Dozens of handlers and their herding dogs gather in a field They are competing in a sheepdog trial The dogs must move sheep across the field around fences and through gates A judge scores each run First up is a border collie Its handler uses sharp whistles to communicate The dog circles the sheep to round them up It uses a strong stare to guide them through the course Finally it herds the flock into a pen The judge awards the border collie a high score
the Herding Group SHETLAND SHEEPDOGS A GROUP OF THEIR OWN The herding group is the newest AKC group It was created in 1983 Its members first belonged to the working group The herding group is made up of 31 dog breeds grouped together by the American Kennel Club or AKC Herding dogs were bred to herd and protect livestock on farms and ranches PUMI
Herding dogs are strong and athletic They are also loyal and intelligent They easily work with people New breeds continue to be added to the group The pumi is a recent example This rare herding breed from Hungary was recognized by the AKC in 2016 HERDING GROUP TRAITS ATHLETIC LOYAL AGILE INTELLIGENT ENERGETIC
