A Question About Two-tone Australian Kelpies

[Bullbreedlover]

My opinion is you go to for the style you like and that suits what you want to do ;)

You want to show and like the stockier, fluffier, solid coloured dogs get one of those. You like the leggier dogs with less coat get one of those.

Same as my opinion on GSDs and believe me the debate there is much fiercer :D

True, very true

I will never forget working our boy in the winter in NZ.

He collected the frost on his whiskers and tips of his ears while getting the cows in in the morning. He looked so cute. And he used to chuck his bedding out of his kennel and sleep in the run even in the winter.

Oh I wont get into the GSD debate. Sounds way too scarey for me LOL

[Kavik]

Some great photos on the WKC site

http://www.wkc.org.au/Gallery/Photos/YardT...YardTriall2010/

[koalathebear]

Some great photos on the WKC site

http://www.wkc.org.au/Gallery/Photos/YardT...YardTriall2010/

I love the photos on the WKC website and the herding videos, too. Those Kelpies are so amazing with what they can do.

My opinion is you go to for the style you like and that suits what you want to do ;)

You want to show and like the stockier, fluffier, solid coloured dogs get one of those. You like the leggier dogs with less coat get one of those.

Same as my opinion on GSDs and believe me the debate there is much fiercer

ETA: Kaos has the least coat of my dogs. He does have an undercoat but it is quite short. He does have longer fur on breeches and ruff around neck. His tail is a bit short (someone pointed it out to me, I had no idea!). He is also above standard height but at the top of standard weight. He is an awesome dog for what I wanted (agility) with plenty of drive, shows plenty of herding instinct (people have commented on his ability the few times I have taken him herding). I was not interested in a show dog, but in sports and performance, and temperament is very important to me since Zoe does not have a stable temperament, I wanted to make sure I got a dog with good temperament. I also prefer the look and drive of the working dogs. I like that they are still used for their original work and I value the time these people have put into their dogs to create the great dogs we have today. I have no criticism of the appearance of the dogs that actively work sheep.

I have no problem with people who prefer the show type.

I totally agree with you on this. I think the show Kelpies look very lovely but the way I feel about them is the same way I feel about many other breeds of dogs that I admire but wouldn't necessarily own. We've already decided that we're Kelpie people now and prefer the look and temperament of the working line Kelpies. Like you, I like that they're still used for their original purpose and that they're so smart and responsive. I appreciate that they don't conform with the Show standard but all of that perfection would be lost on me anyway

[skip]

Interesting topic. I own a smaller kelpie cross I got from rescue years ago. I wanted him for a first agility dog and wasn't sure I could handle the full kelpie working dog.

Now as I consider my number 3 dog I come back again to a kelpie. I see a lot of working kelpies doing agiltiy but don't know if I am that suited. I met a bench kelpie at a trial recently and it is very similar to the small one I have.

I know the bench kelpie I saw was a Callicoma kelpie and some dogs of this breeding appealed to me. And I also think Jasper is lovely. These dogs look different to working lines but still seem to have that kelpie drive and athletic ability.

I find it pretty confusing. If I rescue a two tone kelpie it will mostly be working line bred. So I am thinking that I should consider buying a bench kelpie which has a little bit more drive/energy than my current dog.

But it seems like I am looking at two different types of dogs. Some others have suggested that bench kelpies are so laid back/slow/calm from the working (what I consider traditional ) line kelpies that I may get a dog who won't have the energy/drive for agility.

So there are 2 different body types and I wonder if there are also 2 very different character types? Is this really true?

[TerraNik]

So there are 2 different body types and I wonder if there are also 2 very different character types? Is this really true?

I think temperament and drive depend on the lines. I can't speak for other ANKC Kelpie breeders, but I have met quite a few Callicoma Kelpies and their progeny and they have all done really well in dog sports and had that drivey kelpie temperament.

[koalathebear]

But it seems like I am looking at two different types of dogs. Some others have suggested that bench kelpies are so laid back/slow/calm from the working (what I consider traditional ) line kelpies that I may get a dog who won't have the energy/drive for agility.

So there are 2 different body types and I wonder if there are also 2 very different character types? Is this really true?

There's a lot of very confusing information about there, I'm afraid and at the end of the day, it probably comes down to the breeders and the individual dogs themselves.

