Do You Need a Sheepdog? Best Sheepdog Breeds
Have livestock that needs an extra pair of eyes to look after them? Then a sheepdog might be right for you!
There are many different breeds of sheepdogs that range in size, shape, and temperament that can make the right fit for your homestead. Even if you don’t have any livestock that needs looking after, a sheepdog breed still makes excellent additions to the family.
Let’s take a look at some of the different sheepdogs, their descriptions, and different training/care tips to consider before adopting one of these furry friends.
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What Are the Best Sheepdog Breeds?
Because sheepdogs come from a long ancestral line, there are many amazing sheepdog breeds to choose from. Here is a list of the sheepdog breeds we will cover in this article:
Anatolian Shepherd
Australian Kelpie
Australian Shepherd Dog
Beauceron
Belgian Shepherd Dogs
Bergamasco Sheepdog
Briard
Bouvier des Flandres
Collies
German Shepherd Dogs
Icelandic Sheepdog
Miniature American Shepherd
Old English Sheepdog
Polish lowland sheepdog
Blue heeler
Shetland Sheepdog
Welsh Corgi
White Swiss Shepherd Dog
There are many varieties of sheepdogs to choose from, so it can be overwhelming to decide which one is right for your homestead. Like all other service dogs, it’s important to consider your unique needs when deciding on the best herding dog breeds for your farm.
The herding group of dogs is highly varied and unique, so you’ll want to consider the unique attributes of each kind of dog.
Check out this video for a brief overview of some of these herding dog breeds:
What is a Sheepdog?
Sheepdogs are dogs of various breeds that have a historical account of raising, guarding, and herding sheep or other livestock. These dogs come in different shapes, sizes, and character traits.
Typically, you can invest in a sheepdog as a livestock guardian to help guard and protect your livestock. Additionally, you can also invest in a sheepdog to help move, control, and direct your sheep and/or other livestock.
That being said, the purpose of your sheepdog will determine the breed of dog you should adopt. Livestock guardians are usually larger breeds such as shepherds or mastiffs. Herding dogs are usually smaller and swifter such as cattle dogs or welsh corgis.
Best Sheepdog Breeds
Here are some of the best sheepdog breeds to consider.
Anatolian Shepherd
Anatolian Shepherds are typically bred as livestock guardian dogs. For females, they range anywhere between 88-110 pounds while males range between 100-140 pounds.
They are bold, confident, intelligent, and independent dogs. When properly trained, they will do well guard the livestock on their own.
Australian Kelpie
An Australian Kelpie is a medium-sized dog dog that is extremely intelligent and grasps training exercises relatively quickly. Males and females of this herding dog breed range in weight from 30-46 pounds. They range in coloring from black, brown, and red.
These dogs need ample space for exercise and can be quite affectionate.
Australian Shepherd Dog
Australian Shepherds are among one of the most popular dog breeds you can adopt. They are extremely playful and affectionate dogs that are high-energy. They are primarily used for herding purposes and make great family pets.
Males can get up to 70 pounds while females can get up to 55 pounds. These dogs do need constant grooming as they shed a lot.
Beauceron
The Beauceron breed, originating from France, is typically used as herding dogs, but can also be fantastic guard dogs as well. They are medium-sized, getting up to about 99 pounds.
They are protective, affectionate, loyal, and extremely athletic.
Belgian Shepherd Dogs
Belgian Shepherd Dogs, also known as the Belgian sheepdog, crave companionship and make great family dogs. They can both herd and guard if needed. The Belgian sheepdog is a medium-sized shepherd, getting up to 55 pounds in weight.
Their coat greatly ranges in color and seems to have an endless amount of energy.
Bergamasco Sheepdog
The Bergamasco Sheepdog originates from Italy and is hypoallergenic. They are among some of the more friendly sheepdogs and, because of that, are great companions around children.
Their coat is corded and long. Since they are bred for mountainous climates, extreme hot climates won’t be comfortable for them. They are great herding dogs.
Briard
Briards are large shepherd dogs with long coats and are extremely friendly. They are confident herders and will protect their flock if needed.
Bouvier des Flandres
Bouvier des Flandres are excellent herding dogs that will herd almost anything if you don’t make their purpose clear. They are protective and gentle.
