The Dogs that Made Australia: The Story of the Dogs that Brought about Australia's Transformation from Starving Colony to Pastoral Powerhouse

by Guy Hull

Hunter. Worker. Legend. The untold story of the dog's role in building our nation. The Dogs That Made Australia pays tribute to the dogs that gave their all for our prosperity: the fearless hounds that saved fledgling colonies from famine; the courageous heelers and tireless collies that powered the rise of beef and wool; the tough little home-grown terriers that protected the homestead and garden; and the extraordinary police dogs, ahead of their time, loved by the nation. The selfless exploits of our heroic dogs are writ indelibly in our nation's heritage and identity. The Dogs That Made Australia is a vivid and meticulously researched history of Australia told from the perspectives of the dingo and of the dogs that were imported and developed here, as well as the humans who loved, feared and worked them.PRAISE'A highly readable book about Australia's dog heroes and their contribution to Australia's development. This is a book for the ages. I loved every page!' Tony Parsons, OAM, author of The Kelpie

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Dogs, Audiobook, Australia, Nature, Animals

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 18, 2018

Reviews

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Argh, I knew as soon as I saw this on the shelf that it would be for me. I adore Australian books about our history, regardless of whether it shows us in a positive light or not. I adore dogs, and Australian dogs. Two of my own dogs are KelpiexBorder Collie (Although Bob may have something else in him too) Both are complete failures as working dogs, although Danny's parents are both good, solid workers. In his litter, the males were useless and went as pets and the females good workers. Give Danny a tennis ball (or stick. Frisbee. A clod of dirt) and he'll play until he collapses.

Anyway, enough about my boys, what about the book? Well, if you want a concise history with as much information as we currently have on the origins of different Australian breeds (Heelers, Kelpies, Koolies) while talking about the impact they had on Australia at the time, then this is the book for you. It is also opinionated, and the author doesn't shy away from our rather inglorious past. All in all a good thing; no hiding or brushing away of our awful treatement of both the land and the people who lived here before colonists.

A really great Aussie book, and a must for Aussie dog lovers. Five stars.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thoroughly entertaining read with interesting facts and information, as well as some wonderful “tall stories”.

[Lynne Belokopitsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly interesting read. I was afraid that this was going to be a dry, scientific book but the author made it interesting. I enjoyed learning a bit about Australia and it’s dogs.

As the owner of an Australian Cattle Dog, I have often rolled my eyes and thought “why does she do that”. Now I understand some of those behaviors.

[Ilma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I now own my first kelpie and have an enormous respect for the breed. The book is written with humour and the style is engaging so a factual book did not become boring.

[Nikki Balzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read. I felt the author got a bit bogged down at towards the end with the endless attacks on kaleski's writings. All in all well worth it.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in finding out where the kelpie and the red & blue heelers come from and how working dogs became famous, this book will spin the yarn. Or maybe you are interested in Australian history and how the colonial settlements managed to survive and establish themselves, in which case, this is a good read.

I was really interested in hearing the origins of the dingo, and also about the kangaroo dogs that were so brave in hunting down kangaroos. There is a lot about the cattle dog (heeler) and kelpie, a bit about the koolie (which I didn't know anything about) and then it finishes up with the ban on German Shepherds because they were thought to be more dangerous stock killers than dingoes.

I would have liked a bit more detail on wild dogs, because I didn't realise there is such a big problem with wild dogs in Australia. Perhaps that's because the big nuisances for growing oranges are foxes, feral pigs and the sulphur-crested cockatoo. There was a little bit about pig-dogs, but they were mostly blamed for the wild dog problem due to being dumped or lost in the bush by their owners. Every so often we hear about pig hunters with dogs on a neighbouring property, but the pig-dogs I've seen have gps trackers and harnesses.

It was great to hear how kelpie x heelers are also used as working dogs on some farms and have their good characters discussed. Of course, this is because we have a red heeler x kelpie, Leo, whose father was a working kelpie. While I'm not sure Leo would have made the cut as a proper working dog, he loves to go to work with anyone on our citrus farm and is a wonderful companion dog with a strong guarding instinct.

