Ausshole Academy

 STOCK DOGS

There is a group within AKC, called Herding.  What is a herding dog?  What breeds are labeled as such?

What various registries are there for Herding breeds?

A Herding dog, also known  as a Stock dog, Shepherd dog or Working dog, is a type of dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds that are developed for herding.  Do not confuse a herding dog with a livestock guardian dog, as they generally do two different jobs.

All herding behavior is modified predatory behavior.  Through selective breeding, humans have 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.  

There is Heading and Drive.  Heading is the description of moving the head of the stock to gather them and bring them back to the handler. Drive is the term used when the dog moves the herd away from you. 

Many breed fall into the herding catagory.  My person favorites are the Australian Cattle Dog, (aka heeler), and the Australian Shepherd, (aka Aussie), with the Border Collie pulling a close third.

    HERDING BREEDS

Australian Cattle Dog (ACD-Heeler)                           Australian Kelpie

Australian Shepherd (Aussie)                                       Bearded Collie

Beauceron                                                                     Belgian Malinois

Belgian Sheepdog                                                         Belgian Tervuren

Bergamasco                                                                  Berger Picard

Border Collie                                                                Bouvier Des Ardenne

Bouvier des Flandres                                                    Briad

Ca de Bestiar/Majorca Shepherd                                  Cannan Dog

Canadian Welsh Corgi                                                  Clobanesc Romanesc Carpatin/Mioritic

Collie                                                                             Croation Sheepdog

Czechoslovakian Vicak                                                 Dutch Sheepdog

English Shepherd                                                          Entoebucher Mountain Dog

Finnish Lapphund                                                         German Shepherd

Icelandic Sheepdog                                                       Lancashire Heeler

Lapponian Herder                                                         Louisiana Catahoula Leopard

Miniature American Shepherd                                      Mudi

Norwegian Buhund                                                       Old English Sheepdog

Pembroke Welsh Corgi                                                 Polish Lowland Sheepdog

Pyrenean Shepherd/Berger des Pyrenees                     Schapendoes/Dutch Sheepdog

Shetland Sheepdog                                                       South Russia Shepherd Dog

Spanish Water Dog                                                       Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog

Swedish Vallhund                                                         White Shepherd

Portuguese Sheepdog                                                   Puli

Pumi

Check these breeds out, they are amazing dogs, very smart, very trainable, and extremely loyal.  Some are better than others.  The Border Collie has been exclaimed by many as the smartest dog around.  I've not owned a Border Collie, but I have know people who have, and they say they are almost too smart for their own good. I have owned Heeler and they are also extremely smart, and extremely protective.  I now own Aussies,  and I know how smart they are.

Next post will go into detail about some various stock dog registries and gaining Titles in them.