Australian Koolie - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
The Australian Koolie is a descendant of herding dogs brought to Australia by European immigrants in 1700s and 1800s. The breeds ancestors are most likely smooth coated blue merle Collies, Black and Tan Collies from the Highlands of Scotland and possibly even a German herding breed called German Tiger. ​

2) German Coolie
Today, the breed is known as Australian Koolie, but before that, they were also known under some other name, the German Coolie. We are not completely sure, why they were called German and why Coolie instead of Collie, but the most probably theory is, that this was favourite dog of German immigrants in South Australia. Those Germans were unable to correctly pronounce "collie" and referred to the dogs as "coolies“.

3) Herding
Australian grazers needed a dog that would help them with the cattle and sheeps and for a long time, the Koolie was bred for versatility and as all around station dogs. And the breeding was succesfull, because the Australian Koolie has natural herding instinct, high working ethic, high intelligence and they are known for a natural instinct to circle widely round sheep and bring them back to their owner.

4) Companion
Today, the Australian Koolie still work as a herding breed, but they are becoming more and more popular companion dogs as well. Of course, they are not for everyone, because they need a lot of exercise, but this is amazing companion for active people. They are known for their loyalty to its owners and high patience, which is why they can be good partners for older kids. Of course, you should always supervise any breed with a very young child.

5) Color
The Koolie can come in variety of colors, ranging from solid colors such as all black, brown and red to bi color, which includes black and white and red and white to tri color and merle colors. The Koolie can also have different nose and eye colors. Darker coats have darker nose and eyes and lighter coats have lighter nose and eyes. The Koolie can have blue eyes, but they should not be bred for blue eyes, because blue eyes in the Koolie are associated with deafness.

6) Dog sports
You already know, that the Koolie is extraordinary herding breed, but they also excell at various dog sports, such as agility, obedience trials, herding trials or flyball. And they can also find purpose in other jobs, for example, they can be trained to be good therapy dogs, rescue dogs or detection dogs. And of course, they also make amazing companion dogs.

7) Size
The Koolie is an athletic dog breed with average height between 18-24 inches which is 46-60 cm and weight should be between 30-55 pounds, which is 14-25 kg.

8) Backing
The Australian Koolie is known for one interesting herding technique, which is backing. That means, that they literally jump onto the backs of their charges to herd them if necessary. But of course, they are also good at heading, driving, heeling and casting the stock.

9) Maintenance
If we will not talk about the exercise, than the maintance of Koolie is fairly simple. They will keep their coat in great condition even without any grooming and they only need bathing when it is really necessary. This breed does shed and if you want to minimize the shedding than you should brush their coat regularly to remove the dead hair. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check the dogs ears, eyes, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.

10) Health
The Koolie has an amazing lifespan around 15 years. Of course, just like all dogs, they can suffer from some health issues. Those are including deafness, congenital eye defects, hip dysplasia or skin allergies.