Border Collie
Collies, especially the border collie, are like the Australian Shepherd in that they are among some of the most popular dog breeds. These dogs are notorious for being fiercely loyal and loving, making them excellent family dogs.
Additionally, their herding skills are superb. With proper training, they do their jobs with noticeable expertise.
German Shepherd Dog
German Shepherds are fantastic herders and protectors. They are insanely loyal to their owners and yearn for lasting companionship. The German Shepherd needs proper daily exercise or else its physical health will be affected in the long run.
Icelandic Sheepdog
Icelandic Sheepdogs, descending from Vikings, are herders who are alert, agile, and cheerful. These medium-sized dogs come in a wide variety of colors.
Miniature American Shepherd
Miniature American Shepherds look similar to Australian Shepherds, they are just much smaller in scale. They are great herders but are often trained for sports such as obstacle courses.
Old English Sheepdog
Old English Sheepdogs are large herding dogs that can get up to 100 pounds. They have long coats and are often black and white in color. These dogs are sociable, bubbly, and friendly.
Polish lowland sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs look similar to Old English Sheepdogs but are a step smaller (medium-sized) and have a shaggy coat.
Blue Heeler
Also known as the Australian Cattle Dog, Blue Heeler are extremely energetic herders, bred originally to herd cattle. They are medium-sized and short-coated.
Shetland Sheepdog
Shetland Sheepdogs are great herders, similar in temperament to Collies. They love their humans and are great around children.
Welsh Corgi
Don’t let their short legs fool you, a Welsh Corgi makes one of the best herding dogs on the market. Because of their stature, they can drive livestock extremely well.
White Swiss Shepherd Dog
White Swiss Shepherds are typically found in Germany and are great herders. They need a constant outlet for their energy and are friendly dogs.
Do I Need a Sheepdog?
Here are a few things to consider when you’re trying to decide if you need a sheepdog.
Pros
Help Around the Homestead
Sheepdogs provide an excellent helping hand around your homestead. While you tend to other matters around your property, you can trust that your sheepdog is taking care of your livestock.
Whether you adopt a sheepdog for flock management or protection, you can be put at ease that your dog is taking good care of them.
Ease of Training
Worried about the time it might take to train your sheepdog? It’s true that they do need proper care and training, but they are fast learners.
Most sheepdog breeds are proven to be highly intelligent on account of years and years of selective breeding and ancestral roots. Therefore, training will come easily to most of these breeds.
Once you teach them a trick or command, it’s hard for them to forget it.
Loyal
These types of dogs are bred to rely on people and be sociable. Therefore, sheepdogs will remain loyal to their humans. Because of their natural inclination to loyalty, you can develop an incredibly strong bond with your sheepdog.
German shepherds, for example, are among the most loyal sheepdogs.
Athletic
Sheepdogs are bred to be among the most athletic of the dog species. They can handle full days of monitoring, running, and other outside activities.
Of course, there are certain breeds that vary in terms of their tolerance for the type and amount of physical activity.
For example, mastiffs have a lower running endurance level than shepherds. Therefore, mastiffs are normally bred to be livestock guardians than herding dogs. That doesn’t mean mastiffs can’t herd livestock, but their endurance for the activity might be lower.
Cons
High Maintenance
Although sheepdogs are easy to train, that usually also means they are high maintenance and will need a constant outlet for their energy.
A lot of sheepdog owners will have the outside space to allow their dogs to run or play off-leash for an extended period of time.
If these dogs aren’t given an outlet for their energy, they can develop high anxiety.
Need Space
Considering their tendency for being high maintenance, sheepdogs, therefore, need a larger area to play and get their proper exercise.
If you adopt one of these dogs and don’t have the proper space to raise them, then they need to be socialized at a dog park, taken on multiple walks, runs, etc.
Higher Price
Due to these dogs’ purposes and benefits, they tend to run at a higher price for adoption. If you own livestock and need the extra help monitoring or protecting them, then you’ll want to budget for a sheepdog.
Common Traits Among Herding Dog Breeds
Here are a few things to consider when you’re deciding between herding dog breeds. The American Kennel Club is another great source of information, both on what herding breeds to consider as well as how to train your individual herding dog.