Quite a bit of space is dedicated to a beef with controversial dog-world figure, Robert Kaleski, who was very influential in spreading his kelpie origin theories and why the German Shepherd, or alsatian, should be destroyed and prevented from being in Australia. I didn't realise that the German Shepherd was basically outlawed until the late 1970s, even when there were great experiences with them, like the police dog stories included in the book.

Guy Hull is a great storyteller and very easy to listen to as he narrates his book with a helping of wit. Plus, the cover art is awesome. I've already recommended this book to my family and potentially caused a rift when I told my brother that his kelpie bitch is a Show Kelpie, one that's had all the good Working Kelpie sense bred out in efforts to look pretty.

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I chose this read thinking it was going to be a well-researched tribute to the working dogs of Australian history. Instead I found that it was a well-researched, but mostly fantasised, book written by a disgruntled indigenous man with a massive grudge, chip on his shoulder, and racist bias against the British and Europeans who could barely cover his own hatred and contempt with racist insult after insult that any white would have been locked up for if they'd used them against the blacks. Full of insults about valid archives and he concocted lies about the early settlers that are unfounded and false which isn't surprising these days. Twisted. Ugly language. Full of uneducated cliches. Imagined history of dogs in Australia - except for the valid archival information collected by the whites. The only reason I would recommend it to anyone would be to find the real records and re-write the real version of events without the racist BS. Thumbs down. Don't waste your time otherwise.

[Riobhcah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars to the 100th power! Kudos to the author for a wonderful look at the origins of Australia’s dogs — their bad times and their triumphs. I myself am a lover of the Blue Heeler dog and I found this book difficult to put down. Blue Heelers don’t know the meaning of the words “give up,” and they have a heart as vast as Australia itself. I’m so glad to have found a well-done book about the history of these courageous and Loyal dogs. If you love these awesome dogs, you will love this book.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and learnt a lot about the background of the kelpie and blue heeled dogs. It even made me appreciate my dog a bit more. Apparently he is related to the dingo!
Unfortunately the author was quick to disparage other historians in this field, which I didn’t find relevant

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't get the definitive answers I was looking for with regard to exact cattle dog breed makeup- there still seems to be a lot of speculation. At least the book helped clear up what the cattle dog is NOT, somewhat. We have an ongoing argument in the ACD rescue group that I foster/volunteer with, and those members who have been conformation breeders in the past still stand very firm in their "dingo+Kelpie+Dalmatian+Bull Terrier" beliefs.

I have always been in doubt, having read and collected all of the old books that state such combinations were attempted, then scrapped for one reason or another. Yes, the bloodlines will still be out there, but that doesn't mean it's the genetic makeup of EVERY dog. I also feel that there's a definite difference between Thomas Hall's heeler, and the Americanized ACD of today.

Type, indeed.

I did very much appreciate that we can, at least, much more easily detail the Kelpie's background. Kelpie breed books are few and far-between. Guy Hull's chapters on this breed's history are much more thorough than the books I have on the subject.

I also enjoyed the discussion of the Koolie (we've had a few mixes come through the rescue that showed some Koolie when DNA testing was done). I love herding dogs, and Aussie dogs, in particular, so I'm always reading and collecting information.

It was a hoot to see Kaleski's work for what it really is. I have that particular book, and while it's a fun read, it's obviously one to take with several grains of salt. I didn't know, however, that he was a journalist, basically making his own name for himself, and, thus, making up stories during the same era that produced all of those sensationalized Wild West Dime Novels in the US and Penny Dreadfuls in the UK. That was definitely eye-opening, and explained a lot.

Hull's book is written with a lot of wit and humor. It's an interesting and entertaining read, though you've got to read through the first half of the book before you even get to the cattle dogs and Kelpies. You'll learn a lot about other dogs you might have been unaware of, along the way, though.

[Candida · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love working dogs best and cow dogs have a special place of esteem with me. I was lucky enough to own a kelpie of my own and I look for anything I can about this dog. This book was really well researched and while it is really informative it has a good pace with some humor in it. This really an entertaining book that offers a quick history of Australia and its dogs.

