Herding Breeds: Understanding the Dogs Bred to Control, Move and Protect Livestock

When people describe a dog as a “herding breed”, it is tempting to imagine every breed doing roughly the same job: running around a field and moving sheep. In reality, pastoral dogs were developed for a remarkable range of different tasks. Some were bred to gather sheep from huge areas of open countryside, some to push stubborn cattle along roads, some to keep livestock within unfenced boundaries, and others were expected not to move livestock at all, but to live beside it and defend it from predators.

That difference matters enormously when we bring these dogs into modern homes. A Border Collie staring at passing cars, an Australian Cattle Dog grabbing at trouser legs, a Shetland Sheepdog barking at everything that moves and a Maremma refusing to welcome a stranger onto the property may look like completely different behavioural problems. In each case, however, selective breeding has influenced what the dog notices, how quickly it reacts and what it is naturally inclined to do about it.

In the UK, these breeds broadly fall within The Kennel Club's Pastoral Group, which it describes as dogs associated with working cattle, sheep, reindeer and other cloven-footed animals. It is important to understand that “Pastoral” does not mean that every breed is technically a herder. The group also contains specialist livestock guardian breeds whose working behaviour is almost the opposite of that of a Border Collie.

The group is also evolving. The Icelandic Sheepdog joined the UK Pastoral Group in April 2025, followed by the Hungarian Mudi in July 2025.

Understanding what these dogs were actually bred to do gives us a much better starting point for understanding the dog living in front of us today.

Herding behaviour begins with predatory behaviour

The ability to herd did not appear from nowhere. Much of herding behaviour developed through selective breeding of parts of the canine predatory sequence.

A predator may search for prey, orient towards it, stalk, chase, grab, kill and consume it. In herding dogs, humans selectively strengthened some elements of this sequence while suppressing others. The exact balance depended upon the job the dog needed to perform.

The classic example is the Border Collie. Searching, orientating, stalking and chasing are extremely pronounced, while grabbing and biting livestock are generally much less desirable. Compare this with a cattle heeler, where some controlled gripping of the heels became useful because a cow weighing hundreds of kilograms might simply ignore a dog that politely stared at it.

This is why talking about a single “herding instinct” is rather misleading. Herding dogs can have substantially different behavioural packages.

A Border Collie may freeze and stare.

A Corgi may rush towards movement and nip.

A Sheltie may circle and bark.

A German Shepherd may patrol and control an area.

A livestock guardian may place itself between its animals and a perceived threat.

All are expressions of jobs humans deliberately selected dogs to perform.

The main types of pastoral dog

Although there is considerable overlap, it is useful to divide pastoral breeds into several broad working types. These are functional categories rather than official Kennel Club subdivisions, and some breeds could reasonably sit in more than one.

Gathering and heading dogs

Gathering dogs work by moving around livestock and bringing it towards the handler. Border Collies are the clearest example. Their ability to cast out around sheep, control their direction from a distance and respond rapidly to a shepherd's instructions made them enormously valuable in open country.

These breeds are often extremely sensitive to movement and small environmental changes. That sensitivity is useful when the object moving is a sheep, but in a suburban environment the same brain may become fascinated by bicycles, joggers, footballs, children, cats or cars.

Loose-eyed sheepdogs and all-purpose herders

Not every sheepdog works with the intense crouch and stare associated with the Border Collie. Many European sheepdogs work in a more upright, mobile fashion, using their bodies, movement and sometimes their voices to influence livestock.

These dogs were often expected to do more than one job. They might move livestock, watch property, accompany the shepherd and make decisions without constant instruction. As a result, many combine trainability with more independence than people expect.

Heelers and cattle dogs

Moving cattle presents a very different problem from moving sheep. Cattle are larger, physically powerful and may challenge a dog rather than simply moving away from it. Some cattle dogs therefore developed a particularly forceful working style, including rapid movement towards the animal and controlled gripping around the heels.

In a pet home this can appear as chasing feet, grabbing clothing, nipping children when they run or becoming extremely excited by fast movement.

Drovers

Droving dogs historically helped move animals over considerable distances, sometimes from farms to markets. They needed stamina, confidence, persistence and enough presence to push livestock forward.

Many of the shorter-legged cattle dogs also had the advantage of being low enough to avoid a well-aimed bovine kick.

