This question came up toward the end of another thread. Do breeders or experienced owners note any behavioral differences between short or rough coat Koolies. It was said that there was a difference in pups, in that the short coats were up and at'em quicker that the fluffys, but that it evened out after a few days.

The question is, are there differences in adult dogs. What are they? Why could it be? Are there any other differences people consistently note between Koolie types.

I have a short and a long coat who are full brothers, and I note distinct differences, even though they are the same in a Koolie way. It may be that I am simply noting different personalities, but that of course is hereditable as well, but not necessarily related to coat length.

Do folk not any differences between solids and merles in behavior, or indeed even between reds and blues?

No


We have two medium/long coates and 3 short coat, all related but no noticeable differences.

Yeah, they all have their own quirks and personalities anyway, don't they. Do yours all have similar working styles as well?

I guess we have just always seen them as working like a koolie. Ours are all daughter, mother, grandmother great grandma and niece so there is inherited likeness I'm sure, but they have all learnt off their older generation as well. Tilly is probably the best all rounder we have but she won't bite until really pushed if at all, yet Smokey will bite first and ask questions later. If you tell Tilly to push up she will bark like mad, yet Ripper will stand there and try to stare them into moving, tilting her head and giving them a defiant look. Yogi in her hay day would just dive in and grab an ankle, no bark no please move, but it was always a nice low grab where she didn't do any damage and could duck the enevitable kick. She was also great working bulls, she would fly in their faces and bite their noses if they wouldn't shift in the conventional way. I think a lot of working skills develop with age and the amount and variety of experience available to them. Tilly is doing so well partly because she is the one that just goes everywhere and the others are taken if they will compliment her ability for a job. When you are busy all the time you need to get the job done as quickly as possible with as little fuss as possible so it is hard for the young ones to get a go.

I guess this is the versatility of Koolies. With BC's it's all the same style, eye,eye,eye, with ACD's heel, heel, heel. Because Jacksy has a rough coat and feathering etc, I expected he would be a bit BC in nature when I first got him, but no, none of his behaviours are BC like. He is a very relaxed dog, no OCD about anything, an upright dog. Alby on the other side is all crouch down, stalk, and eye. Mind you, on the few occasions they have been near cattle, Alby got straight in their faces and had them backed into a corner. He would have bitten if I had not called him off (not nice to bite your hosts steers, lol. I do believe that a dog can learn what to do in a team by example.

many farmers will breed or buy a pup and allow the most experienced dog he is running to train it on, which is all good and well but it also means the pup will inherent all the workers bad habits as well.

There are difference in my Koolie as not all are workers, some are used for Sports other have gone to service jobs, personalities, traits, abilities are all different even though some may be from the same litter.

I couldn't say they were so different as pups of the litter but believe their environments and training have brought about these changes.
I have also witnessed changes in their litters, their pups appear to follow the new pattern, displaying a better aptitude for the work or Sport they are born into.

Not all there are still stock workers from these litters, but the average changes.