People are always telling me that working line Kelpies are very high energy, drivey, unsuited for suburban homes but we own a Kelpie cross/border collie (working lines) and one pure-bred working line Kelpie and both definitely have off-switches. The pure-bred can be naughty but generally he is as placid as a cow, as the people on DOL who have met him will attest. Both dogs can play hard but their favourite thing is snoozing near us. They're not particularly destructive and we find them very low-maintenance and they fit in with our cruisy, non-energetic lifestyles. On the other hand, other people have nightmare experiences with their working line dogs and there's a reason why there are so many poor Kelpies/Kelpie crosses at the pound At the end of the day, it's probably just important to find a well-bred Kelpie (bench or working line) that has been chosen carefully with you in mind.

When we got Hoover, we described our circumstances and our current dog in great detail to the breeder and she picked out Hoover as the puppy most suitable for us. He was a farm dog who had never been socialised outside of his own litter and pack, he'd never been off the farm, in a car, heard a vacuum cleaner, electric mixer or washing machine but he has been totally fine with us and taken on all new experiences in his stride. I don't attribute that to the fact that he is a 'working line' Kelpie so much as the fact that he has a good temperament and his breeder knew her puppies well.

So many people have been horrified that we got not just one but two working line doggies as pets but seriously, as I type this - they're both snoozing peacefully in their dog beds.

Good luck in your search for a second dog. I don't think you need to worry about the bench Kelpies being too laid back. Woofen on DOL has bench Kelpies and they participate in flyball with great success!

ETA: Off-Switch Activated

Edited November 9, 2010 by koalathebear

[Vickie]

Ah ... Kelpie aren't supposed to be chunky because they're supposed to be able to walk on sheeps' backs. My puppy would probably never be a good sheep dog because he's far too chunky for a working dog, but we love him anyway

this is not really true ktb. Lots of kelpies don't need to back as part of their job. We always had working kelpies when I was growing up & they never needed to back. And lots of the bigger kelpies do actually back anyway, they are not too heavy to run over a tightly packed mob of sheep. Just like the BC's, working kelpies can often be split into different types depending on their primary funtion. As a general rule the heavier kelpies tend to be yard dogs & the lighter ones tend to be paddock dogs. Of course many do both.

[Jumabaar]

I wasn't going to come on here, because ultimately I get just a little to passionate, and since I have had no sleep and am off to an exam I am going to guess I will be passionate again!!

Was just comparing the ANKC Kelpie breed standard with the WKC one. Some interesting differences.

On coat the WKC says:

The outer coat should be moderately short, flat, and straight and weather resisting, with or without a short dense undercoat. On the head, ears, feet and legs the hair should be short. The coat can be slightly longer at the neck, at the rear of the thighs, and on the underside of the tail to form a brush.

ANKC:

The coat is a double coat with a short dense undercoat. The outercoat is close, each hair straight, hard, and lying flat, so that it is rain-resisting. Under the body, to behind the legs, the coat is longer and forms near the thigh a mild form of breeching. On the head (including the inside of the ears), to the front of the legs and feet, the hair is short. Along the neck it is longer and thicker forming a ruff. The tail should be furnished with a good brush. A coat either too long or too short is a fault. As an average, the hairs on the body should be from 2 to 3 cms (approx. 0.75 - 1.25 ins) in length.

And to me Kavik this is just wrong.

Perhaps I should bow out of this as I maybe just a bit too passionate about standards being there for a reason. The reason that Kelpies must have a ruff and brush tail is to keep them warm when the temperature in the outback rapidly drops at night.

I give up. What the heck do I know anyway.

It isn't just the heat. My boy with the double coat has outlasted quite a few single coated kelpies on hot days. Bucause the undercoat acts as insulation. Shame that having a dog that can rely on an additional mechanism for thermoregulation is optional. I will also add that there are quite a few poorly coated kelpies that become aggressive when hot- I have to wonder if they had a correct coat if they wouldn't get as hot wnd thus would never be aggressive....... But once again coat is soooooooooooo not important in a working breed.

My opinion is you go to for the style you like and that suits what you want to do

You want to show and like the stockier, fluffier, solid coloured dogs get one of those. You like the leggier dogs with less coat get one of those.