[Tien · Rating 2 out of 5]

Judging the book by the cover, I really thought the book was going to be humorous but... it's not. It's all about Aussie dogs & their histories - a very detailed account of breeds & breeding, etc. It just didn't capture my attention, tbh... Not for me :/

[Simone White · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really wasn't what I was expecting, more of a history of the people in Australia then the actual dogs. It was interesting but unfortunately did let me down

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable book, we’ve had 4 cattle dogs and one kelpie over the years, and I was given a great coverage of their history.
It was beaut
The inclusion of Australian history associated to the dogs and the changes in our society was excellent
A book just full of great stuff!

[Jay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to enjoy this book so badly. It has everything I enjoy; history, working dogs, Australia. This should have automatically become one of my biggest recommendations. And yet.
1 star for being easy to read, 1 star for not being completely incorrect, .5 star for the latter half of the book being good.

The good: When Hull has extensive, well researched, first hand evidence to draw from (e.g. most of the chapters regarding Kelpies are referenced from Tony Parson’s wealth of knowledge) he does excellently. Chapters 9-11 and the GSD chapters were really great (aka the most modern sections). His section on Robert Kaleski was hilarious. This books in engaging and easy to read. Great if you’re just getting into working dog history and are intimidated by some more hefty volumes or want an accessible place to start.

The bad: well. The first chapter infantilises indigenous Australians to an extraordinary degree, in fact, every reference to indigenous people in the first 6 chapters had me trying to work out if the author was aggressively racist or just trying to be funny. (The latter. It did not land) (Please don’t make jokes about the murder and removal of indigenous people from country I can’t believe it got past the editor). From what I can see; no traditional owners or indigenous people were interviewed on their relationship with dingoes, which is astounding because there is easily accessible information on the topic.

Hull lies straight to the reader about dingo behaviour and later mocks you for believing him. In fact, throughout the book, and since finishing it, I cannot work out if he despises dingoes, or just couldn’t be bothered to research them at all. Does he hate them? Does he love them? Does the idea of having an enemy in nature just really appeal to him? I don’t know.

He wilfully misinterprets gundog sports, terrier hunting and cattle dog work, and really shows that he has no, or limited experience working dogs either on stock or hunting. He also seems to have an enormous disdain for hunting, which baffles me when he has written a book where almost half the chapters are about a hunting dog. In fact, this would have been much more enjoyable if he’d just written about ACDs, Kelpies, and GSDs. They are the only breeds mentioned in his conclusion aside from the dingo. I guess the kangaroo dog went extinct so hard that Hull forgot about them too.

Large swathes of this book actually aren’t about dogs at all. Despite the claim on the back that it’s “told from the perspectives of the dingo and the dogs”.
In places this is fine by me, I enjoyed the history of the Hall, Timmins, and Gleeson families because I am involved in the breeds they created. But there is a significant portion of the kangaroo dog chapters where dogs aren’t mentioned once.
The kangaroo dog section should have been much shorter and much better padded out with proper information. They are a fascinating type of dog and their history is integral to Australia. If he wanted an interesting modern parallel to add in, he could have compared the kangaroo dog to the bull arab. Instead, his mention of Australia’s pigging dog is rude and dismissive at best. For a man who wrote about how a dog bred exclusively to be the best possible hunter saved the colonies, and continually champions the innovation of Australian dog breeds, he displays no love for the dog bred exclusively to rid this country of its feral pig problem. Is its history not romantic enough for you?

He has extremely outdated beliefs on canine behaviour, refers to dogs hunting as ‘psychopaths’ and ‘serial killers’, and believes in alpha hierarchies and dominance theory. He also makes a grossly misogynistic description of heelers in regards to female dogs in heat. For a man who claims to be a dog behaviourist, trainer, expert, and published this book in 2018, this worries me enormously. The bar is on the floor but he still managed to wiggle under it.
It was honestly quite shocking to read these things, even though I am used to outdated terms and descriptions being used in books because I collect antique farming and dog books. There was no reason for a lot of them to be included.
He has an unusual and hypocritical view on how dogs should exist in modern times; he bemoans our working breeds becoming pets, describing pet owners to make them all look foolish and ignorant, yet finds true dog work to be barbaric, outdated, and unnecessary.
His definition of a good dog owner must be a very narrow niche.

