Working kelpies

CorvusCorax said:
Oh right, I understood that the original dogs were imported from Labrador and the breed in England developed from there, hence the name. The same way as in Alsatians, seeing as you mentioned them, were imported from the Alsace region. While the English strain of the German Shepherd is a distinct type developed over a long time, I still wouldn't call them a breed of English origin. We'll have to agree to differ on whether breeds can excel outside of their country of origin, without the name calling :)
Click to expand...

Sadly AlecSwan is incapable of reasonable conversation without resorting to name calling - and he continues to 'bite' at every opportunity which gives me some very mild amusement on a dull evening :p
 
Lévrier;13504929 said:
Sadly AlecSwan is incapable of reasonable conversation without resorting to name calling - and he continues to 'bite' at every opportunity which gives me some very mild amusement on a dull evening :p
Click to expand...

Get a hobby. Crocheting, perhaps. Or world domination. Both great ways to pass the time :p
 
It's your album being glitchy, it shows up but then says wrong link or something.

So, how about an aussie shepherd :p
 
It would all be a bit more mature if Levrier and CC could stop getting excited every time Alec posts anything. I like all three of you and recognise that you all have valid opinions but really you two step out of the school playground!
 
Lévrier;13505001 said:
Personally I would prefer to be more original than copy tired old ideas ;)
Click to expand...

Hmm, well I don't think anyone has tried taking over the world using an army of greyhounds wearing bespoke crocheted vests yet? :D
 
Clodagh said:
It would all be a bit more mature if Levrier and CC could stop getting excited every time Alec posts anything. I like all three of you and recognise that you all have valid opinions but really you two step out of the school playground!
Click to expand...

Ooooo who made you 'miss' then..... ;) Personally I have AS on UI
 


We had a labxkelpie
Amazing dog so willing to learn.
She was going to be my brothers assistance dog but we lost her at 20 months to a brain tumor.

She was vocal but only when alerting us to a visitor and that was slowing getting less the more she learned the "enough command.

Ignores sheep when I told her leave if we encountered the ones that liked to escape.
 
Interesting discussion. It was believed in France by some that the Germans 'stole' the breed and popularised it. When the French started a GSD club they called the breed 'alsacien' to claim it as their own. The ongoing enmity between France and Germany at the time also meant any dog called german would have been unpopular so a good French name was preferred. Sorry, trivia, I know and I am not taking sides!
 
KittenInTheTree said:
Beautiful dog, Slightlyconfused, am so sorry to hear that you lost her at such a young age :(
Click to expand...

WorkingGSD said:
What a gorgeous dog and ditto what KITT says about losing her so young :( Life can be cruel.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

I don't think I've ever met a more trainable dog other than my collies but she also had a independent bit in her that the collies didn't have or was stronger than them if that makes sense.
She would listen and do as I said no problem but she was also happy being given a command to go way and do something.

If my collie did come back (every now and again he would blank me which is why he only got let off away from people) she would look at me when she came back I would tell her to go get him and she would.
She would run to him and herd him back to me.
 
Slightlyconfused said:
Thank you.

I don't think I've ever met a more trainable dog other than my collies but she also had a independent bit in her that the collies didn't have or was stronger than them if that makes sense.
She would listen and do as I said no problem but she was also happy being given a command to go way and do something.

If my collie did come back (every now and again he would blank me which is why he only got let off away from people) she would look at me when she came back I would tell her to go get him and she would.
She would run to him and herd him back to me.
Click to expand...

I've noticed that independent/capable mindset in mine too, it seems to be a Kelpie trait :)
 
KittenInTheTree said:
I've noticed that independent/capable mindset in mine too, it seems to be a Kelpie trait :)
Click to expand...

Glad I'm not the only one, no one I know has a kelpie and they couldn't understand when I said the collies are always looking to work with you but with penny the kelpie side made it so she wanted to work with you but she was also very confident and happy to go off and work on her own without checking in as long as she knows her job
Which I suppose as they are used as driving dogs in Australia that is where is comes from.
 
Slightlyconfused said:
Glad I'm not the only one, no one I know has a kelpie and they couldn't understand when I said the collies are always looking to work with you but with penny the kelpie side made it so she wanted to work with you but she was also very confident and happy to go off and work on her own without checking in as long as she knows her job
Which I suppose as they are used as driving dogs in Australia that is where is comes from.
Click to expand...