Northern and reindeer herders

Northern pastoral breeds developed in very different conditions. Some worked with reindeer rather than sheep or cattle and frequently used barking as part of their work. This helps explain why vocal behaviour is particularly noticeable in several Scandinavian pastoral breeds.

They may also be more independent than the classic British sheepdog because their work did not always involve waiting for constant commands from a handler.

Livestock guardian dogs

Then there is an entirely different group.

A Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Maremma, Komondor or Kangal was not primarily created to chase livestock around a field. Its job was to remain with livestock and deter predators or human threats.

Successful guardian dogs therefore needed independence, confidence, territorial awareness and the willingness to make decisions without asking a person first.

Trying to raise one as though it were simply a very large Border Collie completely misunderstands the dog.

The British and collie-type herders

Border Collie

Few breeds demonstrate selective breeding for behaviour more clearly than the Border Collie. Developed around the border country of Britain, these dogs were selected overwhelmingly for working ability. A good sheepdog needed to cover considerable distances, locate livestock, move around the flock and bring it back towards the shepherd. The distinctive crouching movement and intense stare known as “eye” became particularly characteristic of the breed. The Kennel Club still describes the Border Collie as an active, intelligent herding specialist whose natural activity means that it needs meaningful engagement.

That extraordinary responsiveness can create problems in an ordinary home. Border Collies can become intensely aware of anything that moves. Cars, bicycles, shadows, reflections, children playing football and even household appliances can become objects of fixation. Some dogs circle family members, stalk other dogs or repeatedly attempt to control movement.

They are also exceptionally good at learning patterns, including patterns their owners never intended to teach. Constantly throwing a ball, for example, can create an extremely fit dog with an even greater obsession with fast-moving objects rather than genuinely satisfying its need to think.

A Border Collie puppy should therefore learn that noticing movement does not automatically mean pursuing it. Calm observation, disengagement, recall, directional cues, impulse control and the ability to settle are enormously valuable. Structured tug, scent work, obedience, tracking, agility, controlled retrieve work, treibball and properly supervised sheep work can provide useful outlets.

Perhaps most importantly, they need to learn how not to work. Real working sheepdogs are not sprinting continuously for twelve hours. They watch, wait, think and respond when necessary. Good working dogs must be capable of reducing pressure and standing down as well as switching on.

Bearded Collie

The Bearded Collie developed as a British livestock dog capable of working sheep and cattle in difficult terrain. Compared with the famous low stalking movement of the Border Collie, Beardies traditionally work in a more upright and energetic fashion. They can be wonderfully enthusiastic, sociable dogs, but that enthusiasm can become part of the challenge.

Young Beardies may be extremely bouncy, physical and easily excited. Jumping, barking, chasing and difficulty settling can become established if the dog is simply exercised harder every time it becomes excitable.

They benefit from training that develops physical control as well as enthusiasm. Loose lead walking, stays, calm greetings, recall and a strong settle should be established alongside active outlets such as tracking, agility, scent work and appropriate herding activities.

Rough Collie

The Rough Collie belongs to the same broad sheepdog heritage but has travelled a very different route through selective breeding. Generations of exhibition and companion breeding have produced a dog that is generally less intensely work-driven than a working Border Collie, although the pastoral heritage has certainly not disappeared.

Rough Collies can be highly observant dogs and are often particularly aware of their environment. Alert barking, sensitivity to unfamiliar situations and attempts to chase movement can occur. Some are naturally reserved rather than enthusiastically social with strangers.

The goal with a puppy should not be to turn it into a dog that desperately wants to meet everybody. Calm neutrality is far more useful. Exposure to different environments, surfaces, people, dogs and noises should be combined with rewarding the puppy for checking in with its handler and remaining composed.

Smooth Collie

The Smooth Collie shares much of the same ancestry as the Rough Collie but comes without the enormous coat. Historically useful as a practical farm and stock dog, the Smooth can retain plenty of activity, awareness and trainability.

They frequently thrive when given something purposeful to learn. Obedience, tracking, scent work, hoopers and varied walks can work well. As with the Rough Collie, environmental sensitivity and vocal behaviour need to be considered when raising a puppy.

Shetland Sheepdog

The Shetland Sheepdog developed in the challenging environment of the Shetland Islands. The Kennel Club notes its relationship to the Scottish sheepdogs from which the Collie, Border Collie and Bearded Collie also developed.

