Sage Koochee vs Australian Collie - Breed Comparison

Known also as the Kuchi Dog, the Sage Koochee is a dog that was bred more for his characteristics than his looks. He was bred to be a protector and guardian and named after the Afghan Kochi people.

Referred to as the Kuchi or Sage Kuchi, this working dog has always helped nomads with guarding their caravans and livestock. The dog has genetic resemblance with the Central Asian Ovcharka but isn’t recognized as an official breed by any of the major kennel clubs.

The Koolie, as a breed we know today, originates from Australia. But, before they were breed and imported, they were the mix made of Britain smooth coated blue merle Collie and the Black and Tan Collie from the Highlands of Scotland. The Koolie came to Australia to work as a kennel dog since they are known as the working, farm dog that can adapt to any weather condition. They were bred to be agile and non-aggressive quiet herding dogs, and they have kept most of those good characteristics until today.

The Sage Koochee is a large molosser dog, although they do vary quite a bit in height. This is because they generally come in 3 varieties.

They can stand at between 58 to 89cm in height and they weigh between 38 to 80kg. This is because this dog is divided into 3 types. The coat of this dog can be short, medium or long, and colors can vary quite a bit as well.

These are moderate, seasonal shedders. Their tails are usually docked to about 1/3 of their length and their ears have been traditionally docked too. They are very territorial and won’t show any tolerance to strangers coming onto the property. He also tends to be aggressive towards other dogs.

Temperament:

These dogs are tough and fierce and also immensely intelligent. Such a dog would have to be trained and socialized or you would land yourself with a strong-willed, disobedient dog.

Once they’ve had training, they are friendly, obedient and affectionate towards their owners, but aren't a good choice for children. They are extremely territorial and make good watchdogs,being prepared to fiercely protect their human family.

The very nature of this dog makes it not suitable for life in the city. It would be terribly frustrated in small spaces and can become aggressive.

Koolie is a medium bred. Their head is small, with a pointy jaw. Ears are pricked, semi-dropped or dropped. Their coat can be smooth or rough, short or medium length, always with the undercoat. The colours can be Red or Blue Merle, solid Red or Black, sometimes with minimal white or cream speckles. They are usually two-coloured or tricoloured, but some of them are actually one-coloured.

Some Koolie have one or two blue, green or yellow eyes. Eye colour is, of course, affected by the gene that creates the coat pattern and eye colour as well.

They are athletic dogs, with fine bone structure but great stamina. Actually, they were breed to be like that – to work hard, be noticeable among the sheep, eat little and be loyal to one person.

The Kuchi has always been vigilant with guarding livestock, and these tough dogs did the job of guardian and protector extremely well.

They’re hardy too, used to coping with extreme weather conditions, from hot deserts to freezing mountain areas. These dogs are powerful and independent and they are also dangerous.

With good training and socialization they can become loving and loyal, but they require a strong, firm owner, and don’t come as recommended if there are children in the home.

Around children

Koolie is naturally energetic, playful and affectionate so they are naturally very good to raise with children.

Special talents

They are known as great obedience dog. They are very famous as the tracking dogs.

Some of them are successful as the rescue dogs, therapy dogs or educators for school children.

Adaptability

This is not a type of dog that will be alone in the house, wait for you and then be quiet while you rest. They need a great deal of activity and they are not such great choice for indoor life anyways. The best thing for them would be the large yard, with somebody home most of the time. They are great if raised in a family, with children and active owners. They will be great for a loner at the farm as well since that is in their blood. They need enough place to run, chase, play, rest on the sun and be active as they please. They get affectionate towards their families, but they will be accepting their new home when they are older just fine.

Learning ability

They are very good at learning. Intelligent, yes, but yet very silly and playful to do what is told all the time. They will surprise you with how quickly they will pick up the new trick but not feeling like doing it every time you would like them to. Everything is a play for them, so it would be best if you know how to play, be affectionate and friendly to become a good owner of this breed.

The Kuchi breed is healthy and doesn’t have any particular health issues. Things to look out for are bloat, skin allergies, cancer and parasites.

Parasites:

Parasites are a common in many dogs. Fleas and ticks are external parasites, but intestinal parasites can be a real nuisance too and endanger your dog’s health.

These parasites live within the dog’s gastrointestinal tract. They can be a host of terrible worms such as roundworm, hookworms and tapeworm among others. The parasites are usually transmitted when the dog ingests contaminated food, soil or even feces.

These parasites can cause endless problems for the dog, from weight loss to diarrhea to vomiting. You will need to get your pet to the vet.

If you are careful enough, you will choose your Koolie form patiently chosen breeders, after checking the health history of the pup and the pup’s family. Advisable is to do these things in person and never to buy a Koolie from a pet shop.

Sometimes, pups can be born blind or deaf pups. They have the great chance of joint problems because of their extreme activity. Their need to run, jump and play all the time may result in damage to cartilage and ligaments, especially since they are not aware of their age most of the time.

There is a chance that pup has skin allergies or immune system issues if they are growing on a farm near the chemicals used for plants, so be careful what kind of herbicide you use if you have a Collie.

In some rare cases, they suffer from seizers. If untreated, they can cause death. If you decide to take him to a regular vet check, you will have a happy and playful life together.

A nutritious commercially manufactured dog food for large working dogs will be required for this strong, energetic dog. You want to provide it with some variety, so some homemade food added into the dry kibble twice a week will ensure he is healthy and content.

Home-made food such as boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots all boiled slowly together will delight your pet. You just chop it up and add it to the dry kibble twice a week and your pet will never look back.

For his skin and coat, you can try to add in a little bit of raw meat occasionally.Dogs thrive on simple, consistent meals like this – nothing weird and spicy so as to avoid stomach upsets.

Groom your Kuchi dog by brushing him twice a week and check simultaneously for any lumps you may find on him.

Trim his nails.

Check his eyes and make sure they are clear with no signs of discharge.

Check inside the mouth for rotten or bad teeth as he can’t tell you if one is rotten and causing him tremendous pain and discomfort.

Make sure his vaccines are up to date to avoid life threatening canine diseases.

Provide him with a nice, warm dry place to sleep.

Make sure he has access to shade and sun when he’s outdoors.

Have him or her spayed or neutered to avoid puppies

Feeding the puppy and adult

Whether you choose canned food or dry food, treats as biscuits or left-overs, the quantity is the safest way of keeping the balanced diet for your Collie. They like raw meat and raw bones. Make sure not to feed them with cooked bones because they can do more harm than good.

Grooming

Since Koolie coat can be very short with the undercoat or a bit longer with undercoat, bristle brushing every 3 or 4 days will be enough for them. Some of them like the water and some of them don’t and that is perfectly fine since there is no need for a regular bath.

Points for Good Health

Lots of activities and lots of love. They express their love all the time and you can learn a lot from them actually. They like raw bones and from-the-table delicious treats but make sure not to overfeed them.

The best type of activity

Games that need them to be fast and think quickly. Running with them, driving a bike with them (but not on the leash!) would be a great fun for them. Why not leash? They are so playful and happy and they tend to jump and run to the side to chase a butterfly or catch the falling leaf.