November 2022
There goes October and I’m not sorry to see the back of it despite the garden bursting with flowers and perfume. Had some bad luck and lost a good young bitch, Glam; another got snake bitten and cost a lot to save. I also lost a nice little pup with gastro.
McKenzie after coming back from the vet and on restricted exercise. I was advised on Facebook to put her on a lighter chain. Well, I’d been going to sort that mess for years! Be careful what you wish for!
On the bright side, I saw the older pups go to their new owners and was very happy that they will get the chance to thrive . There have been some lovely reports from satisfied owners of older pups who are really pleased with how they’re working. This is a great photo from Will Hacker, he couldn’t be happier with Karmala Mig/Duke(Wills x Mindy)…. good cast, nice patient work on ewes and lambs and plenty of push in the yards. Same litter as the pups that I write about next.
Another disappointing thing was getting back the second of two pups that were service fees to the same dog. The two pick dog pups of a litter that has delighted owners of the other pups. Neither could cope with the pressure of training. I felt very sorry for the second pup who hung in there for four months longer than his brother before giving up. It’s the constant pressure/command to work against their natural instincts that confuses them so much, something like trying to teach a baby to read. They need to mature and develop other skills before being nailed to comply all the time. The second pup was working like his sire Wills in May, vid below. Obviously the pups weren’t a good match for the trainer who has a lot of experience and admitted they didn’t suit his temperament, he’s a lovely bloke!
My dogs are bred to work out of sight and use their brains, so tend to question discipline unlike Collies… who are easier to “tell”. I’m a bit worried that the proliferation of Dog Training Schools in the wake of Muster Dogs will lead to more of my pups getting stressed. An experienced trainer knows when it’s time to back off and let the pup mature for a bit longer before trying to teach the next thing. An enthusiastic, inexperienced owner has no idea when it’s time for a rest but the pup gives plenty of signs if you know how to read them. It will yawn and look away, an obvious one. There’s also an area of raised hair on the tail of a pup that’s a bit nervous, and that’s also a sign that it needs a bit more time. If the pup just heads for home? A lot of food for thought!
I try to breed dogs with plenty of work ethic that will keep them keen despite having to put up with a few things they’re not keen on; Arthur Crumblin is a very experienced Kelpie man and says he likes to teach new things with work as a reward, to keep them keen. He told me that during a spell of wet weather when I asked if he could do a bit with a pup away from sheep. The recent chat with Sean Barrett is interesting, especially the answer to the “Training” question….Google DogTorque and you’ll see the logo (below) on the RHS.
Click on it and you get a list of the Apple podcasts which you can listen to…..Sean is always great value and entertaining!
DogTorque
I’ve been having a bit of a break in between litters which has been good. The next bitches are due on Nov. 12, Fizz(to Wills), and Nov.14, Wiggle. This will most likely be the last litter for Fizz, she’s earned a nice retirement….working, which is when she’s happiest! Wiggle’s litter to Mick is already being booked by some who saw him at a Muster Dogs training weekend.
I’ve got a couple of lovely bitch pups, Barney x Livvy. Can’t make up my mind which one to keep at present. They’re great mates and went off exploring for the first time recently. Click on the No.1 for the vid.
Vamp, the blue/tan, has inherited Livvy’s liking of heights…
There wasn’t any demand for dog pups early this year and I kept three I liked with a view to offering them well started in sales next year. K.Capstan( Cap x Wiggle) is looking very promising, he’s had a week or so with Arthur and is going down south for some work and further training to Matt Devereaux….who kindly offered.
The other two will likely go in the sale at Rockhampton next April, they’re a work in progress at present! Nice pups and I’m enjoying them most of the time….Nabba is one of those pups that loves you regardless and finds it hard to remember not to jump, not just on me but in his pen and on the yard gate. One thing for sure, he will take correction without any trouble!
I’ve been trying to get a bit of discussion going on my KK Facebook page about people breeding non working Kelpies for pets. I’ve no objection to this, I don’t think a lot of people should have Working Kelpies as pets if you read about all the problems they have with them….but non working dogs getting registered in any form with the WKC is against all the reasons it was established originally. The ANKC is still adamantly opposed to WK registered dogs. The non working ones would give their dogs a good infusion of fresh blood! Those of you who don’t get the monthly WKC newsletter will be interested to read this old newspaper article. I found the description of working styles fascinating. *********************************************
EDITORS NOTE: This interesting article ‘Kelpie a Specialised Worker’ was kindly submitted
by Mary McCrabb as a newspaper clipping. It was written by the WKC Hon. Secretary Gwen
Brooks nearly 60 years ago. When the Kennel Club and the WKC were formed and
explaining the difference in the kelpies at the time..