Yes, when you think about the vast distances that individual farms cover there, the dogs would inevitably need to be able to work independently :)
 
Very interesting about kelpies, not a breed I know anything about bar meeting one in the woods one day. Are they naturally Bob tailed or am I thinking of something else?

Alec Swan said:
Just a minor correction, the Labrador as a dog was first imported in to this country, from Canada though more likely from Newfoundland which is a separate breed which the early Labradors resembled.

The Labrador Retriever is an entirely British produced and developed breed of dog and those Labradors which now reside in Canada are almost all from imported British stock. The Labrador Retriever is an amalgam of several breeds of which the original Newfoundland is probably at the base. Just as Alsatians were named after an area, it would be silly to say that they originated from Alsatia, which doesn't even exist, so the Labrador Retriever was given a name and even if they were called Canadian Retrievers, that would be equally misleading because the breed is of entirely British design and concept.

No need to thank me, just attempting to dispel more myth and ignorance! :)

Alec.
Click to expand...

Someone's explained well below, Planete, who I think is actually French, unlike me, despite the name. Thought we were meant to call them Gsds now we're (allegedly!) over the whole anti-German thing.

Alec Swan said:
It is, and it's only a shame that those who would make asinine comments don't avail themselves of the facility and before they make themselves seem rather foolish.

Alec.
Click to expand...

Meow, saucer of milk over here, please!

planete said:
Interesting discussion. It was believed in France by some that the Germans 'stole' the breed and popularised it. When the French started a GSD club they called the breed 'alsacien' to claim it as their own. The ongoing enmity between France and Germany at the time also meant any dog called german would have been unpopular so a good French name was preferred. Sorry, trivia, I know and I am not taking sides!
Click to expand...

I might be remembering wrongly, but didn't the SS use them as guard dogs etc? I saw a play in memory of Holocaust survivors (they come to our school, amazing people) and the actor claimed they were given and raised a GSD pup then made to dispose of it to demonstrate loyalty to the Führer. The actor was very concerned by my sobbing, Jake had just been PTS :redface3:
 
Last edited:
The breed was developed by a German army captain in the late 1800s/early 1900s and the history and development is well documented. Every GSD can be traced back to the original founding dog. The wallcharts of the main bloodlines are bloody huge now though ;)

They are from the region of Alsace, hence the Alsatian Wolf Dog name given when the breed was introduced to Britain (by an army captain, among others, ironically), due to anti German sentiment at the time. Again this is all well documented.
Parts of Germany are now in France and vice versa. I've been to the region and the people are still very proud of the breed. Still didn't watch any herding trials lol.
 
KittenInTheTree said:
Yes, when you think about the vast distances that individual farms cover there, the dogs would inevitably need to be able to work independently :)
Click to expand...

Definitely and this is also why the border collie should be bred for and encouraged to work at distance and with independent thought. They are also required to cover large areas of ground, often hilly or mountainous terrain where they are out of sight of the shepherd. Of course there are still some good collies who can do this, but with the decline in sheep farming and the increase in hobby triallists, independent thinking is less important to some than a dog who is biddable and who takes (and needs) almost constant commanding. It is not good for the breed in general imo.
 
cinnamontoast said:
Very interesting about kelpies, not a breed I know anything about bar meeting one in the woods one day. Are they naturally Bob tailed or am I thinking of something else?
Click to expand...

No kelpies are not bob tailed, so you must be getting them mixed up with a different breed. There is apparently an Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog which is a naturally bobtailed version of the ACD.
 
cinnamontoast said:
I might be remembering wrongly, but didn't the SS use them as guard dogs etc? I saw a play in memory of Holocaust survivors (they come to our school, amazing people) and the actor claimed they were given and raised a GSD pup then made to dispose of it to demonstrate loyalty to the Führer. The actor was very concerned by my sobbing, Jake had just been PTS :redface3:
Click to expand...

I am sure the SS will have used them as guard dogs and the story above would not surprise me.

An interesting site here about the use of dogs in combat

http://www.k9history.com/WWII-combat-soviets-axis.htm
 
In fact the website linked above states :


During the Second World War every concentration camp had its SS dog unit. The dogs, trained to attack inmates, were deeply feared. Heinrich Himmler, the SS chief who was himself a German shepherd owner, said that the purpose of the dogs was "to encircle prisoners like a flock of sheep and so prevent escape".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top