Herding Dog Breeds

I may be a little partial here because we've owned herding dog breeds for over 30 years. Four Collies and two Shelties or Shetland Sheepdogs to be exact, male and female.

These herding dog breeds were bred to tend flocks, whether it be sheep, ducks, cattle or kids. They are the guardians.

Gentle, happy, intelligent, easy to train, these are excellent family dogs. They fit well anywhere, apartment, townhouse, house or ranch. They are always eager to please and be of use.

You may find your dog bringing the family in for dinner, herding the family to bed or rounding up the kids to come in at the end of the day. This is what herding dog breeds were bred for centuries ago.

This group of herding dog breeds encompasses every size of dog. The smaller dogs may not be up to a child's high energy but they give it a good shot.

If you purchased an all breed book, check out the dogs in this group. You will have a good idea of the attitude and exercise level and all around good nature of the breeds.

A few larger, popular herding dog breeds are:

German Shepherd

This is a large dog with a long back and large prick ears. This canine has a double coat and requires weekly brushing, especially when shedding to remove the dead undercoat.

The German Shepherd is a dog of good temper. He is friendly and easy to train. He loves his family but can be standoffish with strangers.

He is extensively used by the police as bomb and drug sniffers and as police officers to round up fleeing suspects.

Collie

Expression is the Collie's greatest feature next to it's long, luxurious coat. The head is wedge shaped with tipped ears and round, expressive eyes showing intelligence and "happiness".

The rough Collie has a very dense undercoat that is soft and insulating. The outer coat is long, coarse and repels water, snow and dirt. However, this coat type requires much more brushing than the smooth coated variety which has a short double coat and requires little brushing except when shedding.

Collies are exceptional family dogs. They are highly intelligent and easy to train. Moderate exercise will do well for your Collie but, as stated before, requires lots of grooming.

Schnauzer

As with other herding breeds, he has a double coat and intelligent face sporting whiskers and defined eyebrows. The ears are usually cropped to bring out the facial expression of these dogs.

Schnauzers are easy to train, playful and devoted to their families. They can be territorial so this would make them good watchdogs.

Old English Sheepdog

This dog is large, strong and taller in the rear than the front. Lots of coat makes grooming a little tough, but manageable. And yes, he can see even though he has hair over his eyes.

Sheepdogs are really active dogs and have a great disposition. As with all herding breeds, they love their families and are protective of them. These dogs are very easy going but require lots of grooming.

Border Collie

The breed has been gaining in popularity in the U.S. as an agility dog and in other canine sports. This dog is muscular and very quick. He is extremely energetic and needs something to do, therefore, making him very trainable.

Herding is so deeply embedded in this breed that you may find him bringing in the family for dinner or sending everyone to bed before he retires for the night. Lots of exercise and weekly brushing are a must for this dog.

Australian Shepherd

They are very energetic and a strong willingness to work. They are playful and love children. Easily trained, they need activity to burn off their energy.

The coat is double but of medium length and comes in colors of merle, red or black. Weekly grooming is a must.

Aussies make good family dogs and are excellent watchdogs. However, they, like the Border Collie, may try to herd the family, especially children. Watch for any signs of nipping at the ankles (this is what they do to cattle)and stop it before it becomes troublesome.

Shetland Sheepdog (Sheltie)

The Shetland Sheepdog originated on the Shetland Islands of Scotland. It is a small version of the rough Collie but a distinctly different breed. An old breed, they were bred with Collies after the 15th century giving them the Collie look.

A small, muscular, double coated dog, Shelties are fantastic family pets. Like the Collie, they require lots of brushing to keep the coat healthy.

Easy to train, quick to respond, they love their family and need to be in the family group. The only drawback (speaking from experience since we've owned two Shelties so far) is they do "talk" alot. Meaning bark. This makes them excellent watchdogs, but you have to draw the line as to what they can bark at. Usually any sound sets them off.

That said, we love our little guy (his picture is above) and couldn't ask for a better companion.

Corgi

The Cardigan and Pembroke have bat like ears, foxy face and short double coats that can be black and white, red or sable. Weekly grooming will keep them looking great. Their bodies resemble a dachshund but a little stockier and larger with more coat. The Cardigan has a tail whereas the Pembroke doesn't.

They are lively little dogs, intelligent and easy to train. However, they believe they are bigger than they are and can become stubborn and aggressive.

Corgis have also found favor with royalty. Queen Elizabeth is a great fan of these little dogs and currently have them residing in Buckingham Palace.