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Looking for Kelpie Breeder Recommendations


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Does anyone have any Australian kelpie breeder recommendations for me? I stumbled across the breed, have done my research and think they would be a good match for what I’m looking for. I live in Canada and am starting my search for kelpie breeders with little success. I am willing to import if need be. I am definitely partial to Black and Tan, but might consider a red and tan or a solid black if it’s the right match. I’m looking for a dog to do obedience, agility, tricks, dog dancing, scent work, dock diving (basically whatever ones the dog shows interest in). I want a dog that will be confident in many different situations and more on the social side for a kelpie (it must be okay with being approached by strangers and pet). Health tests on parents and proper conformation are important to me. I’d also like to see titles in dog sports and would like pups to be set up for success at an early age (early neurological stimulation, socialization with people and kids etc.) I’m not looking to actually get a pup for at least a couple of years yet, but am starting my breeder search now. I am aware of the amount of mental and physical stimulation these dogs need and am not a first time dog owner. This would be my first kelpie though. All breeder recommendations and kelpie related information is greatly appreciated. :)

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Welcome. Not sure if you have seen this https://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/community/australian-kelpie.asp

also https://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/173378-australian-kelpie/

 

I can't help with personal experience but I do know that most show bred kelpies are solid colours. To get one with tan points would most likely mean going to the working breeders, hopefully someone might be able to point you towards them.

 

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I highly recommend Callicoma Kelpies in Australia.  They are show bred dogs, so solid colour, but they excel in all sports as well as the show ring.  Mandy has her kelpies all over the world.  If you contact her, she might be able to put you in touch with someone that breeds from her dogs that might live closer to you.  But she does export to the right homes https://www.callicoma.com.au/

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1 hour ago, Rebanne said:

Welcome. Not sure if you have seen this https://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/community/australian-kelpie.asp

also https://www.dolforums.com.au/topic/173378-australian-kelpie/

 

I can't help with personal experience but I do know that most show bred kelpies are solid colours. To get one with tan points would most likely mean going to the working breeders, hopefully someone might be able to point you towards them.

 

Thanks for the links. I had seen the one, but not the other. Do you by any chance know if there are any breeders that are kind of a balance between working and show lines? 

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1 hour ago, sheena said:

I highly recommend Callicoma Kelpies in Australia.  They are show bred dogs, so solid colour, but they excel in all sports as well as the show ring.  Mandy has her kelpies all over the world.  If you contact her, she might be able to put you in touch with someone that breeds from her dogs that might live closer to you.  But she does export to the right homes https://www.callicoma.com.au/

Yes, I was looking at her page and she definitely seems like a great breeder who really cares about the breed! The only breeder I can find in Canada has red and chocolate dogs from her lines. The only thing I don’t like is the raw feeding of pups. I do hand feeding for training purposes and hand feeding raw just isn’t something I want to get into. I will definitely still be considering her, but am also thinking there has to be breeders out there with a balance between working and show lines where dogs would still have tan points as well as proper conformation and titles. Just seems strange to me that in the breed standard all the colours are listed, but at shows there are only solid colours. Maybe it seems silly to go through the trouble of looking just for a different colour, but I’m definitely drawn to them more. I will probably end up getting a solid black if I can’t find a breeder that fits my checkboxes and has tan points.  

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5 hours ago, sheena said:

I highly recommend Callicoma Kelpies in Australia.  They are show bred dogs, so solid colour, but they excel in all sports as well as the show ring.  Mandy has her kelpies all over the world.  If you contact her, she might be able to put you in touch with someone that breeds from her dogs that might live closer to you.  But she does export to the right homes https://www.callicoma.com.au

 

Another recommendation for Callicoma Kelpies.   A friend has 3 .. all brilliant dogs, highly titled in Dances with Dogs (Heelwork to Music and Freestyle) and Tricks, and now performing very well in Scent Work Trials.  (I think they may have done Rally and Obedience too.).

 

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No personal knowledge, but for example, this is a long standing and very well known Working Kelpie Council Registered stud.  I don't know any of their dogs in person, but they do come up in some of the performance disciplines,and a friend (who would be very picky :)) has just got a pup from them.

