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The
Lowdown on Bench Dogs The genuine Australian Working Kelpie is bred to work
stock and arguably they are the best all-round herding and working dog in the
world. Working Kelpies work all kinds of stock including sheep, cattle, goats,
poultry and reindeer (just to mention a few). They are equally comfortable
working in very cold and snowy conditions or the extreme harsh heat and
isolation of the Australian outback. Their ability to work right under the feet or on top of
stock in the yards, as well as muster out of sight and in all kinds of terrain,
and handle from 3 sheep to large mobs of thousands, have earned them the
reputation as one of the finest working dogs in the world. The genuine working
Kelpie is now commonly referred to as the Australian Working Kelpie. Unfortunately, many years ago people started showing
Kelpies and this resulted in a completely separate line of Kelpies which are now
referred to as Show Kelpies. Show dogs are also referred to as “Bench Dogs”
because they are placed on benches at dog shows.. The same process has happened to the Border Collie,
hence The Working Dog Centre clearly states that we breed and train
Working Kelpies and Working Border Collies. Two breeds with the same name have caused a great deal
of confusion. So
what’s the Difference ? Show dogs are quite different from the original working
dog in many ways, they have different temperament, behaviour, looks and body
shape. In the Kelpie, they have a short dark coat, in solid
colours with no white or tan markings. Show people are very keen on dark
chocolate brown or deep red. They are generally shorter in the leg, of very
solid build with a broad chest and head, and pricked ears. In the Border Collie they go for the long flowing coat,
predominately black with white markings (some tri-colours), short legs, bent
ears and generally an all-round smaller dog than the genuine Working Border
Collie. The Show Dog can only be bred with other Show Dogs and
never back to the original Working Dogs. That means that they cannot be crossed
with genuine Working Dogs unless they do it illegally or change their own
ruling. Many people in Australia know the genuine Working Dog
but unfortunately, very few people overseas get to see the genuine working
Kelpie and Border Collie. In the past there have been unscrupulous breeders who
passed off Show Dogs as genuine Working Dogs to overseas customers but
hopefully, that practice has ceased. Once anyone has seen the genuine Working Kelpie or
Border Collie in action, then there is no question that they would instantly
recognise the difference. Stock
Work and the Show Dog There has always been a degree of animosity between
Working Dog owners and Show Dog owners. A lot of this animosity comes from the
ignorance of TV and print media articles written by city reporters who not only
have no idea that there are two breeds, but have never seen a genuine Working
Dog in action. Sadly, a number of these articles have been printed in pastoral
type newspapers and magazines. An additional point of conflict comes from Show Dog
owners continuing to pass their dogs off as working sheepdogs. Show dogs are
bred for more for their ‘looks’ rather than their ‘brains’. The core of this issue is the dog’s ability to work
stock. Show Dogs simply do not have the eye, cover and commitment to work stock
at an acceptable level. Over the years we have had a number of show dogs attend
our training courses and the owners have been bitterly disappointed when the dog
won’t actually work. In all of these cases the breeding of the dog was
blatantly misrepresented and the new owner had been told that the dog was a
Working Kelpie or a Working Border Collie. The perception by Show Dog breeders
that a dog that races around after sheep or ducks is actually working, is
laughable. The most difficult problem with this type of
misrepresentation is getting the purchase price back. In short. Breeders of the genuine Working Kelpie or the
Working Border Collie do not wish to be involved with discussions or debates in
regard to the Show Dog. The only time they get their back up is when the Show
Dog breeders try to pass their dogs off as Working Dogs. Indeed Mr. Clifford Hubbard, a well respected writer on
working dog breeds in general said, “the
exhibition of any breed of dog that interferes with its ability to serve man in
its original role, is doing a disservice to the breed”. To sum up the question of breeding,. it may be better
if you remembered that breeders of Working Dogs are looking for the
“science” in the dog. The term, “science” refers to a combination of
eye, cover, commitment, speed, courage, calmness on stock and natural balance.
Show dog breeders don’t give any consideration to those traits and they only
breed for looks. Avoiding
the misrepresentation? So you are looking to purchase a genuine Australian
Working Kelpie or a Working Border Collie…what pitfalls should you be aware
of? Firstly, let’s look at some wording that can be a
dead giveaway. ·
Working Dog breeders refer to their establishments as
“studs”. Show breeders refer to their establishments as “kennels”. ·
Working dogs are registered with the Working Kelpie
Council of Australia or the Working Sheepdog Association. Show dogs are
registered with the Canine Council or equivalent. ·
Show dog breeders will sometimes quote Australian
Champion bloodlines. These awards are won in the ring on a point basis, never on
a trial ground. Working Dog breeders are well aware that there is only one
Australian Champion per year and their title was won on the trial ground. So if
you see something like: Aust. Ch. Goldbrick the Third…it’s a Show Dog. As an
aside there can be numerous Australian Champion Show Dogs in one year. ·
Some unscrupulous Show Dog breeders have taken to
calling their Show Kelpies “purebred Kelpies”(or Border Collies), inferring
that the Show Dog is in some way more pure and superior to the original Working
Dog. Nothing could be further from the truth. Now that you are aware of some of the common wording
you have come to the all-important decision: Choosing
your pup You’ll want to own a class act. A pup bred with the
“science” in it. One that stands a better-than-average chance of becoming a
top working dog. Here’s a bit of a checklist. 1.
Carefully decide what type of dog you need. Kelpie,
Border Collie, paddock, yard etc If you don’t know, then discuss it openly
with the owner of the stud. 2.
Do you prefer to have a dog or a bitch? 3.
Have you ever trained a working dog? If not, enrol
yourself in a Working Dog Training School. 4.
Do not fall for the trap of, “I have a good mate who
has trained plenty of dogs”. Unless of course he has won numerous trials. Do
the training course yourself. 5.
Find a stud that is registered with the Working Kelpie
Council of Australia or the Working Sheepdog Association. 6.
Avoid (like the plague) a neighbour or friend that has
a pup for sale that comes from “good working stock”. Usually they are not
registered - generally they can’t supply a pedigree - probably they aren’t
inoculated and their real breeding is sometimes pure guesswork as the bitch may
have had one or more different sires. 7.
Avoid pups advertised too cheaply – they are often
the product of an accidental mating. Sometimes litters are the progeny of
multiple sires who are unknown. NOTE: If you are going to spend your valuable
time training your dog, then buy the best one you can afford. The right dog will
repay this investment many times over. 8.
Contact the stud. Make a time to visit the stud and see
their dogs at work. 9.
Openly discuss your needs and your experiences. 10.
All registered studs will: a)
Supply you with a comprehensive pedigree. (Up to 10
generations) b)
Guarantee that the pup will work. Provided that you can
prove that you are capable of training a working dog. c)
Register your pup with the Working Kelpie Council or
the Working Sheepdog Association. d)
Supply your pup with the necessary inoculations and a
record of worming. 11.
And to repeat the most important point of all. “The
stud must be able to show you the mother and/or father working stock”. Naturally, if the dog is a “started dog” or a
“trained dog”, then you will be able to see the dog work. This checklist is in no way a complete and
comprehensive list of all that you should do. But it gives you a starting point. In short. Reputable studs will go out of their way to
ensure that the dog they have spent so long breeding to the best working strains
will be correctly trained and cared for. After all, their reputation rests on
how good your dog is. If you would like to see some genuine working dogs with
the “science” bred into them, just click here [click
here] The
Working Dog Centre breeds Working Dogs and strongly condemns the manipulation of
working bloodlines to breed Bench/Show Dogs
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