Shimmy Downs Kelpies

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Shimmy Downs Kelpies SDK is a family owned & operated working dog training & kelpie stud based in Busselton, WA.

Our aim is to train working dog breeds to successfully work on farms & to provide working breed pet dogs mental stimulation, using their natural instincts.

SDK Asks #008Every working dog brings something different to the job.Some naturally find balance. Some have great cover...
19/10/2026

SDK Asks #008
Every working dog brings something different to the job.
Some naturally find balance. Some have great cover. Some read their stock beautifully. Others bring plenty of confidence, patience, presence, speed or determination.
As training progresses, those individual strengths often become a big part of what makes each dog special to work with.
So this week we want to know:
What is your dog’s strongest working trait?
Tell us in the comments. We would love to hear what your dog does best.

SDK ANSWERS #007Do you only train Kelpies?With a name like Shimmy Downs Kelpies, we can definitely understand why peopl...
15/10/2026

SDK ANSWERS #007
Do you only train Kelpies?
With a name like Shimmy Downs Kelpies, we can definitely understand why people ask us this one!
While Kelpies are the breed we breed here at SDK, they are certainly not the only dogs we train.
Our working dog training is open to all herding breeds, whether they're working farm dogs or much loved family pets.
We regularly work with Kelpies, Border Collies, Koolies and other herding breeds, and one of the things we love about training is seeing how differently each dog thinks and works.
Different breeds can have different natural working styles, and even within the same breed, no two dogs are exactly alike.
Our job isn't to make every dog work like a Kelpie.
It's to understand the dog in front of us, work with the instincts and abilities they bring, and help the dog and their handler learn how to work together.
So while breeding Kelpies is a big part of who we are, working dog training at SDK is for all herding breeds.
If you've been wondering whether your non Kelpie is welcome, the answer is yes!
Have a question you'd like us to answer? Pop it in the comments and it might become a future SDK ANSWERS.

SDK Asks #007We are pretty sure most dog owners have had a conversation with their dog and known exactly what the answe...
12/10/2026

SDK Asks #007
We are pretty sure most dog owners have had a conversation with their dog and known exactly what the answer would be.
Maybe it would be something about food, sheep, getting in the ute, going for a run, or a very firm reminder that dinner is approximately three minutes late.
Some dogs would probably have a lot to say. Others might only need one sentence on repeat.
So this week we want to know:
If your dog could talk, what would they say most often?
Tell us in the comments. We think this one could be entertaining.

School holidays are officially over, which means I'm back to my full admin days on Mondays!It's been a wonderful two wee...
12/10/2026

School holidays are officially over, which means I'm back to my full admin days on Mondays!

It's been a wonderful two weeks spending some quality time with the kids, and James and I were lucky enough to finish off the break with two nights away in beautiful Bunker Bay!

Now it's back to reality and time to tackle the inbox!
I'll be spending today catching up on emails, messages, bookings and all the little things that have piled up over the school holidays.

If you're waiting on a reply from me, thank you for your patience! I'll be working my way through everything today.

Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at SDK!

SDK ANSWERS #006What if my dog isn’t interested in the sheep?Not every working dog sees sheep for the first time and in...
08/10/2026

SDK ANSWERS #006
What if my dog isn’t interested in the sheep?
Not every working dog sees sheep for the first time and instantly knows what to do.
We often talk about dogs “switching on” to sheep. For some dogs, that switch happens almost immediately. For others, it can take a little more time.
This can be particularly true for dogs who haven’t had sheep as an outlet before.
If your dog has spent their life as a pet, they may have found other ways to channel those natural instincts. Chasing a ball, watching movement, controlling other dogs, running fences or becoming fixated on particular games can all become much more familiar than livestock.
Then suddenly we put them in with sheep and expect them to understand what all that instinct is for!
Sometimes they need time to watch, explore, build confidence and work things out.
A dog not immediately showing interest doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no instinct there. We don’t want to force it or overwhelm them. We want to give them the opportunity to discover the sheep and see whether that switch begins to flick.
And when it does, it can be pretty special to watch.
So if your dog’s first reaction to sheep isn’t quite the dramatic “THIS IS WHAT I WAS BORN FOR!” moment you imagined, don’t be discouraged.
Sometimes switching on just takes a little time.
Have a question you’d like us to answer? Pop it in the comments and it might become a future SDK ANSWERS.

A quick heads up for our weekly and fortnightly clients!We’re aware of an issue affecting clients with recurring weekly ...
07/10/2026

A quick heads up for our weekly and fortnightly clients!

We’re aware of an issue affecting clients with recurring weekly or fortnightly bookings, where SMS and email reminders are not being sent as they should.

To fix this, we need to rebook all recurring appointments in our system. We’ll be taking care of this from our end, but with quite a few regular bookings to work through, it may take me a little bit of time to get them all updated.

In the meantime, please don’t rely on receiving a reminder for your upcoming session. Your booking is still going ahead as scheduled unless you hear from us.

If we ever need to cancel a session, we will always contact you directly. Where there is plenty of notice, we’ll generally send an email, or if it’s a last-minute cancellation, we’ll send you a text.

Apologies for the inconvenience, and thank you for your patience while I get everyone sorted!

SDK Asks #006Working dog training is full of little wins, and sometimes the moments that make us proudest are not the b...
05/10/2026

SDK Asks #006
Working dog training is full of little wins, and sometimes the moments that make us proudest are not the biggest ones.
It might be the first time everything clicked on sheep, finally mastering something you have been working on for months, seeing your dog handle a tricky situation, or simply watching their confidence grow.
Every dog and handler has their own milestones, and we would love to hear yours.
What is your proudest moment with your working dog?
Tell us in the comments. Big achievement or small win, we want to hear about it.

We’re growing our team at Shimmy Downs Kelpies!We’re looking for someone with hands-on experience training working dogs,...
05/10/2026

We’re growing our team at Shimmy Downs Kelpies!

We’re looking for someone with hands-on experience training working dogs, confidence around livestock and a genuine interest in developing their skills further with SDK.

This is a full-time position based with us near Busselton, WA.

If this sounds like you, or someone you know, we’d love to hear from you.

Send us a message or email [email protected]

SDK ANSWERS #005Does my dog need to know basic obedience before starting on sheep?The short answer is no...but having s...
01/10/2026

SDK ANSWERS #005
Does my dog need to know basic obedience before starting on sheep?
The short answer is no...but having some basic obedience is certainly handy before your dog starts working sheep. A reliable sit and recall can make things easier, particularly when your dog suddenly discovers something much more exciting than listening to you!

But your dog does not need to arrive at SDK with perfect obedience.

In fact, obedience is an important part of what we work on alongside the sheep work.
Our Puppy Starter Classes aren't just about putting your puppy on sheep and seeing what they do. We also work on the foundations that will help you communicate with your pup as their training progresses.
Working dog training is about much more than instinct. We want our dogs to learn to think, listen and work with us, even when they're excited and their instincts kick in.
So if your pup's sit is still a work in progress or their recall occasionally becomes a little selective, don't feel like you need to wait until everything is perfect before getting started.
We'll work on those foundations too.
Have a question you'd like us to answer? Pop it in the comments and it might become a future SDK ANSWERS.

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Busselton, WA
6280

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