Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs) - Dog breed groups

This group includes the dog breeds, which milleniums were man's support for watching the cattle herds and the sheep flocks.

From ancient times, the dog had also other abilities than the hunter one, including the watchdog one. From everlasting there was the danger that the flock to be robbed by the wild animals and even by people. The dog below the man's guidance, became the most devoted watchdog of flocks, ready to push back the aggressors, the people or animals.

The first Sheepdogs were big sized, bushy, strong, brave, ready to jump at the wolf, bear or other predator animals neck. The great spreading of these dogs is due to the development od man's preoccupations, during the thousands years, for raising animals, of commercial exchanges appeared between different human communities, of the migration of some peoples, especially the asian ones, which brought at connections with different canine crowds and  implicitly at the shaping of new breeds.

At first, the shephers preferred the dogs with white fur, maybe because they saw them easier in the night, unlike with the fur dark at colour of the wolf or bear, and could interfered in theit fight, without hurting their own dogs. That is the reason why today we have Sheepdogs with light colour fur. The Tatra Sheepdog, Pyrenean Shepherd, Bergamasco, Kuvasz, Komondor, Maremma Sheepdog and others.

For centuries, they were used only as watchdogs for herds and flocks. Starting with the 19-th century, with the reduction of the danger from the wild animals through the rematkable decrease of their number, the sheepdogs started to fulfil easily also other duties, as: searching and bringing at flock of the lost animals, watchdog for houses and for ranches. Today they are very appreciated and used in many others activities and fields: companions for blind people, mountain rescue, intervention dog for natural disasters, fires, finding out the dopes and an apperciated companion dog.

The Sheepdogs are burly, resistant at bad weather, intelligent, jolly, understand easily what are required, they are resourceful, brave and protective with their master and with his property.

In case they are used in other purposes than the guarding for flocks, they are recommended to active persons, which have time and energy to keep step with them. When they have nothing to do, they will find themselves something, that could not like to the master, like digging to the root of a tree or in different places, scrunching the favourite shoes etc. They like exercise, long walks, to be always busy. They do well and with pleasure in different canine sports, like flyball, agility and training contests. The participation, under diverese ways, at physical activities, keep the dog in good shape.

With a firm,consequent, well-balanced, varied training, but without being severe, harsh, without physical punishments, very good results can be obtained at some breeds or specimens as: German Shepherd, Border Collie and others.