Herding Dog Breeds

The American Kennel Club considers the dog breeds listed below to be members of the "herding group". These breeds were formerly part of their "working dog group", until a new breed classification was created in 1983.

The trait that sets this group of dog breeds apart is that they have an innate ability to herd other animals, and these breeds have a long history of working alongside farmers, ranchers and other livestock producers.

Nowadays, most of these dog breeds are kept mainly as household pets, but their strong drive, herding instincts, intelligence and trainability are still evident; these breeds love to keep track of every family member, often herding children and adults alike into their favorite room in the house. Athleticism, agility and endurance are also common traits, and many dogs from this group excel in dog related sports activities such as agility, flyball, frisbee and more.

While early socialization, careful and selective breeding and obedience training are very important to any dog breed, the breeds making up the herding dog breed group are generally intelligent and make fabulous family companions.

You can view further details about each of the breeds below by clicking it's name or photo.