KELPIE A SPECIALISED WORKER
(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)
SIR, —- This council has noted with interest your article in the “Dog News and Notes by ‘Observer’”
section of your issue of 19 January 1963, regarding the information of the new Australian Kelpie
Club.
Your comments on each section of the breed are true of course, in many cases, and your summary
to the effect that all that is needed is “a little give and take” is more than true and is an aspect which
has concerned the Working Kelpie Council for a considerable time.
From its foundation three years ago, this council has endeavoured to work towards a unity between
the now widely separated groups.Some two and a half years of negotiating with the official canine controls with this in mind has unfortunately gained virtually nothing.
Our negotiations have been based on the fact that to maintain a breed at the required standard (in
this case from a working point of view) constant infusions of animals of outstanding merit are
required.
The kelpie is a very specialised worker developed in the Australian pastoral industries for Australian
conditions.
His greatest value is in the hardest areas where a tough, cautious, wide-working dog is absolutely
necessary.
Through lack of selection for ability under true conditions, the show kelpie started to slip.
Further research indicates that in NSW the foundation of the show kelpie were dogs of the original
foundation strain, but which had been selected for their ability to work in the metropolitan slaughter
yards.
By the early 1930’s genuine selection for two different purposes had produced two strains – one for
sale yard and close bustling work, and another for wide silent mustering work.
With the kelpie becoming increasingly popular for showing, and the closing of the independent
slaughter yards, leaving only Homebush and Riverstone, coupled with increasing demands in the
showring for a better groomed and presented dog, the genuine active worker was at a disadvantage
and people started keeping dogs specifically for the purpose of showing.
With the lack of opportunity to work their dogs, there began a strain whose parents had not worked,
and so it has gone on.
The end result is seen today where the show kelpie is not wanted by the majority of stockmen purely
because their sheer working ability is not up to the standard of the stabilised working strain, or that
of the purebred working border collie, or even a cross between the two.
Some two and a half years of negotiating with the official canine controls with this in mind has
unfortunately gained virtually nothing.
Our negotiations have been based on the fact that to maintain a breed at the required standard (in
this case from a working point of view) constant infusions of animals of outstanding merit are
required.
The kelpie is a very specialised worker developed in the Australian pastoral industries for Australian
conditions.
His greatest value is in the hardest areas where a tough, cautious, wide-working dog is absolutely
necessary.
Through lack of selection for ability under true conditions, the show kelpie started to slip.
Further research indicates that in NSW the foundation of the show kelpie were dogs of the original
foundation strain, but which had been selected for their ability to work in the metropolitan slaughter
yards.
By the early 1930’s genuine selection for two different purposes had produced two strains – one for
sale yard and close bustling work, and another for wide silent mustering work.
With the kelpie becoming increasingly popular for showing, and the closing of the independent
slaughter yards, leaving only Homebush and Riverstone, coupled with increasing demands in the
showring for a better groomed and presented dog, the genuine active worker was at a disadvantage
and people started keeping dogs specifically for the purpose of showing.
With the lack of opportunity to work their dogs, there began a strain whose parents had not worked,
and so it has gone on.
The end result is seen today where the show kelpie is not wanted by the majority of stockmen purely
because their sheer working ability is not up to the standard of the stabilised working strain, or that
of the purebred working border collie, or even a cross between the two.
The show kelpie that works tends to be consistent with its early foundation — active, bustling dogs,
most of which bark — and for this reason could, with proper selection be rebuilt into a line of good
yard-type dogs.
However, there is a high, percentage now no longer sheep-minded and the show breeder would have
to pay a great deal of careful attention to make sure that only dogs of merit from a true working point
of view were bred from.
The inherited ability to work could be much more quickly obtained by infusing the present day
purebred registered working strain dog into them.
However, based on the attitude of the fancy in recent years, this is about the last thing they intend
to do.
This council believes that all kelpies should be firstly workers.*********************************
Emma is coming down this week and we’ll have a first look at some pups on sheep…always fun and informative! I’d better go and have a tidy up for her!
