Herding dog
Sheep dogs are originally from shepherds used to herd livestock dogs . Your job is to keep the herd together and to direct the herd's movements. For this purpose, dogs were also specifically bred, and so breeds emerged that are summarized under the term herding dogs.
The herding dogs are not to be confused with herd guard dogs , whose main task is to ward off attackers (e.g. wolves or bears). In Hirtenhund both functions are combined.
A special form are the paddock service dogs such. B. Bearded Collies , Border Collies or Australian Shepherds . Their task is to drive the herd from one pasture to the next, to separate individual animals from the group or to drive the animals into a pen.
Herding is also practiced as a dog sport in the form of sheepdog trials and performance hats (according to the German herding method) .