Same as my opinion on GSDs and believe me the debate there is much fiercer

ETA: Kaos has the least coat of my dogs. He does have an undercoat but it is quite short. He does have longer fur on breeches and ruff around neck. His tail is a bit short (someone pointed it out to me, I had no idea!). He is also above standard height but at the top of standard weight. He is an awesome dog for what I wanted (agility) with plenty of drive, shows plenty of herding instinct (people have commented on his ability the few times I have taken him herding). I was not interested in a show dog, but in sports and performance, and temperament is very important to me since Zoe does not have a stable temperament, I wanted to make sure I got a dog with good temperament. I also prefer the look and drive of the working dogs. I like that they are still used for their original work and I value the time these people have put into their dogs to create the great dogs we have today. I have no criticism of the appearance of the dogs that actively work sheep.

I have no problem with people who prefer the show type.

Why isnt there as fierce a debate- because generally people with show kelpies don't rise to. The bait as much as GSD breeders. Doesn't mean we take it any less personally.

I got into show dogs because I wanted a dog that wouldn't snap a leg, didn't have a staffy head on it, was well bred with no temperament issues, would do dog sports. I got that. I guess you can say all these come in working lines but I guess i also like the homogeneity of the the show lines to be able to reproduce a dog that I am happy with, haven't seen so much of that in working lines who require different working dogs for different reasons.

I don't want a massive dog- they are not as efficient as a medium sized one for what I want. I don't want straight stifle because it predisposes to knee and back issues. I don't want poor angulation in shoulders because I want my dog to be competing in their old age. I have seem plenty of fine workers that don't fulfill these requirements and funnily enough they only last a couple of years. They are bred from though because workability is put first. Not every working kelpie is like that- but more and more are cropping up because people are so busy trying to distance themselves from the silly breed standard they are shooting themselves in the foot!! Not critiquing a dog that can work sheep is about the silliest thing you could do because there is much more to a dog than a brain- it has to be able to physically carry out it's job!!!!

I want a kelpie with a kelpie head- that is just aesthetic so shoot me!!

I could go on but to answer the original question- I am going to say it was politics because "everyone knows that a solid colored dog CANT work". And if I had a dollar for every time I heard that I would be quite wealthy!! And show people were no better. So I will shoot a question back to the working dog people- why are there so few working dogs that are solid colored lol!!! I don't think the current show people are as bad with quite a few colours popping up in the last few years- but it is a little hard when they are recessive. We have to look past the colour and try and pick the best pup- temperament and confomation from the litter because that is a bigger priority than a certain colour!!

So I guess I would like a nice balance between the two instead of people being so quick to distance themselves from the other. The fact is that it was only a short time ago that they were being interbred so they so bloody similar it isn't funny. I have owned both and really can't see much difference in temperament and personality at all. I think i will probably own a working dog again in the future but that will more be an experiment than anything else. I am sure that it will look at the rest of my dogs and say 'hey you play like me, you run like me whoooot another friend' rather than worry about their registry!!!!

[Vickie]

When we got Hoover, we described our circumstances and our current dog in great detail to the breeder and she picked out Hoover as the puppy most suitable for us. He was a farm dog who had never been socialised outside of his own litter and pack, he'd never been off the farm, in a car, heard a vacuum cleaner, electric mixer or washing machine but he has been totally fine with us and taken on all new experiences in his stride. I don't attribute that to the fact that he is a 'working line' Kelpie so much as the fact that he has a good temperament and his breeder knew her puppies well.

in part, he should adapt to all these things and have a off switch because he is working line. A dog that is unable to hang out for days on end doing nothing is not useful to a farmer. A dog that cannot cope at all with new things is also not useful. These dogs tend to get eliminated from the breeding lines. (good) Breeding for work produces dogs who are able to suit the requirements of the person breeding them.

[Kavik]

I don't want a massive dog- they are not as efficient as a medium sized one for what I want. I don't want straight stifle because it predisposes to knee and back issues. I don't want poor angulation in shoulders because I want my dog to be competing in their old age. I have seem plenty of fine workers that don't fulfill these requirements and funnily enough they only last a couple of years. They are bred from though because workability is put first. Not every working kelpie is like that- but more and more are cropping up because people are so busy trying to distance themselves from the silly breed standard they are shooting themselves in the foot!! Not critiquing a dog that can work sheep is about the silliest thing you could do because there is much more to a dog than a brain- it has to be able to physically carry out it's job!!!!

