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Pastoral · Australia

Koolie

A walker's guide to the Koolie: how much exercise they need, what to expect on and off the lead, and what to ask the owner before the first walk.

Medium, 15 to 24 kgHigh driveWorking herderVery high energyMerle commonNeeds mental work
Exercise a day2 hours plus
Energy5 of 5
Walk styleFast, driven, circling
With other dogsFine, may try to herd

Overview

The Koolie is an Australian stock dog that has been working cattle and sheep for well over a century without ever becoming a show breed. It comes in a range of sizes, coats and colours, with merle particularly common, and it is bred for one thing: moving livestock all day in heat. In the UK you will mostly meet them with owners who do agility, flyball or sheepdog trialling.

Expect a dog that is intensely focused, quick to learn and quick to find its own entertainment if you do not provide any. A Koolie is friendly enough but it is not really interested in being petted. It is interested in work.

Exercise and walking needs

Two hours a day is a fair starting point, and that is two hours of actual activity rather than ambling. Off-lead running, fetch with rules, directional games and training all count. A Koolie that only gets a lead walk around the block will take the energy out on the house.

Mental work tires them faster than distance. Ten minutes of sending the dog left and right around trees does more than a flat mile.

Daily minimum120 minutes
Ideal2 walks a day
Off-lead timeYes, needs a job

On the walk

  • Herding: Bikes, joggers, children and other dogs may all get the herding treatment: circling, crouching and nipping at heels. Call the dog in early, before it has committed to the chase.
  • Recall: Excellent when it has been trained, because the dog is wired to take direction. Weak if nobody has done the work, because it will simply make its own decisions.
  • Other dogs: Usually tolerant but not especially playful. A Koolie would rather run than wrestle, and it may try to control a group rather than join it.
  • Lead: Pulls when under-exercised. Once the edge is off, most walk nicely, so plan a run before any road section.

Tips for professional walkers

  1. Bring a toy that gives you control of the game: a ball on a rope or a frisbee the dog returns to hand.
  2. Vary the route. Repetition bores this breed and a bored Koolie invents games you will not like.
  3. Check for coat colour and eye issues with merle dogs; some have reduced hearing or sight, which changes how you call them.
Every dog is an individual. Treat this as a starting point and go with what the owner tells you about their dog. Anything to do with health belongs with the owner and their vet.

What to ask the owner

  • What commands does the dog know for stopping, lying down and coming off a chase?
  • Does the dog have any hearing or vision loss, as can happen with double merles?
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