You chose a great dog, maybe even a puppy, and realized with horror that he was in the division herding dogs belongs?
No panic! Of course, this doesn’t mean that you’re going to species-appropriate utilization your dog have to acquire a complete flock of sheep!
How to typical behavior of herding dogs expresses what you do with the Upbringing yours herding dog should consider how you him utilize and occupy you can find out this and much more helpful information in our article.
In a nutshell: the typical behavior of herding dogs
Herding dogs have a very long tradition. The dogs were and are used by shepherds to keep the herds together and to look after them, that is, to steer them.
herding dogs work doing so on instruction, but sometimes they also decide self-employed. A herding dog must NEVER injure an animal in its herd while working.
Herding dogs and herd guard dogs are often confused with each other. But each division has its own task!
Because herding dogs are among the working dogs belong, i.e. to the dog breeds that are bred specifically for a job, they have one high willingness to work and drive.
Meanwhile, thanks to their characteristics, these dogs also have great popularity in the area dog sport, Dog fun and won as an active family dog.
Speaking of dog training: would you like to learn more with your dog? Dan, check out our dog training bible! Here you will find many great exerciseswhich also easy to integrate into everyday life!
What is a herding dog?
Herding dogs were originally bred to livestock to guard, guard and to to drive. This required fast, agile dogs that quickly subordinate themselves to humans.
A division that emerged from this is the paddock dogs. They serve to select individual animals from a herd or to drive the entire herd into a pen.
Probably the best known and most widespread breed is the border collie. In contrast to the original herding dogs, paddock dogs are allowed to bark during their work.
Very many dog breeds of herding dogs are nowadays in the dog sport deployed. Since they are extremely quick, nimble and willing to learn, almost all herding dog breeds are suitable for these areas.
Herding Dog Character & Traits
All breeds of herding dogs have a good Endurance, are obedience and very self-assured. Through her fine instincts and you sensitive being is it possible for them to smallest gestures to react.
Herding dogs are the Ferraris of dog breeds. For someone who wants to do agility, fun or even serious dog sport, this breed is just about perfect.
It is not for nothing that herding dogs are usually found on the podium at agility events, for example….
These are the characteristics of herding dogs at a glance:
- obedience
- self-assured
- sensitive
- agile
- intelligent
- alert
- willing to work
- persevering
Typical behavior of herding dogs
Unfortunately the original function of a herding dog mostly underestimated. Of course, the herding instinct can be suppressed or even diverted.
However, one should always keep in mind what these dogs are originally bred for.
“Genetics cannot be brushed aside”
Even if you have bought a herding dog: Such a dog is allowed NEVER be let into a herd without thorough and competent training. The statement «he has herding in his blood» can be deadly, since herding is a weakened form of hunting and not all dogs know the limits.
Does your herding dog have a strong hunting instinctthen I recommend the following article: Wean your dog from hunting instinct
herding dog training
Herding dogs are usually really small ones nerd. you love this Learn and the Work. Therefore, depending on the dog’s experience, training is relatively easy for the most part.
It is not only the physical workload that is important with such energetic dogs. Quiet learning and especially mental work is almost more important.
Herding dogs grow relatively quickly ball junkies used. These dogs would run until they drop dead. It is therefore your duty to ensure an optimal balance between rest and action!
If you teach your little pup to be quiet from the start, you’ll have a much easier time later.
herding dog problems
Since herding dogs extremely sensitive and perceive the finest signals, it often happens in everyday life stressful situations.
Recurring stimuli that regularly appear in everyday life should therefore be positively documented as early as possible.
Since the herding instinct is a weakened form of the hunting instinct, this important point should not be neglected.
Anyone who does not want their herding dog to look after the family should offer them an alternative task such as dog sports.
Utilize & employ herding dog
With herding dogs it is extremely important that the balance between the physical and mental workload is given.
All active activities such as agility, Treibball or even draft dog sports are physical activities. Quiet tasks such as tracks, mantrailers or a dummy search are activities that keep the mind busy.
The third and almost most important point is relaxation.
If these three points are in balance, a long, contented life as a herding dog can lead to a long, happy and, above all, contented life, even without sheep.
herding dog breeds
Herding dogs include the world’s most popular dog breeds, such as:
border collie
The border collie is probably the best-known representative of the herding dogs and originally comes from Great Britain.
The Border Collie is still very often used today, alongside the Kelpie, to work with sheep and is highly valued.
Thanks to their characteristics, Border Collies can now also be found worldwide in dog sports, where they are usually found among the top three.
An ideal dog for an ambitious owner.
Australian Shepherd
Thanks to its appearance and the wide variety of coat color variations, the Australian Shepherd unfortunately a fashion dog at the moment.
Important!
blue merle and red merle are very popular color combinations. However, before purchasing, it should be considered that this color development is actually a genetic error. In some countries, breeding according to Merle colors is considered torture breeding. Furthermore, very serious complications can arise, for example, from anesthesia, which can lead to the death of the dog.
German shepherd dog
The German sheepdog was formerly very often used for herding. Nowadays it is only very rarely found in this area.
His courage, willingness to work and absolute loyalty have meanwhile made him popular in other areas.
Conclusion
Herding dogs are very motivated, hardworking and also sensitive Dogs.
They are suitable for active people who want to pursue goals with their dog or who simply like to spend a long time outside and do something with the dog.
Like all dog breeds, they require structure, consequence and fairness in education.
However, one should always keep in mind that these little whirlwinds are sometimes subtly reminded that a time-out is perfectly fine once in a while.
Are you looking for inspiration about what you can learn with your herding dog? Then I recommend our dog bible. Here you will find many great suggestions, tips and new tricks!