The Staffy X Kelpie dog is a mixed breed created by the breeding of Staffordshire Bull Terrier and Australian Kelpie. Since both dogs have different temperaments, physical attributes, health concerns, and characteristics, it is important to know how the mixed breed of the two dogs would be. Will it be friendly, aggressive, easy to maintain, etc.?
Knowing the characteristics of the mixed-breed dog will give us a better idea to take care of it at home. In this post, we’ll learn about the Staffy X Kelpie breed in detail and be prepared to welcome a fur baby to the family.
History and Facts About Staffy X Kelpie Breed
The parent dogs are ancient breeds and have been a part of our lives for more than a century. However, the Staffy cross Kelpie breed is relatively new and even uncommon. So you know that the parent breeds originated in England? Yes, they did.
Let’s get a glimpse into the past of each parent breed.
About Staffy
The Staffy is a Bull Terrier known as an all-purpose working dog. It is muscular, well-built, powerful, and has a mastiff-type appearance. Staffy comes from mixed ancestors of mastiffs, collies, and farm dogs.
The Bulldogs were popularly used for blood sports, where the animals (a bull and pit) were pitted against each other for human entertainment. Thankfully, now this kind of entertainment is illegal.
However, people mixed-bred bulldogs with terriers to create the Staffy breed back then. After further crossbreeding, the breed entered America in the nineteenth century and became popular as the American Staffordshire Terrier. These dogs are taller than the Staffies and have different temperaments.
About Kelpie
The Australian Kelpie is a well-known herding dog on the farms. It is famous for its energy, agility, and independence. A farmer needed a dog like Kelpie to assist in herding sheep and farm animals.
The Australian Kelpie is also a mixed breed created by farmers who actively crossbred different collie dogs from the UK. Moreover, it is still a preferred choice for farmers and is often used as a working dog.
About Staffy Cross Kelpie
Now that you know the history of both parent dogs, you can identify the common elements:
- Working Dog Breeds
- Powerful
- Energetic
- Active
- Great Work Ethics
- Loyalty
The result is a mixed breed with the best of both parent breeds. In short, the Staffy X Kelpie is loyal, dependable, energetic, and utterly loveable. But what does the mixed-breed look like?
1. Physical Attributes
The Staffy X Kelpie breed dogs love to cuddle and chat with humans. They have a lifespan of around 10-14 years (both parent breeds have a life span ranging from 10 to 15 years). The doggy can weigh between 14 and 28 kg (Staffies are less heavy than Kelpies, while the American Staffies are double the weight). The height of our mixed breed is around 35 to 45 cm (both parent breeds are tall and fall around the same range).
Attributes | Staffy | Kelpie | Staffy X Kelpie |
---|---|---|---|
Life span | 10 to 15 years | 10 to 15 years | 10 to 15 years |
Weight | 11 to 17 kg | 10.8 kg to 20.8 kg | 14 to 28 kg |
Height (at the shoulders) | 33 to 41 cm | 38 to 50 cm | 35 to 45 cm |
2. Personality and Temperament
The Saffy cross Kelpie breed is a spunky dog with an inquisitive nose and an intelligent brain. Even though they are independent, they love being cuddled. Like most dogs, it needs attention, love, and comfort from humans when adopted as a pet. You’ll have to spend quality time with it to become friends and build a bond. Don’t hesitate to hug your little mixed breed if you want to.
Understanding the temperament of the parent breeds makes it easier to predict how the pup will be (to a major extent).
Staffies are family pets. Yep. Though they were used for bull-baiting, they are gentle creatures that love nothing more than to be active and spend happy time with their families. In fact, a survey by a pet food manufacturer revealed that Staffies were among the top two most affectionate breeds. However, remember that A Staffy loves a challenge. It can be aggressive when it wants to be.
What do you think of a Kelpie’s temperament? Remember that Kelpie is a herding dog. It is used to make its own decisions and be independent. Even when the Kelpie is with the owner, it’ll prefer to have its space for itself. Cuddling is okay, but you don’t have to pamper a Kelpie and smoother it in kisses and hugs. At the same time, Kelpies are friendly enough and are not generally aggressive (unless you didn’t train your Kelpie, which is another story). But they don’t like crowds or too many people.
