Australian Koolies (also known as Coolies or German Coolies) are an Australian herding breed who originally served as a versatile herding dog. Unlike some breeds, Koolies still have an open studbook; meaning stationbred dogs(dogs of unregistered or mixed lineage) are able to be conditionally registered on specific registration classes and contribute to the genepool. This contributes to the breed maintaining genetic diversity but also means the breed has a larger variety in appearance and temperament.

HISTORY:

There is much debate over the exact origin of the breed, with the predominate idea they stem from imported sheepdogs. What is certain is that Koolies have been apart of our rural Australian landscape for over 200 years. Nowadays, their athletic ability and trainability has led Koolies to have a variety of purposes including working stock dogs, recreational sport dogs, detection dogs, therapy dogs and loving family companions. A small selection of Koolies have also been exported to North America and Europe by dedicated breeders and enthusiasts.

APPEARANCE:

Australian Koolies have a varied appearance across the gene-pool. Due to this it can often be difficult to distinguish a Koolie on appearance alone. They are a medium sized dog that varies from 12kg-25kg when fully mature. Koolies also come in a variety of coat lengths(smooth, medium and long coat) and have an extensive variation in colour and patterns. Black, brown, dilute and sable are all accepted within the breed alongside tan points, piebald, ticking, Irish trim or the recognisable “merle” pattern. To accompany their variety of colours, Koolies also have a wide range of eye colours. Koolies can have prick, semi-prick or drop ears, however pricked is the most common. Merle has complex genetics and when bred together incorrectly can lead to impairments, to learn more please see our “About Merle” page.

TEMPERAMENT:

Temperaments of Koolies can also vary depending on the lines. They are typically biddable, sensitive natured and easy to train dogs who enjoy spending time around their people. As a rescue organisation we focus on the temperament of each individual dog versus breed generalisations. To get an idea of the range of Koolie temperaments we suggest reading the profiles of both our “Available” and “Success Story” dogs.

HEALTH:

Koolies are a relatively healthy breed due to their open studbook however like every dog breed have certain health conditions that may affect them. There are also a number of screening procedures available to breeders to try and reduce the incidence of many of these conditions. Please refer to our “Koolie Health” page to learn more about this.

COMMUNITY:

There are currently 3 breed organisations for the breed inside of Australia: the Australian Koolie Association, The Koolie Club of Australia and the Working Koolie Association Australia. All offer registration and a community of fellow Koolie enthusiasts. Koolies are also recognised on the Sporting Register of the Australian National Kennel Club(ANKC), this is a register that acknowledges the breed as being legitimate for sport competitions while remaining independently governed.