The way he constantly assures you that he is correct with a “gee, isn’t it hard to follow! Poor you. Lucky I’m so knowledgeable.” tone was incredibly irritating. It really felt like he was idolising Robert Kaleski in large portions of this. Which is saying something, because Hull hates Kaleski as much as the rest of us.
This book badly needed a second or third round of editing. Especially the first 6 chapters. He talks you in circles and goes on random tangents, which is where a lot of the very offensive content pops up. I thought that maybe I just didn’t vibe with his larrikin storytelling tone, but I have since read multiple history books with similar tones that are much funnier and much more concise. You get a sense that Hull’s ego is enormous through his writing, and that he considers himself The Expert on all things dog. Unfortunately I cannot find any sources to his so called credentials, and find his knowledge wanting.

If you read this book and find the history of dogs interesting because of it, then prepare yourself to unlearn as many mistruths as the Australian public had to after Kaleski’s lies were finally disproven. And absolutely get yourself more knowledgeable than Hull on dog behaviour, it’s easy to do.

Oh, and one last thing:
Dear Mr Hull,
We still need and use dogs to heel and bite cattle.
Sincerely,
The Beef Cattle Industry.

[Anomilie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very disappointed with this highly repetitive drivel on a topic I'm very much interested in. I understand that shoddy Australian record keeping would have been a major challenge in accessing sufficient facts to make a story. However regurgitating ill formed or out of place arguments in multiple chapters to make a book seem more substantial is never a crowd pleaser. One particular argument that annoyingly seems to be a red thread throughout is hacking into and discrediting Robert Kaleski's work so much so I feel a better title would have been "The dogs that made Australia: how Kaleski was wrong about everything"

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected, so while it was intresting in some aspects, there was times I felt like the topic was being repetitive in the telling.
For avid dog lovers who want to know about the history of canine's in Australia, this book is for you.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Misleading but Interesting read.

That’s a Heeler on the Cover! Got me excited! Where was Tom Bentley?! We all know about the Bentley Mark, but he wasn’t even mentioned. Kind of a drag.
But, the rest was interesting.

[Thea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, which is always a treat. Really great to learn all this history. Although I would love to know what brought my dog's breed to Australia. I have an English Staffordshire Terrier.

[Annie Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of history, not what I expected. However, did teach me.

[Jake Hattis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough history on the history of working breeds in Australia. I have a newfound appreciation for the Kelpie.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect blend for the dog lover and history buff in me, "The Dogs that Made America" is a love letter to canine companions and a country that absolutely delivers in its premise. Normally when a topic is headlined like this, normally one half of the combination usually falls to the wayside. Either it becomes 70% about , in this case, dogs and 30% about history or vice versa. However, this book does an excellent job at truly trying in on how the two evolved and shaped one another sometimes literally in both regards.

It also explores not only domestication, but the ability of a relationship to shape a landscape, a culture, and a people's mythology. It combines the working dog elements with that of companionship and showmanship branching all the occupations and places that the two subjects collide. In the process I found myself being introduced to so many facts about Australia, about media, and about bloodlines that I admit I was surprised and was tempted to start taking trivia notes!

All of this is wrapped up with a completely amusing tongue in cheek that is sure to bring up a snicker or two. Just because it leans to humor does not mean it is frivolous. It treats serious aspects as foreign influence on native populations be they animal, mineral, vegetable, or human with the gravity it deserves. While it champions dogs, it isn't shy to give criticism to humans who have done them wrong in one way or another. Just ask the Kangaroo Dog and the effect of their introduction on local life and then their complete dismissal for one or the German Shepherd among others.

I cannot recommend this book enough for anyone with any level of interest in either matter--I'm sure it will be equally as entertaining to many who give it a chance.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read about dogs and their impact on Australian history - how they were cross bred for specific skills. An interesting side story shows that passing off opinions as facts is not new!!! And how this led to a ban on Alsation dogs. Enlightening and entertaining. Would appeal to lovers of history and dogs.

