[monthly newsletter - October 2004]

I own a large sheep and cattle property and find coolies to be versatile enough to work sheep and cattle in yard or paddock and are also fantastic at finding and bailing feral pigs. The Coolie can work all day, every day; their enthusiasm never waning. The coolie is forever faithful and eager to please.

Although the colour of the dog has no affect on how that animal will work, I believe the Coolie should be more defined as a breed. A coolie shouldn’t look anything like a cattle dog or a border collie. A coolie has its own distinct markings and body shape and breeders should be encouraged to breed “true Coolies”.

Due to the largeness of the property, my dogs must travel long distances each day. Therefore, I breed solid bodied dogs with longer legs. I breed for a short, smooth coat which keeps the dog cooler in the heat of summer and is also much easier to keep free of grass seeds. I also believe breeding dogs with dark noses prevents sun damage to that particular area in hot climates.

Since the increase in the cost of labour and lowering of profit margins, farmers, graziers and stockmen have been forced to work more efficiently and therefore increased their dependency on the working dog. The dog needs to be intelligent and versatile enough to take care of a wide range of tasks and no dog meets these needs better than the Coolie.

I doubt there is any dingo in the coolie breed and although I’ve heard many theories on ancestry, I’m more inclined to believe the coolie was introduced to Australia by early European settlers.

My first memory of the coolie was 66 years ago. My father owned a coolie before I was born and I can remember playing with him when I was about 4 or 5 years old.

The most prominent change I’ve noticed in the coolie breed over the years is the height of the dog and length of coat. My dogs today are much taller and have a shorter coat compared to my coolies of the past.

The coolie will always be a well respected working partner of the farmer. An intelligent, obedient coolie who works stock efficiently and with little fuss, minimizes stress on both herd and farmer and also provides a lot more leisure time. We are already seeing the coolie involved in sports such as agility, obedience and sheep dog trials. With the information readily available and the increasing number of breeders, the coolie will become much more recognized as a breed. I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of the coolie in future.