If the dog couldn't physically do its job I doubt the farmer would keep it or breed from it I am sure you can tell more about whether the dog can physically do its job by actually having the dog do its job than by purely looking at the dog.

Everyone wants a good looking dog - me included

I just think it is rather disrepectful to think that someone who has a dog as a pet and walks it around a show ring can judge the worth of the working dogs which people rely on for their living every day by their appearance. If the dogs were no good for their job, they wouldn't be there. And in the end, for those that keep sheep and require the dogs to work them, that is what counts.

For those of us who have dogs as pets and sports dogs, we don't rely on our dogs for our living and can choose what we like and what we fancy. But it is a serious thing for those that live on the land.

[4Kelpies]

I've been following this topic and I suppose it was only a matter of time before I couldn't help but join in. There are plenty of solid coloured Working Kelpies around, considerably more competing in yard dog trials than there are two tone dogs in the show ring. I don't know about other states but in Victoria there have been many highly successful solid black dogs and there are also a number of solid reds around. I don't know any breeders of Working Kelpies who breed for colour.

Here are the Victorian Yard Utility and farm Dog Association's dogs of the year for the last few years. Those in bold type are solid black dogs. These are just the top trial dogs. There are plenty more solid coloured dogs around who don't get to trials or who haven't won as much.

1997 CRAIG TRICKEY NUGGET

1998 CRAIG TRICKEY NUGGET

1999 CRAIG TRICKEY NUGGET

2000 PETER BOYD REX

2001 R PUDDICOMBE PACE

2002 JOE SPICER SCORIOCHRE MISS MUFFET

2003 WAYNE HAYWARD ASH

2004 JOE SPICER WONDER DORG

2005 JOE SPICER GOGETTA AGRO

2006 D SWEATMAN BURANDO KOSTA

2007 D SWEATMAN BURANDO KOSTA

2008 C ROBERTSON DIGGER

2009 V JOYCE TIM

I tend to see Working Kelpies as being a bit like Thoroughbred horses - bred for performance and rarely for appearance but still the most beautiful breed of all. Thoroughbreds are still the breed used most often to improve other breeds - whether they are Warmbloods, Riding Ponies, Anglo Arabs, Quarter Horses or whatever.

[aussielover]

But it seems like I am looking at two different types of dogs. Some others have suggested that bench kelpies are so laid back/slow/calm from the working (what I consider traditional ) line kelpies that I may get a dog who won't have the energy/drive for agility.

So there are 2 different body types and I wonder if there are also 2 very different character types? Is this really true?

There's a lot of very confusing information about there, I'm afraid and at the end of the day, it probably comes down to the breeders and the individual dogs themselves.

People are always telling me that working line Kelpies are very high energy, drivey, unsuited for suburban homes but we own a Kelpie cross/border collie (working lines) and one pure-bred working line Kelpie and both definitely have off-switches. The pure-bred can be naughty but generally he is as placid as a cow, as the people on DOL who have met him will attest. Both dogs can play hard but their favourite thing is snoozing near us. They're not particularly destructive and we find them very low-maintenance and they fit in with our cruisy, non-energetic lifestyles. On the other hand, other people have nightmare experiences with their working line dogs and there's a reason why there are so many poor Kelpies/Kelpie crosses at the pound At the end of the day, it's probably just important to find a well-bred Kelpie (bench or working line) that has been chosen carefully with you in mind.

When we got Hoover, we described our circumstances and our current dog in great detail to the breeder and she picked out Hoover as the puppy most suitable for us. He was a farm dog who had never been socialised outside of his own litter and pack, he'd never been off the farm, in a car, heard a vacuum cleaner, electric mixer or washing machine but he has been totally fine with us and taken on all new experiences in his stride. I don't attribute that to the fact that he is a 'working line' Kelpie so much as the fact that he has a good temperament and his breeder knew her puppies well.

So many people have been horrified that we got not just one but two working line doggies as pets but seriously, as I type this - they're both snoozing peacefully in their dog beds.

Good luck in your search for a second dog. I don't think you need to worry about the bench Kelpies being too laid back. Woofen on DOL has bench Kelpies and they participate in flyball with great success!

But to be honest KTB, you guys are very dedicated owners who spend a lot of time training, socialising and exercising your dogs In my opinion, this probably contributes a lot to the success you have had with Elbie and Hoover.