Their small size can sometimes lead owners to underestimate how much pastoral behaviour is packed into the dog. Shelties can be quick, intensely observant and extremely vocal. A dog bred to notice changes and communicate about them may find a modern street overflowing with things worth announcing.

Rather than constantly shouting at a Sheltie for barking, owners should work on the cause. Teach the puppy to notice something and then return its attention to the handler. Create predictable routines around doors and visitors. Develop a quiet settle and ensure that barking does not repeatedly result in access to whatever the dog wants.

The Welsh and British cattle dogs

Welsh Corgi Pembroke

The Pembroke may now be internationally associated with royal households, but underneath the familiar appearance is a cattle dog.

Being low to the ground was an advantage when working around cattle because the dog could nip at heels and rapidly move underneath or away from kicking legs. That heritage helps explain why some young Corgis become highly stimulated by running feet, children or other dogs.

A puppy should be prevented from practising ankle chasing from the beginning. Appropriate tug and toy games can provide an outlet for grabbing behaviour, while recall, stop cues, disengagement and calm behaviour around movement should be heavily reinforced.

Corgis are intelligent dogs and generally benefit from far more training than their relatively small body suggests.

Welsh Corgi Cardigan

The Cardigan Welsh Corgi shares the low-built cattle-working concept but has a separate history from the Pembroke. Cardigans were versatile farm dogs capable of moving cattle as well as watching property.

They can consequently combine herding tendencies with a strong awareness of what is happening around the home. Barking and suspicion towards unfamiliar activity can occur if early experiences are poorly managed.

Training should encourage thoughtful investigation rather than immediately rushing towards every disturbance. Calm neutrality around visitors, good recall and controlled outlets for chase and tug behaviours can be particularly useful.

Lancashire Heeler

The Lancashire Heeler is a fascinating combination because its history includes both cattle-working and terrier influence. The Kennel Club describes it as a lively, intelligent cattle dog with both herding and terrier instincts and notes its historical connection with driving cattle.

This means that a very small dog can arrive with a surprisingly substantial behavioural toolkit. Movement can trigger chasing, heels can trigger grabbing and small animals may awaken terrier-like predatory interest.

Owners should not assume that small size removes the need for training. Recall, leave, controlled greetings, loose lead walking and an outlet for searching and grabbing are every bit as important in a Lancashire Heeler as they are in a considerably larger working dog.

The Australian cattle and stock dogs

Australian Cattle Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog was developed to move cattle across demanding Australian terrain, and subtlety was not always sufficient for the job. These dogs needed physical toughness, persistence and enough confidence to pressure cattle that did not want to move.

The word Heeler tells us plenty about the behaviour that humans valued. Controlled gripping of cattle around the heels was useful working behaviour.

In the family home that same behavioural tendency can emerge around children, running dogs and human ankles. Australian Cattle Dogs may also become highly intense during play and can struggle with frustration when denied access to something exciting.

Early training should therefore concentrate on disengagement from movement, recall, impulse control and an extremely solid stop or down. Structured tug, scent work, tracking, obedience and livestock work can give the dog somewhere appropriate to direct its intensity.

They are rarely dogs that simply need “more exercise”. They need education.

Australian Shepherd

Despite the name, the modern Australian Shepherd was largely developed in the United States as a versatile ranch and livestock dog. Compared with the intense eye of a Border Collie, Aussies generally use a more upright, loose-eyed working style and can work both sheep and cattle.

Modern Australian Shepherds vary enormously between breeding lines. Some are relatively straightforward active companions, while others retain considerable stock drive, environmental awareness and suspicion of unfamiliar people.

Adolescent Aussies can become extremely excitable around dogs and people, particularly if puppy socialisation has accidentally taught them that every living thing is an invitation to interact. Teaching neutrality is therefore essential. They need to learn that another dog appearing does not automatically mean play is about to happen.

The French and continental shepherds

Beauceron

The Beauceron is a large French pastoral breed historically associated with shepherding and driving livestock. It combines athleticism and trainability with considerably more physical presence than many traditional sheepdogs.

That combination can produce a formidable adolescent if boundaries and basic skills are neglected. Jumping, mouthing, chasing and suspicious behaviour towards unfamiliar people can become difficult simply because of the dog's eventual size.

A Beauceron puppy needs broad environmental experience, but socialisation should never mean uncontrolled access to everyone. The goal is a confident dog that can notice people, dogs and unusual situations without feeling compelled to interact with them.

