kelpies

[knabe]

Burke's Backyard, Working Kelpie Road Test

 

[RyanChandler]

"the superiority of stabilized composites" - he refers to heterosis as the 'god given gift'

 

[knabe]

I think of all breeds as stabilized composites.

Someone noticed something nicked and they narowed the pool and then mostly closed it.

The rush to black didn't quite have the same feel to it.

I feel sad that there doesn't appear to be many creative people out there and genetics will be lost due to phenotypic shortcomings.

I do have to say x-bar is one of them.

Creative people take on too much of a guru status in our eyes as we are more interested in their personalities than what they did and we say we "knew" them as a status symbol rather than take risks.

 

[Telos]

Instinct traits are highly heritable but these breeders made sure not to ignore all the other fundamental traits. Like the vet said, rarely any issues in this breed.

 

[Red Cow Relocators]

I've had Kelpies for the last 20+ years. Very useful dogs if you need to move animals and have limited manpower. RCR

 

[librarian]

I find it sad that the market is so voracious for homogeneity.  The more I try to learn about the history of the various British "breeds" the more I agree with the idea that they are all stabilized composites.  I also find it more than sad that so many regionally adapted composites were improved out of existence or genetically vaporized when land use changed.

 

[knabe]

Similar to farmers and individuality.

Today, individuality is frowned upon, even discouraged.

 

[Mueller Show Cattle]

That video is spot on, I have a Kelpie that my wife brought home as a pup. She got it from a coworker that did not know the breed was, I did not know anything about them, I thought it was a German Shepard as a pup with it's coloring patterns and how her ears stood up. Anyway when she started getting older a local vet told me she was an Australian Kelpie. We have her as a pet and wish I would have trained her to work cattle, they are very high maintenance for pets, so much energy. Then she tries to heard my black lab. She is 8 years old now and with being a pet, she would probably take for ever to train to work cattle properly now. Great working dog but would not recommend for a family pet, just my 2 cents.

 

[knabe]

We've had them for about 14 years. They are just like humans that are susceptible to OCD if not given something productive to do.

 

[Red Cow Relocators]

I currently have two of them, one that is semi retired as age has caught up with him and a pup that age hasn't caught up with enough yet. They do require a good bit of exercise and absolutely love having a job to do. I've been blessed with owning a very good one a few years ago, he was as good as having several hired men around when he was in his prime. He would square off with the nastiest cow on earth and eat her face off if she wouldn't go and then turn around and ease baby calves along without ever getting rough with them. I hope to own another like him before they throw dirt on me.