Ledge Rock Working Kelpies
The Dogs, The People, and The Farm

Ledge Rock Working Kelpies is situated on a small 100-acre farm in southwestern Wisconsin, USA. During the 30 years we have lived here it has supported various farming enterprises including a purebred hog operation, a small flock of sheep, a small commercial cow calf herd, and a large equine breeding facility. Genetics have always been an integral part of our lives and the breeding of the Working Kelpies is no exception.

In the early years we both received a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment from competing in hog and cattle shows and many horse related activities. Over time however, our desire to compete slowly faded to the point where now we choose to live vicariously through our customers who do compete in herding trials or canine sporting events. Visit the slideshow to see some of our customer’s dogs.

Our passion is now focused solely on the genetics, the dogs themselves. To us, it is imperative to research the breed from its ancestral past to the present and look beyond into the future. In essence we are attempting to perpetuate the ideals and goals of those early Australian breeders who identified a need and tried their best to satisfy it.

It has become increasingly apparent that in today’s modern agricultural climate, the need for working dogs has been dramatically reduced with the onset of corporate farming.

Even though we are faced with this unfortunate trend we will steadfastly continue to breed Working Kelpies for the work which they were intended. That is not to say that all of our puppies will find their lives played out on a sheep or cattle ranch but it is those instincts, the dog’s extraordinary intelligence, versatility, speed, endurance, and devotion to duty and man that offers the Australian Working Kelpie a bright future in this and other countries.

With this in mind, we hope that all of our puppies will be the best performers in whatever challenge that is put before them. We will continue to breed a versatile dog that can adapt to the new demands without the loss of qualities that made the Australian Working Kelpie one of the premier herding breeds in Australia and here in North America.