Koolie puppies

About the Koolie

The Koolie is an Australian herding dog, worked on stations for generations and long known as the German Coolie; the Koolie Club of Australia says there is no such breed in Germany and that the newer name Australian Koolie recognises the breed's true homeland. Dogs Australia does not list the breed, and the club, which keeps the register and a DNA scheme, has no plans to seek recognition for the show ring, so it publishes a description of a sound working dog rather than a show standard. That description gives heights of 45 to 65 cm for dogs and 43 to 60 cm for bitches, and Wisdom Panel gives a weight of 15 to 22.2 kg. Ears may be pricked, semi dropped or dropped, and the coat is usually short with some undercoat, in red or blue merle, solid red or black, tricolour or bicolour.

Koolies are bred for speed and stamina, and Wisdom Panel stresses their need for regular, high intensity exercise such as running, hiking, swimming or dog sports. The coat needs a weekly brush, with an undercoat rake several times a week when they shed in spring and autumn. They are keen to learn but lose interest with repetition, so short, lively, reward based sessions work best, and their herding drive needs an outlet. Before buying, ask whether the litter is merle to merle, because double merle puppies can have sight and hearing problems, and ask to see both parents' DNA health results.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Koolie puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Blindness and deafness in double merle puppies (two copies of the merle gene), which the Koolie Club avoids by mating merle Koolies with solid coloured ones
• Deafness in dogs with no pigment on or in the ears
• Sunburn, and possibly skin cancer, on a nose with no pigment

Your Koolie puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Koolie.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 15 to 22.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 22.2 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Koolie

Previous: Komondor · Next: Korean Jindo Dog

Sources

• wisdompanel.com for adult weight and height, life expectancy and energy, grooming and the temperament ratings
• koolie.net for coat type and health notes
• koolie.net for country of origin
• Health notes from Koolie breed information at https://www.koolie.net/koolie-fundamentals/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

No published figure for the good with children rating and the good with other dogs rating, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.

Photo: Koolie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.