Briard

The Briard is another old French shepherding breed. It was expected to manage livestock while also possessing enough confidence to protect flock and property.

Modern Briards can therefore combine responsiveness with independence and watchfulness. Some are naturally reserved with strangers, which should be respected rather than treated as a fault requiring everybody they meet to touch them.

Scent work, tracking, obedience, directional exercises and thoughtful problem-solving suit the breed well. Equally important is learning that responsibility for every unusual noise or visitor does not rest with the dog.

Picardy Sheepdog

The Picardy Sheepdog, or Berger Picard, developed as a French sheepdog and farm worker. It tends to be athletic, intelligent and capable of independent thought.

The breed may be naturally cautious around unfamiliar people or circumstances, so early socialisation should prioritise confidence rather than overwhelming exposure. Giving a puppy time to watch, process and investigate can be much more valuable than repeatedly forcing interaction.

They generally benefit from practical training that has a purpose rather than endless repetition.

Pyrenean Sheepdog — Long Haired

The Pyrenean Sheepdog is very different from the enormous Pyrenean Mountain Dog with which it historically shared the mountains. The smaller sheepdog moved livestock; the large mountain dog protected it.

The Long Haired Pyrenean Sheepdog is quick, agile and extremely energetic. Many possess enormous enthusiasm for movement and training.

Because they can react quickly, developing calm observation and an off-switch from puppyhood is important. Agility, herding, tracking and advanced training can suit them beautifully, provided excitement is balanced with self-control.

Pyrenean Sheepdog — Smooth Faced

The Smooth Faced Pyrenean Sheepdog is recognised separately within the UK Pastoral Group. It shares the same general working background but differs physically and can show differences in working style and temperament between lines.

Like its long-haired relative, it is an athletic dog that usually needs meaningful activity rather than endless physical exercise. Directional training, recall, scent work and controlled movement games are excellent ways of using the brain that generations of shepherds selected.

German, Belgian and Swiss shepherds

German Shepherd Dog

The German Shepherd Dog was created from German herding dogs with the intention of producing an exceptionally capable all-purpose working breed. Herding was central to its ancestry, although the breed subsequently became famous for police, military, detection, protection and service work.

That history explains why the modern German Shepherd can combine movement sensitivity, willingness to work with a handler, environmental awareness and protective behaviour.

Poorly managed puppies may become excessively suspicious, frustrated on lead or intensely reactive towards unfamiliar dogs and people. Simply encouraging a German Shepherd puppy to greet everyone can make matters worse because excitement and expectation can replace neutrality.

Owners should develop confidence, obedience, scenting ability, recall, loose lead walking and controlled exposure to the world. Tracking and scent work are particularly useful because they provide substantial mental engagement without relying upon constant high arousal.

White Swiss Shepherd Dog

The White Swiss Shepherd Dog developed historically from white German Shepherd lines and became recognised as a breed in its own right. The Kennel Club describes it as a versatile, intelligent worker.

The breed often retains many of the characteristics people associate with shepherd dogs: strong attachment to its people, environmental awareness, trainability and sensitivity.

Confidence building is particularly important. A worried shepherd should not be repeatedly pushed into interactions in the name of socialisation. Giving the puppy appropriate distance while teaching it how to investigate and recover can create a much more resilient adult.

Belgian Shepherd Dog Malinois

Few breeds demonstrate the consequences of selecting for working intensity more clearly than the Belgian Malinois.

Malinois have become famous for military, police and protection work, but their roots lie within the Belgian shepherding population. They are extraordinarily quick, athletic and responsive, and many have extremely strong possession, chase and gripping behaviours.

Those traits can be exceptional in skilled hands and overwhelming in an unsuitable home.

A Malinois puppy needs far more than physical exercise. It needs clarity. Structured play should teach the dog when to engage, when to release and when the game is finished. Obedience needs to function under arousal, and calm behaviour must be deliberately developed rather than assuming the dog will eventually “grow out of” intensity.

Belgian Shepherd Dog Groenendael

The Groenendael is the long-coated black variety of Belgian Shepherd Dog. Although sharing the same broad ancestry as the Malinois, modern breeding populations can differ considerably in working intensity.

Groenendaels can still be highly alert, agile and sensitive dogs. Barking, environmental concern and reactivity may emerge if the dog is either under-socialised or repeatedly overwhelmed.

They usually flourish when training combines movement, thinking and cooperation with the handler.

