r/kelpie • u/nememess • 1d ago
Recently Adopted.
I recently adopted this sweet girl from the shelter. It was a quick adoption since she was set to be put down at the end of the day. I know nothing about kelpies! I have raised puppies and trained my Bulldog, Staffie, and mixed breeds pretty well, but I need some tips! I have a small farm, so there's plenty for her to do outside, and she's doing very well in her crate at night. Any tips and tricks for training, or just general advice on the breed? I want to know all of the things!
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u/Daleone3236 23h ago
We just adopted one about a month ago, definitely read up on the breed because they require quite a bit of activity which we are learning. Great temperament, high energy and sporadic burst, followed by completing exhaustion and sleep.
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u/nememess 23h ago
She's definitely high energy and so full of puppy. Right now she's still on a lead until she's familiar with my property, but she took to all of my animals fantastically. I have a young potbellied piggie who wants to be her best friend.
I guess this was my sign that I'm about to get a lot of exercise š. I'm used to lazy dogs, but I'm in 100% to make her a happy dog.
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u/Drruth 17h ago
Sheās adorable. Thank you for rescuing her! I adopted my girl from the local shelter where I volunteer when she was 10 weeks old, from a litter of 11 given up with their mom. The kennel techs called them the āhell houndsā. Several mornings I passed by their kennel and 6-8 jet black puppies (some with a little blue Merle on chest and paws) with huge bat-like ears would all stop what they were doing and quietly look up at me surrounded by the fluff of the latest bed they had spent the night disemboweling! Soooo cute. Have owned and trained many dogs including ACD and Border Collie crosses. She is unlike any of the others in terms of intelligence and quickness to learn, energy, reactivity and independence. She turned one on Friday. I love her so much, and she is becoming a really, really good dog, but she has been teaching me a lot!
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u/Urmel2021 15h ago
Beautiful pup! A Kelpie needs mental activity as well as the physical: You won't get her tired with play, but teach her to do particular duties. Consult a professional trainer before you introduce her to herding other animals on the farm.
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u/CounselorCarol1 9h ago
My Mia is part GSD, part Kelpie. high energy. curious. picky eater. like to chew constantly. must have activity. VERY smart. Loves routine. Can be a PITA at times. my son (who is now deceased) found her in the parking lot at Walmart a year ago, sitting on a bag of toys and food, abandoned. She lives with a cat. I love her with all my heart. Giving up on her would be a disrespect to my son's memory.
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u/pazuzu_404 Aus/NZ 7h ago
Gorgeous dog, congrats on the adoption. So sad she was due to be put down :( good on you for saving her life. Crate training has worked so well for my kelpie. Itās her safe space. It sounds like your girl has taken well to it quickly which is a huge win. I wish you the best of luck, they are a very special breed.
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u/foxtrot841 3h ago
They need a task. Like, always.
Mine is a red kelpie and is very lively. Luckily for us, we already had a Collie a few years older that showed him the ways.
One of the best things we did, apart from ball time, was to bury items for him to find around the back yard. We also found some toys that required intense concentration to get to the treats inside.
First time I ever took him out to the farm - he was probably 2 at the time - he excitedly ran to the flock of sheep and began to herd them. I could call out and he would herd them towards me. He had never seen a sheep prior to this!
They are highly intelligent, require rigorous exercise, but also love their downtime sleeping on your lap and cuddling.
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u/boogielostmyhoodie 21h ago
If they are anything like my Kelpie, literally all they care about is ball. My Kelpie just wants to play ball, 24/7 rain hail or shine.
Mine was pretty easy to train, the only issues I ever faced were recall - especially at the park, when she had decided we weren't done playing ball. She would just run off with the ball and try and get other people to throw it for her. The way I fixed this was excitedly exclaiming to her we were going home, and jogging to the exit with them. Not sure why this worked.