A working line Kelpie is a great dog for a dedicated owner, but perhaps not so much for your "average" dog owner who is likely to leave the dog in the backyard all day and maybe take it for a walk a few times per week (if they're lucky) and not mentally stimulate the dog at all.

[Janba]

But to be honest KTB, you guys are very dedicated owners who spend a lot of time training, socialising and exercising your dogs In my opinion, this probably contributes a lot to the success you have had with Elbie and Hoover.

A working line Kelpie is a great dog for a dedicated owner, but perhaps not so much for your "average" dog owner who is likely to leave the dog in the backyard all day and maybe take it for a walk a few times per week (if they're lucky) and not mentally stimulate the dog at all.

The same would apply to show line kelpies chucked in a backyard treated the same way. It is a very common misconception that the working dogs are too high drive, need too much excersise etc for the average owner.

[koalathebear]

I wasn't going to come on here, because ultimately I get just a little to passionate, and since I have had no sleep and am off to an exam I am going to guess I will be passionate again!!

I was hoping you'd come here, though! Someone was asking a question about show Kelpies and dog sports and I was hoping you'd discuss your fur kids and their achievements. Speaking of which - are you still coming to Canberra for flyball? OH and I were going to come and cheer - also meet you and the doggies

So I guess I would like a nice balance between the two instead of people being so quick to distance themselves from the other. The fact is that it was only a short time ago that they were being interbred so they so bloody similar it isn't funny. I have owned both and really can't see much difference in temperament and personality at all. I think i will probably own a working dog again in the future but that will more be an experiment than anything else. I am sure that it will look at the rest of my dogs and say 'hey you play like me, you run like me whoooot another friend' rather than worry about their registry!!!!

Seriously ... I've come to the conclusion that at the end of the day, it comes down to whatever people want and what works best for their lifestyle. I don't think anyone should ever be criticising someone else's choice in dog whether it's for breed reasons (unless it's the whole BYB/puppy farm thing) or for working line/show line reasons. There are so many dogs out there that I adore but just couldn't ever imagine owning but I'd never feel I was entitled to criticise.

To be honest, when we set out looking for doggy #2, we didn't really understand the show Kelpie/working line Kelpie distinction. We just thought a Kelpie was a Kelpie was a Kelpie. We learned a lot from chatting to show Kelpie breeders about owning two Kelpies generally but we weren't able to find a single show Kelpie breeder that was breeding red and tan/intended to breed red and tans/knew of any other breeder who was intending to breed red and tans.

Working line breeders don't breed red and tans specifically but they are extremely common in working lines so that's when we ended up talking to the Working Kelpie Council and lots of working line breeders. We had originally been a bit apprehensive about getting a working line dog based on what we'd read on DOL and thought that perhaps with Elbie (cross between two working line dogs) we'd just gotten lucky and shouldn’t push our luck but so many of the breeders and Kelpie owners said what Vickie said above which is that a good, well-bred working line Kelpie can make a good pet, has an off-switch and IS very adaptable. So we didn't go into getting a working line Kelpie because we thought it was better than the other, it kind of just happened I’m sure we could just as easily have got a show Kelpie if one of the show breeders had said: "Woohoo, I have a red and tan."

this is not really true ktb. Lots of kelpies don't need to back as part of their job. We always had working kelpies when I was growing up & they never needed to back. And lots of the bigger kelpies do actually back anyway, they are not too heavy to run over a tightly packed mob of sheep. Just like the BC's, working kelpies can often be split into different types depending on their primary funtion. As a general rule the heavier kelpies tend to be yard dogs & the lighter ones tend to be paddock dogs. Of course many do both.

I was semi-joking … :D Hoover comes with the usual WKC guarantee that if he can't work sheep, the breeder has to take him back so presumably he should actually be able to work sheep – it's not something we are fussed about since he's a pet. We'll take him along to do herding at some point to see if he has any ability and in case he finds it fun.

in part, he should adapt to all these things and have a off switch because he is working line. A dog that is unable to hang out for days on end doing nothing is not useful to a farmer. A dog that cannot cope at all with new things is also not useful. These dogs tend to get eliminated from the breeding lines. (good) Breeding for work produces dogs who are able to suit the requirements of the person breeding them.