Belgian Shepherd Dog Tervueren

The Tervueren is another long-coated Belgian variety and can display considerable working drive, sensitivity and awareness of its surroundings.

Owners should pay particular attention to emotional resilience during puppyhood. Novel surfaces, traffic, people, dogs, livestock, noises and unfamiliar environments should become ordinary parts of life without creating the expectation that the dog must interact with everything.

Many excel at tracking, obedience, scent work and dog sports.

Belgian Shepherd Dog Laekenois

The rough-coated Laekenois is the least commonly encountered Belgian Shepherd variety in Britain. It nevertheless shares the history of an adaptable shepherd and working dog.

Like the other Belgian Shepherds, it can be quick to notice change and quick to respond to it. Good breeding, careful socialisation and clear training are especially important in dogs possessing this combination of speed, size and vigilance.

The Hungarian pastoral breeds

Hungarian Puli

The Puli's extraordinary corded coat often receives more attention than the dog underneath it, but this is a genuine livestock-working breed.

Pulik traditionally worked as agile herders capable of moving livestock and reacting rapidly to changing situations. They can be energetic, vocal and surprisingly athletic.

Barking should be addressed through training rather than punishment alone. If a dog has been genetically selected to communicate and respond to environmental events, simply demanding silence rarely teaches it what to do instead. Orientation back to the handler, place training and structured quiet periods are much more useful.

Hungarian Pumi

The Pumi developed as an agile Hungarian livestock dog with a particularly alert, lively style. It often works using movement and voice rather than the heavy eye associated with Border Collies.

Consequently, vocalisation and rapid responses to movement can be very natural parts of the breed.

Pumis usually appreciate variety. Training that incorporates movement, searching, tricks, directional work and problem solving can give them productive ways to use their remarkable quickness.

Hungarian Mudi

The Mudi is one of the newest additions to the UK's recognised breeds, joining The Kennel Club's Pastoral Group in July 2025. The Kennel Club describes it as a rare Hungarian herding breed noted for exceptional intelligence, while the UK breed club specifically highlights its independent thinking, vocal behaviour and herding tendencies.

That description is worth taking seriously. Owners wanting a silent, placid dog that simply follows instructions may be frustrated by a breed developed to notice things and make decisions.

A Mudi needs partnership, variation and appropriate outlets for its energy. Equally, owners must teach that not everything moving through the environment requires intervention.

Hungarian Kuvasz

The Kuvasz belongs to a very different branch of Hungarian pastoral history. This is fundamentally a livestock guardian rather than a conventional herding dog.

The job demanded independence, suspicion of potential threats and the confidence to act without waiting for human instruction.

Attempts to remove these characteristics entirely would be attempts to remove much of the breed itself. Training should therefore focus on control, trust and neutrality rather than expecting retriever-like sociability.

Secure boundaries, careful introductions and excellent household management matter enormously.

Komondor

The unmistakable corded Komondor is another Hungarian livestock guardian. Historically, its value lay in living amongst animals and protecting them rather than manoeuvring them around a field.

Adult Komondors can consequently be territorial and deeply suspicious of unfamiliar activity around their home.

Socialisation should help the puppy distinguish normal life from genuine danger rather than convincing it that every stranger is a friend. Owners also need to recognise that a mature guardian dog may make decisions very differently from an obedience-bred shepherd.

Italian and Iberian pastoral breeds

Bergamasco

The Bergamasco developed in the Italian Alps as a shepherd's dog capable of working in demanding terrain. The characteristic coat protected the dog from difficult weather, but the more important behavioural inheritance is its ability to work intelligently and with a degree of independence.

A Bergamasco does not necessarily need constant frenetic activity. Thoughtful training, walking, searching, tracking and problem solving may be more appropriate than trying to exhaust the dog physically.

Maremma Sheepdog

The Maremma is a classic Italian livestock guardian.

Traditionally, these dogs lived closely with sheep and were expected to identify and deter danger, often with limited human direction. This is why an adult Maremma may be calm for hours and then react decisively when something appears unusual.

In a modern home, the biggest challenges are frequently territorial barking, guarding of the property and suspicion of unfamiliar visitors rather than sheep-herding behaviour.

Management matters. Secure fencing, planned visitor routines and carefully developed neutrality are essential. This is not a dog that should be expected to enthusiastically welcome every stranger through the front door.

