The Australian Kelpie is a natural athlete with a strong hindquarter and muscular shoulders. In short, the Kelpie is truly a jack of all trades.
At Home - The Kelpie is highly trainable in nature and will excel at various dog sports. You will amuse your Kelpie when you engage it in many diverse games and tricks.
The Kelpie will thrive on a game like Disc Dog. This is simply a game where the handler throws a disc and the dog catches it. There are variations of the game where distance is the goal and sometimes freestyle catching is choreographed. This sport allows a strong bond to be developed between the Kelpie and the handler.
Another fun game to play with your Kelpie is Hide and Seek. This simply involves a large area with lots of places to hide. One person keeps the dog's eyes covered while the other person hides. When one person is ready, the other person will let the dog go. The Kelpie will happily search to and fro until they find the person hiding! This is an especially fun game to do with children.
Competitive Sports - The Australian Kelpie is extremely competitive. He will thrive on competition and will give his heart to whichever sport he is participating in.
Due to the Kelpie's eagerness to please and his high intelligence, he is a great candidate for Obedience work. This also provides a great bonding moment for the Kelpie and his handler.
The Australian Kelpie will excel in the sport of Agility. This sport basically consists of an obstacle course full of jumps. This is a sport the Kelpie LOVES!
Australia has recently added the sport of Herding in its dog shows. Although the Show Kelpie is not bred to have a strong instinct in this area, it can be attained. The Kelpie is an all or nothing type of canine.
One of the very favorite competitive sports of the Australian Kelpie is Flyball. This game is a relay race consisting of four dogs to a team. The Flyball course is about 51 feet overall in length. It consists of four hurdles that are spaced 10 ft apart and a spring-loaded box. The first hurdle is 6 ft from the starting line. The box is placed at approximately 15 ft from the last hurdle. The Kelpie will jump over the hurdles and then run to the spring-loaded box and step on it. Then a mid-sized ball shoots out of the box and the Kelpie catches it. He then retraces his steps over the hurdles and across the start line. The next dog will then take off and complete the course. The winner is the team of dogs who all finish first. Due to the Kelpie's love for Agility, is it any wonder that he would love such a great sport? And he even gets to catch a ball!
As an athlete, the Australian Kelpie is truly a sight to behold! By engaging your Kelpie in "Doggie Sports", you will create a life of happiness and enjoyment for both you and your dog.
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