Different styles?

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expoz3d

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So I have never really been interested in herding because I dont have any farm land or farm animals. Since I have recently acquired an australian shepherd I decided to see if there were any similarities between shelties and aussies. Well I ended up at youtube first and I watched a bunch of herding videos (Kept my highly entertained I might add) and noticed really only one big thing. The aussie and the shelties do the same thing in the videos I watched. They both run at the sheep. During these videos random border collie videos popped up so I watched those also - and well the border collies were doing things way differently. They kind of just looked like they were going to go after the sheep but didnt really do it (and somehow the sheep did exactly what the bc was trying to get them to do). I dont know if its experience or what - which is my question to you guys. Are there different styles? It kind of seems like the BC had the most control over the herd (they were at least the most quiet lol).

I also now have a strong urge to get my sheltie to herd something
 
I am by no means a herding expert but there are different of herding.
There are 3 primary styles gathering, boundary and droving.

Gathering herders instinctually fetch the stock into a group and move the stock to the shepherd ie Collies, shelties, BC

Boundary herders circle the group and keep them still,they naturally do not move stock. Ie GSD and Belgians

Droving the dog drives the stock from behind(heeler) or from the front(header) by charging or nipping at the animal ie ACD, Aussies and Rottweilers

Many herding trials are designed on the gathering style and any herding breed can be taught. The styles can then be further broken into use of eye(focus on the stock), close or wide approach, and barking strength. Border Collies use strong eye or stare(to intimidate them) to move stock, a wide approach,and silent movement.

Shelties tend to use a close approach, loose eye and forced bark to continous bark. They use their voice to intimidate the sheep. Very few shelties will grip(bite) the sheep It has been said a good BC can anticipate what the stock will do and a good sheltie may not anticipate stock but they have the ability to react quickly once they see what the sheep might do.

Aussies being Drovers tend to charge the stock and force them to move most are forced barkers with some light gripping,and use a loose eye. It is harder to teach a Aussie to work away on the outruns as that is not their natual instict. They are used as close up workers.
 
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Thanks I find herding fascinating, having watch my friend herd with her sheltie and her Rottweiler(a drover) the styles look similar. But if you look at videos the sheltie has a circling or arcing approach where as the drover drives into the stock in more of a straight line.

It is interesting that the drovers are generally thought of as tougher herding breeds(read stubborn or hard headed:biggrin2:) and the gathers as more sensitive. It shows in their approach.:smile2:
 
Thats fascinating. The 'drovers' dogs you mentioned also have more of a tendency to aggression (like cattle dogs) - do they usually work alone? Are Corgis drovers? Talking to the Kennel Council about herding - the Herding committee person said Shelties tend to be 'shepard' workers - they work closely with the shephard rather than forming a pack and working with the other dogs. He breeds BC and Cattle dogs and I remember he said one of these two were similar.

The good news is the Kennel Council are getting me the name of someone locally-ish who can teach Deska herding! I'm hoping Deska will learn some self control this way. Today we went bushwalking and he tried to herd an echidna (spiny ant eater) - the idiot!
 
How do you get in contact with people like that lol? I will be joining the montgomery kennel club soon, is it possible that they would have any information?

And thanks for the reply. That explained so much. To be honest, I didnt even know rottweilers or german shepherds herded :( .
 
Yes Corgi are drovers. Drovers work with people they just work closer up and help push stock rather than go find the stock. Some dogs can flip between styles but they tend be a certain way. Some breed are stock guardians and live with the sheep to protect them. ie. Great Pyrenese

Rottweilers are an ancient breed. They were known as the butcher's dog in Germany. They would drive the cattle down the moutain passes to market and then after the cattle were sold they would tie the money around the dogs neck. An old german expression applies to Rottweilers and the money. "If you can take it, it's yours":biggrin2:.

Here is a list of herdering trainers by state.
http://www.stockdog.com/training/trainers.htm
http://www.stockdog.com/training/trainers.htm

If their isn't someone for your state you can contact local breed clubs and see if anyone has info.
 
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Hopefully this spring I will be seeing how Belle does with ducks. I am very interested to see what she can do and how she does it! At home when herding her basketball, she will first run circles around me then right before i kick the ball she will crouch and stare like a border collie. I guess alll those mini border collie comments went to her head :lol:
 
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