 

I dpn't know if they export .. but might be worth touching base with them.

 

And just FYI, at least for ANKC members with ANKC reg pups, 11 weeks is the youngest a pup can be exported..

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You may have some luck looking towards US breeders. There are quite a few there breeding Working Kelpies from well-known australian working lines. Be warned they're a lot more dog than the show line Australian Kelpies and if you are not prepared for a genuinely high-drive working animal, you might be best looking towards the show line AK dogs. I own a WK out of mostly Barru/Karrawarra lines and he is simultaneously amazing and horrific. 
 

If you do go down the WK route you will need to lower expectations for health testing. If testing is not negotiable for you, you are best off sticking to the AK (Callicoma would be my personal vote) and accepting that you are most likely going to get a solid-coloured dog.

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10 hours ago, Tassie said:

No personal knowledge, but for example, this is a long standing and very well known Working Kelpie Council Registered stud.  I don't know any of their dogs in person, but they do come up in some of the performance disciplines,and a friend (who would be very picky :)) has just got a pup from them.

 

I dpn't know if they export .. but might be worth touching base with them.

 

And just FYI, at least for ANKC members with ANKC reg pups, 11 weeks is the youngest a pup can be exported..

I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I do prefer getting a dog that is ANKC registered (or registered with a kennel club that can be transferred to CKC later). I am aware I won’t be able to get an 8 week old pup if I end up importing. Most airlines won’t allow pups to fly international until they are 16weeks old. It is definitely a big downside for me because of missed socialization time, but I can’t find what I’m looking for in Canada. 

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8 hours ago, ell&diesel said:

You may have some luck looking towards US breeders. There are quite a few there breeding Working Kelpies from well-known australian working lines. Be warned they're a lot more dog than the show line Australian Kelpies and if you are not prepared for a genuinely high-drive working animal, you might be best looking towards the show line AK dogs. I own a WK out of mostly Barru/Karrawarra lines and he is simultaneously amazing and horrific. 
 

If you do go down the WK route you will need to lower expectations for health testing. If testing is not negotiable for you, you are best off sticking to the AK (Callicoma would be my personal vote) and accepting that you are most likely going to get a solid-coloured dog.

I am pretty certain I want an AK... not planning on doing any herding and health testing is a must for me. I think I might have stumbled across some AK lines that still have Black and Tan, but the breeders in those pedigrees don’t have websites that are easy for me to figure out. They breed with some of the same dogs I see in Callicoma pedigrees, but I’m not sure what they title their dogs in. I see pics and videos of them doing agility. Does anyone has thoughts on Black River Kennel?

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8 hours ago, Bandit the dog said:
17 hours ago, ell&diesel said:

towards the show line AK dogs. I own a WK out of mostly Barru/Karrawarra lines and he is simultaneously amazing and horrific. 
 

If you do go down the WK route you will need to lower expectations for health testing. If testing is not negotiable for you, you are best off sticking to the AK (Callicoma would be my personal vote) and accepting that you are most likely going to get a solid-coloured dog.

Expand  

I am pretty certain I want an AK... not planning on doing any herding and health testing is a must for me. I think I might have stumbled across some AK lines that still have Black and Tan, but the breeders in those pedigrees don’t have websites that are easy for me to figure out. They breed with


I just had a look online and could only find what appears to be an Italian breeder - is that the same one you're referring to? 
 

It might be worth looking at some Swedish kennels also, since you're open to importing. Sweden has quite a large AK community and you may have some luck finding breeders of black and tan dogs there. I know a few AK breeders and owners there, I am happy to ask them if they know of any breeders producing black and tan dogs if you like?

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1 hour ago, ell&diesel said:


I just had a look online and could only find what appears to be an Italian breeder - is that the same one you're referring to? 
 

It might be worth looking at some Swedish kennels also, since you're open to importing. Sweden has quite a large AK community and you may have some luck finding breeders of black and tan dogs there. I know a few AK breeders and owners there, I am happy to ask them if they know of any breeders producing black and tan dogs if you like?

Yes, that is the one I was referring too. I’d definitely be open to an import from Sweden, if you could ask that would be great! 

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