Herding Dog

In this blog post we are going to discuss the common term “herding dog” used among dog owners, dog sitters, and Seattle dog boarding facilities. The term “herding dog” is often thrown around as an identifier for particular breeds of dogs. However, the actual meaning behind the term is often overlooked or in some cases even misused.

Herding is a term used to describe the behavior of dogs that help in the movement of cattle, sheep, goats, reindeer, and even poultry. In all these cases the dog is using a modified predatory behavior to control a group of animals. Scientist think this behavior was evolutionarily advantageous to dogs because it allowed their ancestors to successfully trap and kill prey through teamwork. Humans selectively breed for herd control in dogs while actively removing the hunting urge to actually kill the prey.

A herding dog is usually associated with specific dog breed like the Border Collie, Australian Cattle Dog, and otheres. Common traits for all these dog breeds are their weatherproof double coats, stamina, and high degree of intelligence. This is not to suggest that the ability to herding is found in these dog breeds only or that all dogs of a particular breed can herd. Herding is usually determined individually over the lifetime of a dog through rigorous training and discipline. The first step is for the dog to take a “herding instinct test” by professional handlers to determine the potential of an individual dog. This test looks at the dog’s behavior around livestock and their ability to take commands, remain focus, and not attack. If the owner gets satisfactory results or likes what they see then the dog might be trained to herd for a career.

Do you own a herding dog? What do they do with their talents?  We want to hear from you!