Kelpie or ACD crosses compared to Collie

[shepp 2,285]

I wondered if anybody had worked both crosses and what are the merits or drawbacks with each.

[stroller 341]

I have owned and worked two collie xs in the past and have a kelpie x now which at 15month is still a long way from the finished article.

 

The collies were bright and biddable if a bit sensitive. the kelpie is a twat

 

Full on little dog wants to be on the go all day and doesnt settle on a night and if there is nothing to do she stands and barks at the horse in the paddock even though she is fine with horses. she also plays with bits of stone twigs throwing them around and catching them just always on the go. out bushing she works flat out pays attention gets the idea and is a joy to own.

 

i find the collie xsspot on as a ferreting dog and the kelpie has been out a few times end of last season and shows equal promise.

 

i dont think any collie or kelpie x should be your first lurcher unless you have patience and not prone to striking your dog.They dont work well under threat

[stroller 341]

Funny you should say that the organisation i work for seem to think its the norm the bunch of b*****ds.

[Neal 1,930]

I've only had one lurcher with kelpie blood (1/4 kelpie 1/4 collie 1/2 greyhound) but I much preferred him, both temperament and work wise, to my previous collie crosses.

 

However, it has to be said that the collie line he came from was particularly good, so that's hardly conclusive evidence.

 

You're not alone in finding your kelpie cross a bit full on, Stroller, though, like all breeds (including collies) there's a lot of disparity between different individuals. All three of my pure kelpies are pretty good at switching off when they're not working...but some are slightly better than others.

 

I've found they take quite a while to mature into their adult demeanour, if you know what I mean.

 

Shepp, there's a very long thread somewhere on the forum about both crosses.

 

I really like my kelpies but I certainly wouldn't go so far as to say they're better than collies; just different, and it's a difference which suits me.

[stroller 341]

totally agree with you Neal

 

my little bitch has not come into season yet at 15 months which is a bit odd but i have had trouble keeping weight on her so maybe thats linked? and she does still show a lot of immature behaviour where as the collie xs i had where quicker to mature

[Neal 1,930]

Oddly enough, my youngest bitch was much older than any bitch I've known before coming into season too; and she's always been a tad on the slim side. She looks more like a kelpie x whippet than a pure kelpie, shame she's not as fast though.

[stroller 341]

well you know what to do mate get her lined with a grew that will sort that little problem for you

 

Maggie is out of favour with the missus at the moment the other older dogs are so laid back to be horizontal so this little black whirlwind is a pain to her. i was hoping her first season would mature her a bit but i know what will happen she will come in season the day before our first ferreting trip its bound to happen sods law!!

[Neal 1,930]

well you know what to do mate get her lined with a grew that will sort that little problem for you

 

I'm afraid I've had her spayed. As I now only keep pure kelpies I'd rather get any future ones directly from working breeders, as I did with my current three. Unfortunately (or pehaps that should be fortunately), sod's law has taken effect and I'm really impressed with this little bitch and can't help thinking what great little bushing/ferreting/mooching dogs she could have bred. Having said that, I'm one of those odd people who prefers the base blood so I'd have mated her to a kelpie x whippet or 3/4 whippet 1/4 kelpie and I can't see a litter like that selling well.

 

Edited to add: that's the first time I've written a post with a quote in which is why I've got it a tad wrong.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Neal

[foxdigger13 114]

Well Neal a 3 quarter kelpie 1 quarter whippet is exactly the sort of lurcher my dad is looking for, so if you do breed eny let me no

[TOMO 29,448]

got to aggree with stroller, there twats:laugh: that thing of mine hatesn most dogs but not all and can be a c**t for fighting, but sh'es a bully, and as soon as a dog goes back shes off running. she's also very mardy ,

 

saying all that she has killed me a hole load of rabbits, you have to way up weather you can live with there weird ways

[optimus 447]

I have owned and worked two collie xs in the past and have a kelpie x now which at 15month is still a long way from the finished article.

 

The collies were bright and biddable if a bit sensitive. the kelpie is a twat

 

Full on little dog wants to be on the go all day and doesnt settle on a night and if there is nothing to do she stands and barks at the horse in the paddock even though she is fine with horses. she also plays with bits of stone twigs throwing them around and catching them just always on the go. out bushing she works flat out pays attention gets the idea and is a joy to own.

 

i find the collie xsspot on as a ferreting dog and the kelpie has been out a few times end of last season and shows equal promise.

 

i dont think any collie or kelpie x should be your first lurcher unless you have patience and not prone to striking your dog.They dont work well under threat

IF 2 LEG`S CANNOT WORK WITH SOMETHING WITH 4 LEG`S THEN STRIKING IT AINT EXACTLY GONNA HELP FORM A RELATIONSHIP. NEVER MIND COLLIES OR KELPIES IF U START LIFTING YOUR HANDS TO A SALUKI X YOU CAN FORGET IT./ IF THATS HOW A DOG MAKES YOU FEEL THEN PUT IT IN THE KENNEL TILL THE NEXT DAY OR WHEN YOU COOL DOWN. HOWEVER I THINK ITS VITAL THAT YOU LIKE YOUR DOG & IT LIKES YOU. SOMETIMES HOWEVER THE CHEMISTRY JUST AINT THERE.

[shepp 2,285]

The old pest controller I bought my beddy off always had collie or kelpie lurchers.

His experiance was that the kelpie cross would be more likely to run into thick cover after a rabbit where the collie would more likely pull up.

For him because he needed the dog most days, the collie was more useful because of less injuries although no dought less rabbits.

I suppose there is always a pay off with everything.

[stroller 341]

i can only agree with what that pest controller said shepp and here are three pictures to prove it. the top one is most recent she flew into cover after a rabbit only to fing a roll of barbed wire in whinny bushes

 

 

with this one you can just see the shave mark where the vets knocked her out the actual cut is on her chest and its healed very well

 

 

We were out ferreting at the back end and she hit a hedge pinning a bolter just a little cut on the top of the left leg as you look at it

 

 

not a bad collection of rips for a 15 month old pup she wont make it through this season if she doesnt calm down

[shepp 2,285]

She's a nice looking bitch stroller, perfect stamp for ferreting and bushing.

When she gets wise to the barbed wire then i'm sure she'll be a cracker.

[Neal 1,930]

You should get a pure one Stroller, they don't tear as easily.

 

Have to say, that's a good point about their attitude to "the one that got away." My youngest doesn't even stop when she puts rabbits to ground, she just starts digging. To be honest it's one of her few faults and I'm not certain how to deal with it ie I don't want to stifle her do or die spirit but I don't want her to stop the rabbits from bolting. On one occasion I lost her in thick forestry (fortunately on my permission) and only found her by hearing her grunting as she tried to rip out tree roots under a stump.

 

Edited to add: I noticed an advert for a kelpie x whippet on preloved last week, if anyone's interested.

Edited August 7, 2010 by Neal