Given the combination of both parent breeds, we can say the pup will need time, patience, positive reinforcement, and love to become a family pet. You’ll have to properly train the mixed breed pup before taking it out for socializing or introducing it to your friends.
Kelpies are natural herders, and that gives them the tendency to be mouthy. Your mixed breed might nip at you occasionally or bark at cars to round them up. You’ll have to ensure that they don’t get aggressive or slip into biting. Though the chances are less likely, it’s important to notice the traits and manage them before things get difficult.
Bonus Read: 5 Best Luxury Dog Beds in Australia [Expert Choices]
3. With Kids and Other Pets
The Staffy cross Kelpie is usually a good playmate for kids. That said, you need to train the dog before allowing it to play with kids or supervise them. The herding instincts might make them a tad controlling.
The same rule applies when introducing your mixed-breed dog to other pets, especially pups. Anything that’s running around will bring forth the herding instincts. Similarly, Staffy’s bravery will lead to fights if your dog gets face to face with a dominating or larger breed. Be alert of physical signs, and don’t leave your dog with unknown people or pets for long.
4. Activity and Health
It’s not surprising that the Staffy cross Kelpie breed turned out to be highly active. Both parent breeds are working dogs and have bundles of energy. Your mixed breed will need loads of exercise to keep it occupied and content. Plan a schedule for walks and dog games and follow it without fail. You don’t want a grumpy dog at home due to unspent energy and restlessness.
If you are an active family that appreciates the outdoors, the mixed breed is the right choice for you. However, if you want a dog that can laze at home all day, this breed is not a good choice. The Staffy X Kelpie might need even two long walks and ample playtime to unleash its energy.
And hey, these dogs are clever too. The same old lessons or games might bore them faster than other breeds. You’ll need to keep things interesting and put them through complex agility training. The doggy will love it!
5. Health Issues
The original Staffies and Kelpies were healthy dogs with few issues (common enough). However, regular crossbreeding caused some harm to their genetic pool.
While Staffies tend to suffer from eye conditions, Kelpies have ataxia or cerebellar degeneration, a disease where the brain cells are killed one by one. It leads to problems with motor skills and results in a painful death. A silver lining is that this is a recessive disease, meaning both parents should have the disease for the pups to get it.
The best way to ensure a healthy Staffy X Kelpie is to get both the parent dogs a health checkup and then proceed to breed.
6. Other Factors to Consider
Let’s look at a few more factors you need to know before adopting the Staffy X Kelpie breed. One aspect we can’t be fully sure about is the physical appearance and coat of the pup bachelorarbeit schreiben lassen. It could look more like the Bull Terrier or a Kelpie.
This is important because there are certain restrictions for Bull Terriers. The Australian government doesn’t consider Staffies restricted dogs. You don’t have to muzzle your little one when in public Masterarbeit schreiben lassen. However, if the mixed-breed inherited the pitbull’s features, your furball may not be allowed to travel via air.
Coming to the coat, Staffies have short and dense hair with a single coat. They come in a single colour or, generally, a brindled coat and need grooming once in a while. Whereas, Kelpies have a medium-length coat with an undercoat to protect them in all weather conditions bachelorarbeit schreiben lassen. That means the Kelpie’s undercoat will continue to shed round the year. Hence, they require to be groomed twice a week to keep the coat healthy.
Depending on whom your mixed breed takes after, you will have to deal with dog hair at home and plan the grooming sessions accordingly ghostwriter hausarbeit. Visit a pet grooming centre to create the best grooming schedule for your mixed breed pup.
Also Read: 6 Best Dog Grooming Table in Australia (Our Reviews)
Final Words
The Staffy X Kelpie breed is a beautiful dog to adopt, but only if you have the time and energy to train it and maintain the exercise schedule ghostwriter preise. Moreover, these dogs are better suited to homes with big backyards or open spaces to run around.
We recommend our members acquire pets through rescue. However, we know that some members might want more pets or have a pet from a specific breeding. We hope our information helps you make the right choice.