Herding Dogs - Raising Sheep - page 139

resource for learning more about all the breeds that are used as herding dogs
is the American Herding Breed Association. The group also sponsors trials
for herding dogs around the country. See pages 409-410 for other excellent
resources.
Herding breeds are often divided into three very general types: gathering
dogs, tending dogs, and driving dogs. Any good herding dog, regardless of the
type, should be able to do all of the herding-related work on a farm; that is,
gathering dogs should be able to drive, and driving and tending breeds should
be able to gather.

Gathering Breeds
Dogs such as the Border collie, originally bred to work in wide spaces, are
considered gathering dogs. These dogs were bred to gather semiwild sheep
off large, open pastures. While the Border collie is currently the preeminent
gathering breed in North America, there are also some excellent kelpies bred
in Australia and the United States that are still working. In sum, gathering-
dog breeds are the following:

■ Australian shepherd

■ Bearded collie

■ Border collie

■ Collie

■ Kelpie

Tending Breeds
Dogs that are considered tending
breeds are those that were devel-
oped in Europe to help in the graz-
ing of sheep in areas around crops.
Dogs of this type customarily took
their sheep out to graze each day
and then patrolled along the grazing
area to keep the sheep restricted to
the unfenced space that they were
supposed to graze. The following
are considered tending breeds:

■ Beauceron Pyrenean
shepherd

■ Belgian Malinois

Beauceron Pyrenean Shepherd