The Australian Kelpie is a medium sized dog breed that has been around since 1870 in its native land, where over 100,000 members of the breed are found today. They are renowned as excellent herding dogs that are thought to have been predominantly descended from "English Colleys" (Collies) that were imported to Australia during the 19th Century. The name Kelpie comes from the water Kelpie described in a book by Robert Louis Stephenson. There is a marked distinction between show and working dogs with different registries existing in Australia for the two types. Working Kelpies can be any color and have 3 coat types: smooth, short and rough, whereas show bred Kelpies are limited to solid colors only with a short double coat. Australian Kelpies are currently recognized by the United Kennel Club in the United States.
