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Australian Kelpie: Size, Weight & Temperament

An extremely hardworking Australian herding dog bred for large sheep flocks that needs a daily job and becomes a difficult, destructive house dog without adequate outlets.

! Experienced only
Australian Kelpie dog breed portrait
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Resized and recompressed
Weight male14–20 kg
Weight female11–16 kg
Shoulder height43–51 cm
Size classMedium (12–25 kg)
Fully grownat approx. 14 months
Life expectancy12–15 years
Activity levelVery high
OriginAustralia
ClassificationFCI Group 1 (Sheepdogs and Cattledogs), Section 2 (Cattledogs without working trial)

Australian Kelpie: temperament & character

Highly intelligent, agile and geared toward constant engagement with its person, while alert and distant toward strangers. Tends to find its own occupation when idle, such as herding children or vehicles.

How much exercise does a Australian Kelpie need?

Needs several hours of intense physical and mental work daily, such as herding, agility, dummy training, or bikejoring. Entirely unsuited to life as a purely indoor dog.

Australian Kelpie: grooming & shedding

Short, dense coat is very low-maintenance and needs only occasional brushing. The real care effort lies in daily exercise, not coat upkeep.

Is the Australian Kelpie suitable for beginners?

Suitable only for very experienced, active owners with a genuine job for the dog (herding work, dog sports); in inexperienced hands, the breed's enormous drive often leads to behavioural problems.

Australian Kelpie health problems

Overall a robust working breed; hip dysplasia, the Collie eye anomaly gene, and cyclic neutropenia occur in some lines and should be screened out before breeding.

Is a Australian Kelpie right for you?

With childrenWith reservations
SheddingModerate
Grooming effortLow
BarkingModerate
Home alonePoor
Other petsWith reservations
TrainabilityEasy

The Australian Kelpie sheds moderately and is only conditionally suitable for allergy sufferers. What matters is a contact test of several hours before getting one — not the amount of coat. The trigger, Can f 1, sits in saliva and dander.

Good with: Farms, dog sport enthusiasts, very active single owners

Is your Australian Kelpie at a healthy weight? Calculate the ideal weight and the right portion size for free in the Souldog app.

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This information is for general guidance and does not replace veterinary or breeder advice. Temperament and health vary individually within every breed.