Intelligence
Most of these breeds of sheepdog have been selectively bred to possess high intelligence. These dogs need to have good problem-solving abilities to be able to perform their job with minimal supervision.
In addition, they need to be able to understand certain cues on a whim especially when it comes to dealing with livestock.
Athleticism
As stated previously, these dogs are extremely athletic and need to be for the types of jobs they will be performing.
Even if you adopt one of these breeds for pleasure and not for work, they need an outlet to perform their athleticism.
Loyalty
Strong bonds with these dogs are something to look forward to if you are planning on adopting them. Almost all these breeds develop loyalty that is unlike anything else.
Alertness
Most of these dogs naturally know when to alert you or their coworkers (other dogs that may be working with them) of danger, a shift in mood, etc.
Their instincts are unparalleled.
Protectors
Whether or not you adopt a sheepdog for livestock protection or management, your dog will be protective over you and the livestock they are watching.
Training Your Sheepdog
There are many different ways to train your dog, especially depending on the breed, but here are a few basic training steps to take into consideration after you’ve adopted one or two.
The First 7 Weeks
If you’re adopting a puppy, it is important to get them properly socialized while they are still young. Keep them around people and introduce them to the area they’ll be living in.
If you have other dogs or other animals, make sure to introduce them to your pup while keeping a close eye on them.
Even though sheepdogs are naturally inclined to be social, it is essential that they develop the trust of the humans and animals they will be around.
In addition to socializing, you can begin teaching them basic training tricks such as sitting, staying, lying down, speaking, etc. Much like humans, once dogs gain a new skill, they will grow in confidence.
The First Year
After they’ve gone through some basic training and have been well-socialized, you can start introducing your sheepdog to realms of training involving sheep or other livestock. This is the time to allow their instincts to reveal themselves.
Make sure to always be supervising your young pup and ensure that the training sessions with the livestock are kept relatively short to allow your dog to decompress and prevent overwhelming them.
That being said, introduce them to only a couple of sheep to start out, not the whole flock.
Additionally, a puppy’s attention span is not the longest. Therefore, it’s best to keep the training short.
When introducing them to sheep or other livestock, pay attention to their preferred method of herding. Some pups may nip, poke, or circle. Paying attention to body language and herding methods will help you correct and monitor the pups if needed.
A Year and Older
Now, you can start leaving your dog within eyesight range (about 500 yards) with the sheep. This stage is when you can start teaching the pup to drive toward that handler.
When training in this stage, you need to be clear with the dog about what their purpose is so they can do their job thoroughly and efficiently.
Quick Tips for Raising a Sheepdog
Here are a few tips for raising herding dogs and similar dog breeds.
Provide Ample Space
If you’re looking to adopt a sheepdog breed, then they will need plenty of space to get their energy out. Most of these breeds are high maintenance and need an outlet for their energy or else they will develop anxiety.
When these dogs are kept in a house or an apartment, they can get restless and find different ways to let out their energy. This can result in chewed-up furniture or belongings, aggressive episodes, etc.
Be Cautious Around Small Children
These dogs are naturally inclined to be sociable, but that doesn’t mean that a kid can be in their face 24/7. If you’re using them as working dogs, they need to focus on work while on the clock, kids can not be around to distract them.
During the training period, make sure to train both the dog and children (if you have any). Establish respect and trust between the child and sheepdog. Practice gentle handling or petting with your kids.
Daily Exercise
Walks, runs, playtime, dog parks, swims, etc. are absolutely essential if you are choosing between one of the dog breeds we’ve listed in this article. That outlet of energy needs to be present in their daily routine.
What is the Best Shepherd Breed?
Considering adopting one of the sheepdog breeds we mentioned in this article? We don’t blame you. Sheepdogs are notorious for being loyal, agile, protective, and sociable.
Before adopting one of these friends, make sure you have the resources to give them proper training and exercise. Again, be sure to visit the American Kennel Club for more information on one of these breeds!
The bottom line is this - having a sheepdog can make caring for and moving your sheep ten times easier. Be sure to check out our ultimate guide to sheep maintenance and start planning ahead to add a sheepdog to your herd ASAP!
What do you think? Will you raise a herding dog on your farm - or have you already? Let me know what your experience was like in the comments!
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