Buyer Beware!
After much research, emailing, and asking questions there is some mis-information being said
about the Coolie breed.
The mis-information deals with the following:
 | "pureness" of a certain line or dog -- some Coolie breeders have stated their Coolies | |
| were DNA tested and proven pure **this is not true, at present time there isn't a DNA test to prove one breed from another**; | ||
| DNA testing (what can be tested for and what can not) -- some Coolie breeders are saying | |
| that their Coolies have been tested for 50 known genetic diseases and have been found genetically clean/healthy. **I urge you to see/read the test results, obtain a copy and present it to your veterinarian or geneticist for verification and authenticity**. | ||
| the age of the Coolie breed -- some say the Coolie is "the" oldest herding breed in | |
| Australia, **research proves otherwise**. It is certainly an old breed. | ||
| coat color -- some Coolie breeders have made statements that blue eyes are an indication | |
| that the dog has too much merle **this is not correct**; or that the solid colored Coolies are really "blind" merles **this is also not correct in many instances, "blind" is being used by some Coolie breeders to refer to the merle pattern that can't be seen, the correct name is "phantom or cryptic merle"**; or that breeding the merle colored dogs to merle colored dogs will produce an all merle litter with no genetic defects. **this is not entirely correct**. | ||
| blindness or deafness -- and some Coolie breeders are saying blindness or deafness is | |
| just within certain bloodlines of the Coolie, **this is also not correct - there are many reasons for visual and hearing problems**. |
I have included comments and informational sites that can be read and studied for
further knowledge.
Don't be mislead by some Kennels, research their information and find out the truth.
Some Kennels are saying anything to make a sale.
Currently, there are no DNA tests specifically available for the Coolie breed. There are several
Universities and Research Facilities that are conducting assays looking for protocol to be used in
the detection of different diseases and genetics defects.
Here are a few links for information:
UC Davis Canine Health
Vetgen
Healthgene
There is much controversy concerning the time of development of the Coolie breed. A few say the
Coolie is the oldest breed of herding dog from Australia. Research has proven this statement is not
entirely correct. They are 'one' of the oldest breeds, along with the Australian Working Kelpies,
Australian Cattle Dogs, Australian Shepherds, McNabbs, and other herding-type breeds.
Here are some excerpts (quoted exactly as it was printed) from ancestral research:
A few references to the "German Coolie," "German Koolie" or "German Collie" appear in various
letters and articles in working dog magazines and in a few books. The Koolie and the Smithfield
exist in Australia to this day as working dogs, not recognized by the bench show authorities (there
is, however, a breed club for the Koolie). With regard to the Koolie, the dog was "German" in that it
was popular in an area of Australia where there were many German settlers who used this dog,
much as the Australian Shepherd is "Basque" due to Basque sheepherders using it in the
American West, rather than these breeds having their principal origin with dogs brought from
Germany or the Basque country. Photos of Koolies and Smithfields show strong resemblance to
the Australian Shepherd in overall form and color, although Koolies can also be shorthaired and
prick-eared (as were many early Aussies) and Smithfields can have Beardie-like coats. ~~ Linda
Rorem
and Australian Cattle Dog. The early pioneers required a big, strong dog for mustering and
moving huge herds of cattle and so the Koolie evolved from the crossing of German and British
"collies" with British Smithfields. The resultant offspring produced dogs with shorter legs capable of
working on the cattle and sheep trucks and were referred to as either Australian Koolies or
German Koolies (often spelt Coulie or Coolie which could have arisen from the derogatory term
"coolie", used to refer to immigrant workers in Australia, or to the accent that the Germans placed
on the word "Collie"). German immigrants favoured the south of the continent and in that area
these working collies were referred to as German Koolies.
Unfortunately the Koolie, like its Smithfield descendants, did not adapt well to the intense heat of
the Australian outback as they were too large and cumbersome, and their vociferous nature was
not conducive to their work. A recent revival of interest in the Koolie led to the formation of the first
Australian Breed Club, in 2000. The committee agreed to delete the "German" reference so the
breed is now registered simply as the Koolie or Australian Koolie. ~~ Iris Combe and Pat
Hutchinson
Deafness and blindness can be caused by many factors. These factors include hereditary,
chemical, environmental, medical, illness, etc ...
Some Coolie breeders practice breeding merle to merle and some homozygous merles are
produced in their litters. They contend that the deafness is related to a certain bloodline and not
caused by the homozygous merle pup. Homozygous merles are normally born with an excessive
amount of white, some have a white head, some have a small amount of color on their head, and
some have color on their ears, but go deaf later. The lack of pigment (white) around the ears are
the normal cause of deafness in dogs.
To read more about the possible causes of deafness in dogs, visit these links:
LSU - deafness
LSU - genetics
To read more about the possible causes of color related blindness in dogs, visit these links:
Lethal Whites
Australian Shepherd Colors
Again, don’t be mislead by some Kennels, research their information
and find out the truth. Some Kennels will say anything to make a sale.
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Coolie Stud/Ida Parmer