Dog breed guide
Australian Kelpie
The Kelpie is a medium-sized, short-coated working dog with almost inexhaustible energy. Dogs Victoria says a regular brush and comb keeps it tidy, with extra attention when it moults, about once a year. It is highly intelligent and eager to please, and adapts well to family life with supervision around children.
Also searched as Kelpie.
Australian Kelpie at a glance
- Adult weight, male
- 14 to 21 kg
- Adult weight, female
- 14 to 21 kg
- Size
- Medium, 10 to 25 kg
- Height
- 43 to 51 cm
- Lifespan
- 12 to 16 years
- Coat
- double coat, short dense undercoat, close outer coat of straight, hard hair lying flat
Ratings
Petboost editorial ratings from 1 to 5, drawn from the breed standard text under Sources. A breed with no basis in the sources for a rating shows none.
- Shedding
- Grooming effort
- Energy
- Trainability
- Good with children
5 means it sheds heavily
5 means it needs the most grooming
5 means it needs a lot of exercise
5 means it learns quickly and eagerly
5 means it suits a family best
Next steps
- Find a local groomer or daycarePet businesses near you that take bookings online.
- Check a Australian Kelpie puppy's weightWhere a puppy sits against the breed's adult range.
- Dog age in human yearsFrom a formula, not the seven-to-one rule.
Sources
- Petboost breed reference data, adult weight ranges (breed list snapshot).
- Dogs Australia, Australian Kelpie Breed Standard, https://dogsaustralia.org.au/members/breeds/breed-standards/Australian-Kelpie, read 2026-10-05
- Dogs Victoria, Australian Kelpie breed characteristics, https://dogsvictoria.org.au/choosing-a-breed/browse-all-breeds/120/Australian-Kelpie/, read 2026-10-05
General information about the breed, not veterinary advice. Speak with your vet about your own pet.