What you say is consistent with what WKC and the breeders all told us. I received quite a bit of caution about taking on a pup that was already 3 months old and past certain critical socialisation periods but then people who were more experienced with working line Kelpies were pretty comfortable that Kelpies are pretty adaptable things and take late socialisation into their stride pretty well. All of them also said that it was a bit of a misperception that working line Kelpies were too high energy/hard to manage.

Even though Hoover was consistent with what we were told that a dog of his breeding should be, we couldn't help wondering if we were just lucky. Despite never being in a car before, he was driven from the breeder's farm, 30 km to Kempsey, then transported from Kempsey to Sydney, then Sydney to Canberra and then drive home … he's also been in the car heaps since then and been totally fine. He's such a self-possessed, confident and chilled little doggie – a bit naughtier/more inquisitive than Elbie is but overall very delightful.

aussielover: Well it's possible that we just got lucky with our two … the doggies are in the yard for quite a bit sometimes and seem fine with that, especially now that there are two of them. They definitely prefer being in the house, though

[koalathebear]

When I look at a Kelpie I envisage a working dog, lithe and active BUT SHOWING NO SIGN OF WEEDINESS.

They should be hard and supple.

Alot if not all of the two tone Kelpies(and alot of whole colours as well) that I have seen in NZ and here are very much lacking in bone and substance that I like to see.

Just my opinion

But I love the colour of the two tones.

I would have one in a heartbeat but it would have to be an exceptional specimen.

I am a big advocate for correct coats on dogs. Whether they are working or being shown. Due allowance being made for moulting time. I am a big advocate on characteristics of breeds. For without the characteristics you really dont have type.

I have owned a beautiful show and working Kelpie. Taking out a Specialty reserve in show(beaten by his dad only)and he was an NZ National challenge winner.He wasnt perfect(nearly LOL) but heck he could work all day with the cows and bulls. sun up to sun down.

That is my ideal Kelpie

How about this gorgeous lovely? Thanks to the person who sent me the link!

[koalathebear]

I've been reading the blue staffy thread and now I'm curious. Over there they say that breeding for colour will always compromise other things about a dog – health/temperament etc. If that is the case, then in a Kelpie context, how does this translate to the fact that show Kelpie breeders are tending to breed towards solid colours and away from mixed colours and working line Kelpie breeders might be breeding away from solid colours … although 4kelpies post seems to indicate that working line breeders might still be fine with solid colours.

[jesomil]

Working breeders are 100% fine with whatever colour the dog is. There are plenty of solid coloured working dogs. My breeder had several when we went out there. He breeds on ability and colour doesnt come into it.

[koalathebear]

Working breeders are 100% fine with whatever colour the dog is. There are plenty of solid coloured working dogs. My breeder had several when we went out there. He breeds on ability and colour doesnt come into it.

One of the posters further up mentioned that working line breeders might be breeding away from solids to distinguish from the bench Kelpies. To be honest, when I was looking for Hoover, I didn't see photos for many/any solids when looking at the websites for working line Kelpies - all were two tones, whether red and tan or black and tan.

What about show breeders focusing on solids then? There doesn't seem to have been any compromise/detriment on the basis of colour.

[Kavik]

What I find interesting in terms of colour are cream Kelpies. I have met several of them now, they occasionally crop up in working line litters (Kaos's breeder gets them sometimes - sidoney's Xia is a cream from them). They are not rare but not that common either. Allowed in the WKC breed standard but not the ANKC standard

WKC

Any colour and markings historically associated with the development of the breed. For example Black with or without tan; blue (grey) ranging from dark to light, with or without tan; red ranging from chocolate to light red, with or without tan; fawn ranging from dark to light, with or without tan; tan ranging from dark to cream; Tan marking ranging from dark tan to cream and present in varying amounts.

ANKC

Black, black and tan, red, red and tan, fawn, chocolate, and smoke blue.

[Vickie]

Working breeders are 100% fine with whatever colour the dog is. There are plenty of solid coloured working dogs. My breeder had several when we went out there. He breeds on ability and colour doesnt come into it.

What about show breeders focusing on solids then? There doesn't seem to have been any compromise/detriment on the basis of colour.

agree with jesomil, plenty of solid wk's around.

Ktb, if show breeders focussed ONLY on colour, there would be compromise in (their ideal) structure, health & temperament.

Overall working ability will be compromised as they are not testing & selecting for it. (yes I know some do, but most don't & certainly not to the same level that farm work would provide). Anything you do not consciously select for will weaken over time.