Catalan Sheepdog

The Catalan Sheepdog was developed as a hardy working sheepdog in north-eastern Spain. The current Kennel Club standard describes the breed as active, intelligent, alert, loyal and trainable while noting that it may initially be wary of strangers.

That combination makes sensible puppy socialisation particularly important. Confidence should be developed without forcing interaction.

A Catalan Sheepdog generally benefits from having useful jobs to perform, whether that is advanced obedience, scent work, tracking or other activities requiring cooperation and thought.

The Polish pastoral dog

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

The Polish Lowland Sheepdog is a medium-sized herding dog with a long history as an adaptable farm and livestock worker.

They can be observant, intelligent and independent. Some are naturally reserved around unfamiliar people, while their herding heritage can produce chasing and controlling behaviour.

Training needs to be interesting enough to maintain engagement. Scent work, search games, obedience and varied environmental training can suit them well.

The Scandinavian and northern herders

Finnish Lapphund

The Finnish Lapphund developed from dogs associated with the Sámi people and the management of reindeer.

Reindeer herding is very different from quietly moving sheep around a British field. Barking can be useful when controlling large, mobile animals, and vocal behaviour remains noticeable in many modern Lapphunds.

Rather than viewing barking as an inexplicable defect, owners should recognise its heritage while teaching appropriate rules around it. A dog can be allowed to communicate while also learning cues for disengagement and quiet.

Swedish Lapphund

The Swedish Lapphund shares the northern tradition of reindeer-working dogs.

Like the Finnish Lapphund, it can be alert, vocal and environmentally aware. These characteristics were useful in an enormous working landscape where a dog needed to communicate with both humans and livestock.

Scent work, hiking, tracking and training involving independent problem solving can provide particularly appropriate enrichment.

Samoyed

Most people now recognise the Samoyed as a glamorous white companion dog, yet its ancestry is connected with northern working dogs used for several purposes, including managing reindeer.

The Kennel Club includes the Samoyed within the Pastoral Group and specifically refers to its historical association with reindeer herding.

Samoyeds can be energetic, vocal and considerably more independent than owners expecting a fluffy Golden Retriever sometimes anticipate. Recall around wildlife can require significant work, and barking can be persistent.

Activities that involve exploration, scenting and purposeful movement tend to suit the breed better than expecting precision obedience to provide its entire world.

Norwegian Buhund

The Norwegian Buhund was an adaptable Scandinavian farm dog used for livestock work as well as general farm duties and guarding.

That helps explain its combination of trainability, alertness and vocal behaviour. Many Buhunds are extremely aware of arrivals, noises and environmental changes.

They benefit from learning that noticing something does not require prolonged barking about it. Acknowledge the dog's alert, call it away and reinforce another behaviour rather than repeatedly engaging in a shouting competition.

Icelandic Sheepdog

The Icelandic Sheepdog was formally recognised by The Kennel Club in April 2025. Historically it served as a drover and general farm dog and was also used for working Icelandic horses.

The breed is characteristically alert and can be extremely vocal. Again, this makes considerably more sense when we remember what the dog was designed to do.

Owners should incorporate recall from moving stimuli, controlled barking, searching games and calm environmental observation from puppyhood.

Swedish Vallhund

The Swedish Vallhund is a low-set Scandinavian cattle and farm dog. Its shape may appear rather Corgi-like, but the important behavioural point is that this is a small dog with a genuine livestock-working heritage.

Heel chasing, barking and interest in movement can therefore appear.

Tug, scent games, obedience and controlled chase activities can provide useful outlets, while owners should prevent repeated practice of chasing children, bicycles or other dogs.

The traditional drover

Old English Sheepdog

Despite its name, the Old English Sheepdog is strongly associated with droving as well as livestock work. These large, agile dogs helped move animals rather than simply decorating Victorian drawing rooms.

The modern coat can disguise how athletic the dog underneath it is.

Adolescent Old English Sheepdogs can be extremely physical, enthusiastic and exuberant. Jumping, barging and overexcited greetings become much more significant when attached to a large adult dog, so calm greeting routines and lead manners should begin early.

The livestock guardians

Perhaps nowhere is understanding breed purpose more important than with livestock guardians.

These dogs were selected specifically not to depend upon a human for every decision. A shepherd might be nowhere nearby when wolves approached at night. The dog needed to notice the threat, decide whether it mattered and act accordingly.

That is a profoundly different behavioural requirement from a Border Collie waiting for a whistle.

