The Kelpie can be seen in a number of Australian movies, notably Dusty and Red Dog. These intelligent herding dogs are naturals for film work, although still not well known in the rest of the world. (Also see Koolie movies and Dingo movies.)
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Australia * Year: 2008 * Country: Australia/UK/US * Breed content: Low
Boyhood * Year: 2014 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Low
Just a glimpse, and possibly a mixed-breed, although identical to a Kelpie, along with a yellow Labrador Retriever.
Buckley’s Chance * Year: 2021 * Country: Australia/Canada * Breed content: Medium
A boy befriends a dingo (cream Kelpie) and several others are also seen. The title, which is the name of the sheep station and then of the dingo, is a play on words: in Australian slang “buckley’s” means no chance at all.
Bush Christmas * Year: 1947 * Country: Australia/UK * Breed content: Medium
A group of kids try to catch horse thieves with the help of their loyal Kelpie, “Kanga”.
Bush Christmas AKA: Prince and the Great Race * Year: 1983 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Low
This remake is more about the horse and no longer features a main canine, only a background dog.
Change Coming * Year: 2008 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Unknown
A short film.
Dusty * Year: 1983 * Country: Australia * Breed content: High
For many years Dusty, which has never been widely released after VHS, was the big Kelpie movie until 2011 when Red Dog changed that. You can see real working Kelpies throughout the film, including backing sheep and helping out at sheering. Considering the title is the name of the dog, though, the film is far too much about the humans. Dusty also launched an Australian TV miniseries.
Gallipoli * Year: 1981 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Low
Koko: A Red Dog Story * Year: 2019 * Country: Australia * Breed content: High
Mixing documentary with narrative filmmaking, this movie traces an embellished story of how Koko got the role and performed in Red Dog (below). All while conspicuously ignoring the fact that he had a trainer for the film and, by omission, behaving as if he read the script and drove himself to work. Featuring many Kelpies, from dog shows to reenactments to footage of the original Koko.
Manganinnie * Year: 1980 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Medium
Mad Dog Morgan * Year: 1976 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Low
Various dogs seen, including a couple of Kelpie glimpses, one lying on a porch.
Minnamurra * AKA: Wrangler * AKA: The Fighting Creed * Year: 1983 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Unknown
Napoleon * Year: 1995 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Medium
Cream Keplie, or mix, playing a dingo toward the end of the film.
No Worries * Year: 1994 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Medium
A Kelpie named “Dingo” is a girl’s best friend on a sheep station. The film is based on a play about a drought and can be seen online.
Red Dog * Year: 2011 * Country: Australia * Breed content: High
For the biggest, and best, role ever for a Kelpie look no farther than Red Dog, played by Koko. A retired show dog, he was naturally chocolate in color and dyed with a red tinge for the part.
Red Dog: True Blue * Year: 2016 * Country: Australia * Breed content: High
Also released on DVD as Red Dog: The Early Years, this is the prequel to Red Dog and forgettable compared to the original. Now the title role is played by Phoenix. Blue is a common nickname for a redhead in Australia.
The Shiralee * Year: 1987 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Low
Only a few background dogs seen throughout the movie, which was originally a TV miniseries, most notably a mixed-breed. Many Australian film titles are inside jokes: shiralee is slang for a burden.
The Sundowners * Year: 1960 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Medium
Great costarring part for a Kelpie in this epic of Australian sheep farmers. Real dingo also seen.
Sweetie * Year: 1989 * Country: Australia * Breed content: Low
Only glimpses in the background. Also an Australian Terrier and white GSD seen.
The Thorn Birds * Year: 1983 * Country: US * Breed content: Low
This is a miniseries and technically out of the scope of Reel Dogs, which doesn’t deal with TV shows or animation. However there is some interesting canine content here. The dogs at the sheep station are in a few scenes and appear in great quantities.
Know more Kelpie movies? Please send info to [email protected]. Thank you!