping on. I think this too is a kelpie thing as I have seen a fair few do it. I did draw the line with him laying on the kitchen bench and dining room table........ I often wonder if its because he likes to see that his 'sheep' are all in their right place.........because if one of his 'sheep' leaves the room, he follows behind and almost pushes them back to where he can see them. I think every living thing in the house is one of his 'sheep' and he even gets awfully upset if the cat goes down the other end of the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jett Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 guess what he has just "learned" to do... he waits for me at the bottom of the driveway when I go out.. and jumps onto the bonnet of my car while the gate is getting shut, and then "surfs" my cars bonnet all the way up to the house (a good 200m)... just as well I usually drive a beat up old car!! If he decides to do it on the good car, he will be in trouble! lol i will try and get a photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShellyBeggs Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 guess what he has just "learned" to do... he waits for me at the bottom of the driveway when I go out.. and jumps onto the bonnet of my car while the gate is getting shut, and then "surfs" my cars bonnet all the way up to the house (a good 200m)... just as well I usually drive a beat up old car!! If he decides to do it on the good car, he will be in trouble! lol i will try and get a photo! sounds like fun mum......... Not very safe tho!!! It would worry me that if he fell I would run him over....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsD Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Kelpie thing here too - Jarrah spends his whole life trying to lie on top of things. He sits on top of the towers of bricks & pavers we have in the yard for the landscaping, the back of the lounge (I think he used to do this at ML's place too!), lies on the top step of our staircase & sleeps on a wooden bench/settle that we have outside the back door. I think it is because they have been bred for certain characteristics for so long & one of them is backing sheep as someone else said. Doesnt matter if your dog doesnt actually back (Jarrah won't have a bar of it either), the instinct to be up high & see what is going on is still there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jett Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 guess what he has just "learned" to do... he waits for me at the bottom of the driveway when I go out.. and jumps onto the bonnet of my car while the gate is getting shut, and then "surfs" my cars bonnet all the way up to the house (a good 200m)... just as well I usually drive a beat up old car!! If he decides to do it on the good car, he will be in trouble! lol i will try and get a photo! sounds like fun mum......... Not very safe tho!!! It would worry me that if he fell I would run him over....... Dont worry :rolleyes: I think the same thing... so drive very s l o w l y, seriously slower than walking speed!!.... Im sure he thinks "go faster mum"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 (edited) Interesting, never thought of it being a kelpie thing but thinking back, one or two of dads working dogs preferred to sleep in the lower branches of the big cypress trees they were tied to than ever go near their kennel. From memory one preferred the top of their kennel as well. My kelpie x much prefers my camp chair than her crate at trials, to the extent I no longer bother with the crate and just take an extra camp chair! :rolleyes: Edited February 19, 2008 by feralpup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flaves Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 Barker a gsdxkelpie also did the on top of the kennel and the cross over paws. Also Hunta who is a Hamilton Stovarre also like to be on top of stuff. Mainly the outdoor table Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiesrule Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I think it is a kelpie thing... mine are always one top of my....................BED !!! :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wagalot Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I personally think it steams from wild canine instincts. I have a Dingo and he is always ON TOP of something, including the roof of our Ute :D ;) if you have ever seen, wolves, dingoes etc at zoos or sanctuaries, they always have something to get up on top of and like to be up high and on the look out . Also you will see in the wild alot of canines build their dens on the side of hills so they have a good few of what is around them. And of cause the famous picture of the wolf howling away standing on top of a hill or a mountain top I think supermindy has got it..... My kelpie spends a lot of time on top of the picnic table in our yard. My theory: it enables him to survey "his" domain. He is very territorial.As we have seen from most posts on this thread it seems to be common with kelpies, well as we all no they are part Dingo :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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