Pyrenean Mountain Dog

The enormous Pyrenean Mountain Dog developed as a livestock guardian in the Pyrenees.

Its natural tendency is to watch, assess and protect. Territorial barking, especially at night, makes complete sense in that context.

The challenge in suburban Britain is that foxes, neighbours, delivery drivers and people walking past a fence can provide an apparently endless stream of things to assess.

Management and secure boundaries are therefore fundamental. Training helps enormously, but training cannot entirely remove centuries of selection for vigilance.

Estrela Mountain Dog

The Estrela Mountain Dog developed in Portugal as a livestock and property guardian.

It tends to be strongly attached to its household but can be naturally suspicious of outsiders. This is not necessarily a failure of socialisation.

A well-socialised Estrela should ideally be capable of remaining calm and controlled around unfamiliar people without needing to regard every stranger as a potential best friend.

Anatolian Shepherd Dog

The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is another large guardian type associated with livestock protection in Turkey. Independence is part of the package. An adult dog capable of confronting predators could not be bred to wait helplessly for a human to make every decision.

Owners therefore need realistic expectations about recall, stranger interaction, territorial behaviour and off-lead freedom. The more independent the breed, the more important management becomes.

Turkish Kangal Dog

The Turkish Kangal Dog is similarly associated with livestock protection rather than conventional sheep herding.

It is powerful, fast and capable of independent defensive behaviour. The ideal household is consequently very different from the one that might suit a Sheltie or Border Collie.

Early training, secure fencing, thoughtful visitor management and controlled exposure to the outside world are essential. This is not a breed in which problems should be allowed to develop until adulthood and then addressed after the dog has reached its full physical power.

Why herding breeds chase cars, bicycles and children

One of the most common behavioural complaints involving herding breeds is movement chasing. From the dog's perspective, movement is information.

For hundreds of generations, noticing one sheep beginning to separate from the flock could matter. A dog that noticed the change immediately had an advantage over one that did not.

Modern life bombards these dogs with movement. Children run. Footballs roll. bicycles pass. Cars accelerate. Joggers suddenly appear. Other dogs sprint.

For a dog with a powerful orientation-stalk-chase sequence, these can be extremely stimulating.

Waiting until the dog is already lunging at traffic and then trying to punish the behaviour is addressing the problem very late in the sequence. Far more useful training begins with teaching the dog to notice movement without pursuing it.

Distance is enormously valuable. Start far enough from the moving trigger that the dog is still capable of thinking. Allow it to notice. Mark or reward disengagement. Gradually reduce distance as the dog becomes capable of remaining composed.

Eventually, seeing movement should become information rather than an instruction to chase.

Why some herding dogs nip

Grabbing behaviour also has historical context.

A Border Collie and Australian Cattle Dog were not expected to influence livestock in exactly the same way. Controlled gripping can form a legitimate part of livestock work when sufficient pressure is required.

This does not mean that a Cattle Dog biting a child's ankles should simply be excused because “it's what the breed does”. Innate behaviour explains behaviour; it does not mean we allow unsafe versions of it.

Instead, we prevent rehearsal and create appropriate alternatives.

The dog can learn that human legs are never available for grabbing while tug toys are. It can learn a release cue, a stop cue and a place behaviour. It can practise responding to people running without joining the chase.

The underlying desire to chase and grab has not magically disappeared. We have simply given it rules.

Why herding dogs bark so much

For many pastoral dogs, barking was useful. A dog might use its voice to move livestock, alert people to approaching strangers, deter predators or communicate over distance. This is particularly relevant to many northern herders and farm dogs.

Owners frequently make barking worse unintentionally by responding every time it occurs. The dog barks at the window and the owner rushes over. The dog barks at another dog and suddenly the lead tightens and everybody becomes animated. The dog barks for a toy and the toy eventually appears. The barking repeatedly works.

Training needs to develop a different pattern. The dog notices something, informs you if necessary, disengages and returns to another behaviour. Being allowed to bark once or twice and then leave the situation can be much more realistic than expecting an innately vocal breed never to make a sound.

Herding breeds and reactivity

Pastoral dogs are disproportionately represented in many training environments dealing with barking, lunging and fixation, and their breed characteristics help explain why.

A successful working sheepdog needed to notice tiny changes. A guardian needed to detect the approach of something unusual. A cattle dog needed enough confidence to confront an animal many times its own weight. None of these jobs favoured a dog that wandered through life completely oblivious to its surroundings.

