Pet Supplies Review

Help Wanted – Herding dog that can corral my Cattle.

A herding dog, also known as a stock dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding. Many herding dogs have never been on a dog leash. Their ability to be trained to act on the sound of a whistle or word of command is renowned throughout the world.

All herding behavior is modified predatory behavior. Through selective breeding, man has been able to minimize the dog’s natural inclination to treat cattle and sheep as prey while simultaneously maintaining the dog’s hunting skills, thereby creating an effective herding dog.

Dogs can work other animals in a variety of ways. Some breeds, such as the Australian Cattle Dog, typically nip at the heels of animals (for this reason they are called heelers) and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi were historically used in in a similar fashion in the cattle droves that moved cattle from Wales to the Smithfield Market in London but are rarely used for herding today.

Other breeds, notably the Border Collie, get in front of the animals and use what is called strong eye to stare down the animals; they are known as headers. The headers or fetching dogs keep livestock in a group. They consistently go to the front or head of the animals to turn or stop the animal’s movement. The heelers or driving dogs keep pushing the animals forward. Typically, they stay behind the herd. The Australian Kelpie and Australian Koolie use both these methods and also run along the backs of sheep so are said to head, heel, and back. Other types such as the Australian Shepherd, English Shepherd and Welsh Sheepdog are moderate to loose eyed, working more independently.