Hunter. Worker. Legend. The untold story of the dog's role in building our nation. The Dogs That Made Australia pays tribute to the dogs that gave their all for our prosperity: the fearless hounds that saved fledgling colonies from famine; the courageous heelers and tireless collies that powered the rise of beef and wool; the tough little home-grown terriers that protected the homestead and garden; and the extraordinary police dogs, ahead of their time, loved by the nation. The selfless exploits of our heroic dogs are writ indelibly in our nation's heritage and identity. The Dogs That Made Australia is a vivid and meticulously researched history of Australia told from the perspectives of the dingo and of the dogs that were imported and developed here, as well as the humans who loved, feared and worked them. PRAISE' A highly readable book about Australia's dog heroes and their contribution to Australia's development. This is a book for the ages. I loved every page!' Tony Parsons, OAM, author of The Kelpie

[Carol Chapin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that I selected from my “To Read” list on Goodreads. I add books to this list all the time, but often don’t remember why I put them on. This one must have had one heck of a review…

Seriously, this wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t one that I needed to read. I am impressed with how important dogs were to the settlement and growth of Australia – mostly due to the sheep and cattle industries. I learned the various important dog breeds developed in that country. But this book went into more detail on dog breeding than I needed to know. It covered all aspects of the subject – including discussing a man who whose writing on those breeds was popular for years, but who was really spreading disinformation.

The book gave me a general knowledge of the Australian breeds, some of which I will hopefully retain.

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this account of the origins of Australians rough, tough working dogs, to whom we owe so much. It also explores the origin of the Dingo, it's respectfully distant relationship with Indigenous Australians.
It showed how humans are really good at stuffing up the delicate balance of nature for their own gain...squashed a lot of myths about both Dingos and Aussie dog breeds.

Told the story of governors greyhounds, to early settlers kangaroo dogs, Aussie terriers and ratters, all the way through to Kelpies, koolies, Cattle dogs, stumpies, German shepherd police dogs and even the pigging dogs of Australia today. Set against the harsh backdrop that is quintessentially Australia, this is a great read for any dog lover or historically interested Aussie alike.

[Tigereno · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about the most recognisable dog breeds in Australia. Very detailed book with some fascinating information. The book was a bit hard to read in points due to the amount of information, also when there were a lot of different names or places involved (that's a personal problem I have). I loved reading about the "building" of the cattle dog as I have 3 of them. It was tough reading about how dingoes were (and still are to a degree) treated, and that German Shepherds were seen as a menace to society and actually banned from being imported for many years. Not the easiest read, but work a look if you're interested in the history of Australian dog breeds.

[Trocadero Dansant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully written, factually based historical telling of the genetic and social history of dogs in Australia. From Dingo origins to the myths surrounding them. The incredibly detailed history of how the beloved Kelpies, Heelers and Koolies came to be - I enjoyed this telling.

I was interested and surprised at many parts. Including; fake news about dog breeds being spread via newspapers and what effects anti-German sentiment had on dog breeding and dog ownership in Australia. Also, very tongue in cheek funny at times.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is such a huge shame that a book about our beloved Blue Heelers and Kelpies turned into an account of what seemed like the author’s personal vendetta for a man named Kaleski. The last third of this title was almost unbearable and it was certainly a huge challenge to actually finish it because the author spent so many words contradicting Kaleski’s theories. I not saying the author is wrong, he is absolutely correct however it was incredibly lengthy and repetitive.

[Brett Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book about individual stories about Dogs, this is not it. But it's a fascinating look at the role dogs have played throughout the history of Australia, from the Dingo to the Kelpie. It is incredibly well researched and written. A few sections were not as interesting as others as it delved very deep into the breeding and pedigree of some dogs that was lost on me. But overall a great insight into mans best friend.

[Christel Keijzer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting pieces of Australian history that are little known, describing the migrations and adaptations of dog breeds through Australia's history, acknowledging the importance and under-appreciation of the working dogs who played a huge role in the growth of a nation.