That sensitivity can become reactivity when the dog lacks the confidence, experience or training necessary to process what it notices. The solution should not be indiscriminate exposure.

A worried young shepherd does not necessarily become more confident because fifty strangers touch it at puppy class. A dog already struggling around traffic does not necessarily improve because it is marched closer to a busy road. Good socialisation teaches the dog that the world is safe, predictable and manageable. Sometimes that involves interaction, often it simply involves observation.

Socialising a herding puppy

The socialisation of a pastoral puppy should therefore look slightly different from the stereotypical idea of getting as many people as possible to stroke the puppy. The puppy should experience different people, calm dogs, traffic, livestock where appropriate, bicycles, children, surfaces, environments, household noises and everyday handling. However, it should also learn that most of these things are simply background information. A person can walk past without saying hello, a dog can appear without play beginning, a cyclist can pass without being chased. Children can run without being rounded up, a visitor can enter without being jumped on.

Teaching neutrality during puppyhood can prevent enormous problems during adolescence.

Do not create an athlete you cannot satisfy

Another common mistake with herding breeds is attempting to solve every problem with more exercise.

The Border Collie seems restless, so the owner throws the ball for another hour. The Australian Shepherd is excitable, so another high-speed game is added. The Malinois struggles to settle, so the owner takes it for another run. The result can be an extraordinarily fit dog that is still unable to switch off.

Physical exercise is important, but working dogs historically alternated activity with observation and inactivity. They were not participating in uninterrupted high-arousal cardio sessions all day. Mental work, scenting, problem solving, controlled training and learning to settle are equally important.

Give the behaviour somewhere to go

One of the best things we can do for any working breed is stop asking only, “How do I stop this behaviour?”

A better question is, “What was this behaviour originally for, and where can I allow a safe version of it?”

For a Border Collie, that might involve herding, treibball, directional work or complex obedience.

For an Australian Cattle Dog, structured tug and activities requiring physical confidence and problem solving can satisfy parts of the same behavioural system without allowing the dog to chase ankles.

For a German Shepherd, tracking or scent work can provide a deeply satisfying job.

For a Pumi or Lapphund, training can incorporate movement and controlled use of the voice rather than continually fighting against the dog's natural expressiveness.

For a guardian breed, fulfilment may look completely different. Exploring territory with its owner, scenting, observing the environment and being given appropriate space can matter considerably more than fast repetitive dog sports.

The outlet must fit the dog.

Genetics are not destiny, but they matter

None of this means that every Border Collie will chase cars, every Corgi will nip ankles, every Sheltie will bark excessively or every livestock guardian will dislike strangers.

Behaviour is produced by an interaction between genetics, development, learning, health and environment.

There are also enormous differences between breeding lines within the same breed. A Border Collie bred from generations of working sheepdogs may behave quite differently from one produced primarily for the show ring. The difference between particular working and show lines of Belgian Shepherds or German Shepherds can be equally significant.

Breed gives us probabilities, not guarantees, but ignoring breed is equally unhelpful.

When humans have selectively bred dogs for particular behavioural characteristics for dozens or hundreds of generations, we should not be surprised when those characteristics appear in our homes.

Living successfully with a herding breed

Pastoral breeds can be some of the most extraordinary dogs to train. Their awareness, intelligence, athleticism and ability to form working partnerships with humans are precisely why people have relied upon them for centuries. The same qualities can also make them challenging pets.

The answer is rarely to suppress everything that makes the dog a herding breed. Nor is it to allow undesirable behaviour because it is “instinct”. Our job is to shape it.

Teach the Border Collie that it can watch without chasing.

Teach the Cattle Dog where grabbing is appropriate.

Teach the Sheltie that it does not have to report every movement.

Teach the German Shepherd that strangers can exist without requiring investigation.

Teach the livestock guardian that you will take responsibility for visitors and boundaries.

Give the dog appropriate opportunities to search, chase, control, follow instructions, make decisions or simply observe, according to the job its ancestors were selected to perform. When we understand the original dog, the modern dog's behaviour frequently becomes much easier to understand.

The objective should never be to own a working breed and then spend its entire life trying to remove the characteristics humans deliberately bred into it. The objective is to give those characteristics rules, appropriate outlets and an off-switch.

That is when living with a herding dog becomes much less about fighting instinct and much more about working with it.