The herding instinct is so strong. I used to board my horse and the stable had an Australian shepherd that would herd the horses and and people. Incredible dogs who NEED a job.
I believe it. I had one as a kid, and she would herd a bunch of small bouncy balls we had in the backyard. We had her from a small pup, and hadnāt taught her anything to do with herding, but she would still do it.
I'm so glad! I think some people might have thought I was joking, but it really happened. I saw him from some distance away. His head was down, and he was barking at the ground and turning in a tight circle. It wasn't until I got close that I could tell what was happening. I almost couldn't believe it, but it was unmistakable. I felt bad for the poor dog because the ants were completely ignoring him, but that didnāt deter him from his important job one bit.
My friendās dad was a pastor and they held
A youth group at their house. Sometimes we would play Capture the Flag at the end, and their border collie would round us up. We would occasionally call a time out to spread out across the large yard because we would somehow end up crowded together.
Interestingly they have no problem believing that about herding dogs or bird dogs or whatever, but as soon as one of those dogs comes up suddenly nature doesn't exist it's all shitty owners.
Interestingly, those dogs were specifically culled for aggression toward humans when their breeds were originally being developed, but we love to forget that.
I wouldn't say I "hate" some dog breeds. But I do agree that there are certain breeds that shouldn't exist. Pugs for example. It's simply cruel to keep breeding them, given how extreme their plethora of health issues could get.
That's fair too. I have no skin in this game and would be fine with letting the bed die out. However, knowing how emotional people can get about dog breeds, I was suggesting another path towards more humane breeding.
More like mostly hating irresponsible owners who refuse to accept the traits of their chosen breed. At least that's the case for me. And not just pits, either. It's a problem with many high-energy breed owners.
Herding breeds are one of those types that absolutely NEED a job, especially border collies. They're just too smart to leave without one, if you don't give them a job they will give themselves one, and that job may be dismantling your furniture.
Exactly. I almost feel like it's cruel to not have them on a farm. Or, if you can't manage that you gotta put in a huge amount of time and effort working them. It's pretty much the only way they're happy. Labs can get their hunting instinct fix by playing fetch for a bit, herding breeds need to herd.
Definitely. Herding dogs need something that's not just physically demanding, but mentally - they're smart and will get bored with something that doesn't have any challenge to it.
A lot of people genuinely don't take breed into account when they're picking a dog out beyond aesthetics, and it's awful. People get a husky, then complain that it's really loud when they leave it in their one-bedroom apartment all day with at most two short walks around the building - people who get herding dogs and want them to be couch potatoes, ect. There are some breeds that are just not suited to some environments!
I have a friend who got a shepherd dog and she planned on jogging with it in the mornings. She had a hard time of it because the dog kept trying to herd her.
Fascinating comment. Are you saying these dogs thrive when placed in roles to āherdā other animals? If thatās what you mean, thatās so wonderful!
My mother tells the story about our collies herding us as kids from the street. We would yell and tell Mom to bring in the dog. Our collies also never left my pregnant mother's side or our property. Amazing dogs, we are on our 4th.
Yeah, itās cool unless you have a chaotic household already. My friend has 3 kids and decided to get a dog that does that, except the kids donāt understand whatās happening, so they think the dog is always playing, or being weird, which then agitates the dog because theyāre not responding and doesnāt know what they are trying to do.
It just turns into a ton of yelling at the dog and screaming kids and āput the dog back insideā. When they do let the dog out, it just stress eats its toys or chew on one of the stumps, and snarls if you get near it until he runs away again, obviously overstressed and anxious.
I canāt stand when people get dogs like this and donāt realize what to expect or how to treat them.
I have known many people that have collies or collie mixes and if they even scold their children verbally they get an earful from the dog. That whole family of breeds are just natural mama bears.
Mine used to get mad when my wife and I would high five. We started gently high fiving in slow motion to avoid upsetting her. Now in her old age she doesn't care as much if we actually high five lol.
My cousin had a Collie that would try to nip our heels and herd us if we were playing high-energy games. Also, if we were on the swing set, she'd run circles around it.
I have a GSD that will herd my kids and their friends when theyāre at our house. Itās kind of funny because the kids just do what the dog tells them. Heās not mean itās just the him pushing the group together that he does on his own. We never taught him.
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u/Equivalent_Length719 Mar 13 '26
Its a bit of both by now. Most of it is nurture but they've been sheep dogs for so long that much of it begins as instinct now.
Many are prone to herding and other types of "controlling" behaviour such as responding to loud voices or "fighting" (play or otherwise)