Gestation Time of Kelpie Dogs

The Kelpie is a medium-sized Australian breed of herding dog. It is thought that Kelpies are a cross between dingos and Border Collies. This is mostly rumor, but it is true that the Kelpie was bred from the Irish and British Colleys (an older spelling of Collie) and mixed with other breeds so they could stand up to the conditions in Australia. They, like most dogs, have a gestation period of approximately 56 to 72 days -- although breeders generally count gestation at 63 days.

  1. Breeding

    • Kelpies can begin their puberty as early as 6 months old, although it is not unheard of for a dog to take two years to start puberty. When a female starts puberty it will go into estrous (or go into heat) and can conceive immediately. Sometimes Kelpies do not conceive on their first heat. Females go into heat about every six months. With a gestation of approximately two months, this means that a female Kelpie is potentially capable of having a litter at just over eight months old. In all likelihood, however, it will be older when the Kelpie goes into its first estrous cycle.

    Labor

    • When a pregnant dog feels labor coming on, it will get restless. The dog will get up, change position frequently. The pregnant Kelpie will also try to create a nest somewhere hidden -- it is important to build a whelping box before the onset of labor, so that the dog has a place to give birth that you can access. Dogs prefer to give birth in the dark, so keep this in mind when building the whelping box. Labor should not last more than eight hours. If this occurs, contact your vet.

    Post-Labor

    • As soon as labor is over the Kelpie should be provided with plenty of food and water. The dog will eat the amniotic sacs off the puppies as they are born -- this might seem gross, but it can help to restore some of the nutrition that is lost during the labor. Occasionally, puppies die in labor. A puppy that is not breathing might be brought around by vigorous rubbing with a towel. If the whelping box is in a drafty area, or the Kelpie has built a nest in a drafty area, the breeder may need to provide some heat for the puppies.

    Behavior

    • Kelpies are very active dogs that have been bred specifically for working. These are outside dogs and they really require a lot of training, exercise and work to keep happy. Kelpies are very independent, which can get them into trouble if they are left alone with no activity. They are a great working dog, still commonly used in the early 21st century in Australia and America for herding.