Koolie vs Elo - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Developed in Germany in 1987, the Elo is a fairly new breed and there are some unique situations surrounding its development. For one thing the Elo Breeding and Research Association has trademarked the breed name, Elo. The use of the name is supervised by the Elo Breeding and Research Association. Secondly, the goal in developing the Elo is the make the best possible pet for a family. The Elo is bred for behaviors rather than appearances, for companionship rather than work.

The Elo was developed when Marita and Heinz Stories crossed Old English Sheepdogs (Bobtails) with their Eurasiers. They believed that these two breeds were similar in type and development. They were looking to breed a great household pet. The litters from these original crosses were then bred again with Eurasiers or Chow, Dalmatians, and Samoyeds. This expanded the donor base and they continued to breed for character using just the Eurasier, Chow and Bobtail (Old English Sheepdog). Currently there are about 3000 dogs and 60 breeders of Elos. The breed is not really known outside of Germany but that is slowly changing.

The Koolie's ancestors were both the smooth coated blue merle Collie as well as the Black and Tan Collie. The dog hails from Australia.

Looking much like the Heeler dog, the Koolie is thought to have got its name from German immigrants to Australia who couldn’t pronounce the name ‘collie’ properly, so the name came out as Koolie. The Koolie of today is a product of a cross between the German Koolie and the Australian Dingo.

The dog has been around for a long time and in 2000, the Koolie Club of Australia was formed. It was in 2004 that the Koolie was recognized by the Australian Sporting Registrar. In May 2006, the Stockdog Committee of the Australian Shepherd Club of America accepted the Koolie as a recognized and accepted herding breed.

As previously mentioned the Elo is bred for behaviors not appearance and not work. Therefore, the appearance of any one dog can vary greatly. There is a breed standard but there is also a lot of diversity in the breed. The Elos’ body is longer than it is tall and it tail is full and furry. He carries his tail over his back in a curve. The Elo has furry, slightly rounded, wide set ears. The undercoat is dense, and the top coat length can be medium or short.

Known also as the German Koolie or German Collie, the Koolie is a working- or herding dog standing at between 40 – 60cm in height and weighing up to 24kg.

The Koolie's coat is a merle coat pattern in red or black and possibly with some tan and is mostly short and smooth, though it can be medium length too. Depending on the coat color – red or black – the nose and eyes can be either brown or black, although eye color can also be blue or yellowish.

Temperament:

The Koolie is such a wonderful pet who has some excellent characteristics to his name. He is active, energetic, fun, clever, friendly and playful, but if you have him trained and socialized he becomes even more of a great family pet. He is intelligent too and will require an owner who is steady, firm, fair and consistent. You wouldn't call him an aggressive dog

Having been bred to be a companion animal, the Elo loves children, is loyal, playful, obedient and calm. They love to and need to be with their people. These are not independent, think on their own dogs. They depend on their people in order to be happy and well behaved. He is outgoing and friendly with people.

Many people today like the idea of a ‘wild’ animal as a pet, and the Koolie, with his Dingo ancestry, can be a challenging dog breed to keep. People eventually blame these animals for having a poor temperament – meantime all they are essentially, are high-energy animals.

If you keep a Koolie, it will be better if you were a firm, kind, patient, consistent dog owner who understands the special needs of these kinds of dogs. They’re an energetic, care-free animals who will do better on a large property or farm as he is lively and will need a good deal of exercise.

He is quite capable of being a splendid pet with training and socialization and will settle down well to family life when he is loved and cared for.

At this point in time the Elo breed is very young and has a very small population, so the breeding group is small and probably inbred. This can lead to hereditary diseases and the Elo is not immune. However, they are a healthy breed and it seems the major issue is Disticha – an eye disease that causes corneal damage. It causes corneal ulcers, inflammation, scarring and tearing. There are a variety of treatments including surgery

The Koolie is a long-lived dog and there are records of it being able to reach 18 years of age. Because they have a diverse gene pool, you won’t find many genetic problems with this dog.

It is always wise when you’re the owner of a dog, to look out for his health and wellbeing -

Vaccination:

This is to prevent your Koolie picking up fatal diseases such as distemper and parvo-virus. Dogs can be vaccinated from 6 weeks of age for protection.

Parasites:

Working dogs like the Koolie are susceptible to parasites such as tapeworm. Worming of your dog can be included in your vet visit. Dogs with worms may show tell-tale signs such as being pot bellied, very pale gums, anemia and a dull, thinned coat.

A look at his droppings may reveal white segments or worms. Fleas are another kind of parasite and they breed quickly in warm months. Mange is a skin disease caused by small parasitic mites which can actually live inside the hair follicles of dogs. Veterinary treatment will be required.

Heat Stroke:

This is when your pet’s temperature rises out of control. Dogs pant to reduce their body temperature so a dog puffing heavily is putting in extra work to reduce his body temperature.

Never leave you pet in a boiling hot car as the body becomes weak and he has difficulty with breathing. Without immediate treatment, the dog will collapse and die.

Feeding

The Elo is a non-working family dog so do not over feed them. Use a high quality dry food made for a medium size dog.

Health issues

As mentioned previously the Elo breed is so young as a breed that there have been very few health studies and the only inherited issue at this time besides the Disticha.

Exercise and games

Even though the Elo is a non-working dog, they do require a substantial amount of exercise daily. They need outdoors space to run and play as they are very playful with their family. He loves to go on walks, to run, play and dig. Yes, he can be a digger if he is not provided with appropriate and alternative exercise. Without exercise the Elo can be irritable and display behavior issues.

Training:

The Koolie is an intelligent dog that will benefit from training and socialization to make him obedient and able to cope in diverse situations.

Exercise:

These dogs show an untiring enthusiasm for exercise and work and wherever you live, you will need to ensure that he gets regular exercise.

Diet:

Only the very best - both home-made and commercially manufactured food - will be good enough for this energetic dog. Good quality food ensures health and longevity. Always see that there is a constant supply of fresh, cool water.

Relaxing Time:

Make sure that your dog has a warm, dry place to sleep inside and that when outside, he has a cool, sheltered spot from the sun.