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Herding Dog Breeds
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Background Of The Herding Dogs

Throughout the world, dogs from the herding dog breeds have been used to control and guard flocks of sheep and herds of cattle. All of these dogs were developed for intelligence and abilities to quickly follow commands.

Some of the herding dogs from this group, that had to work in severe climates, were selectively bred to develop thick coats to protect them from the cold as well as predators.

Although dogs from this group are born with the basic instincts for herding, they still need to have specialized training from an early age to develop and hone these abilities.

Herding Dog Breeds Round Them Up

To control the movement of animals, herding dogs work in various ways The basic job they set out to do is to get those herds or flocks in line by surrounding them in a particular fashion.

Some dogs do this in a driving way, while others use circling and gathering techniques. They will also also communicate to the animals in different ways - some by barking, some by staring and some by nipping at the heels of the animals who are more stubborn.

All of the dogs in the herding group work both independently and by paying close attention to commands from their handlers.

Sheep Herderd's Whistle

Today, a great number of dogs from this group spend their lives far from farm lands and cattle ranges. None the less, they are still treasured as marvelous, loyal companions and are a delight to train because of their high intelligence.

Consider owning a dog from this group if you would like a very loyal, attentive and active dog that you can train and enter into agility or obedience trials. Herding dog breeds thrive on action and the challenge of these activities, as well as the opportunity to expend some of their high energy.

Learn How To Be A Herding Dog Handler

If you're interested in learning about using dogs to work livestock, take a look at this website:
Working Dog Centre located in Australia.

And, here is another ranch in Southern California, that offers sheep herding classes:
Drummond Ranch

Source: Cesar Millan and Herding Instructor Jenna Duncan at Drummond Ranch

List of Herding Dog Breeds

Click on any of the herding breeds in the table below to learn more about them individually.

Australian Cattle Dog	Australian Shepherd	Bearded Collie	Belgian Malinois
Belgian Sheepdog	Belgian Tervuren	Border Collie	Bouvier des Flandres
Briard	Canaan Dog	Cardigan Welsh Corgi	Collie
German Shepherd Dog	Old English Sheepdog	Pembroke Welsh Corgi	Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Puli	Shetland Sheepdog