Dogs come in all sorts of sizes. There are many small dogs like the Chihuahua that are considered very good for small spaces like apartments. And these dogs are generally considered good to have for a family pet. They are very small and are very easy to take care of.
Like any other dogs though, herding dogs can come in a variety of sizes, too. Herding dogs are commonly used for herding animals like sheep and cattle. These dogs herd sheep for their owner to get them back to where they belong on the farm. And like many dogs, herding dogs can come in a variety of sizes, both big and small.
Because of this, people often wonder what types of herding dogs are out there. And they also question what is the smallest herding dogs out there, too. Here we will discuss herding dogs and what are some of the best breeds of herding dogs someone can own. With that said, let us take a look at the smallest herding dogs!
Is the Shetland Sheepdog a Good Family Dog?
Shetland Sheepdogs are considered the epitome of dogs that herd sheep. These dogs get their names from Shetland, which is an island off the coast of Scotland, which is where these dogs were bred so they can herd sheep.
Because they are bred to herd sheep, they are often considered one of the smartest and most trainable dogs a person can have. These dogs are also used for other things because of this. They are used as medical alert dogs, therapy dogs, and service dogs for blind or other disabled people. Because of this alone, these dogs are actually very much a good family dog too. They are known to follow their owners wherever they go and are very protective of their families.
But it should be a known fact that these dogs do need a lot of exercise since they are trained and bred to herd sheep. So, if you are looking at getting a Shetland Sheepdog, keep this in mind.
Is the Spanish Water Dog Good with Children?
The Spanish Water dog is another breed of herding dog out there. This dog breed is very much another type of dog that people think of when considering dogs with an inherent ability to herd sheep.
This dog gets its name from Spain, where it was bred for herding. This dog breed is considered to be very old in the context of dog breeds, leading many experts to believe this dog breed came to be in the 10th Century. Many people believe this dog descended from the Ancient European Water Dog, which is a very old type of dog breed that isn’t around today.
These dogs are considered to be very obedient dogs, too. Because of this, the dog is very good around children. This dog is even known to try and herd kids because of its herding instincts. This dog breed should almost never exhibit any type of aggressive behavior, especially if it is socialized well with humans, the earlier this happens the better.
Do Herding Dogs Need More Exercise?
Dogs are very much known to be agile creatures. Most dogs require certain amounts of exercise while other types of dogs might not require as much exercise. Because of this, people often wonder how much exercise a herding dog might need in order for it to stay fit and healthy.
As we mentioned previously, we did say that herding dogs like the Shetland Sheepdog require more exercise. This is because they are used to herding sheep around, which has them use an abundance of energy. They are naturally used to doing this too, and because of that alone, these dog breeds require more exercise than other breeds might need.
The best idea here is to make sure if you’re planning on getting, for example, a herding dog as a hearing dog, or a family dog, that it has ample room to run around and play. Also, you can have the dog play with you too. Make them run around until they tire themselves out. Taking them for long walks regularly can tire a dog too.
See Also: What Breed of Dog Looks Like a Giant Yorkshire?
And: Spotlight on the Australian Blue Heeler
Are Herding Dogs Easy to Train?
Of course, any dog can learn a trick. Most dogs know to go outside if they need to go to the bathroom. However, some breeds might be harder to train than others. Because of this, people wonder how easy herding dogs can be trained.
We mentioned previously that these dogs are a very smart breed of dog. Of course, that is not to say other breeds of dogs are dumber than others. Just that some breeds might take to training more easily than others. This is especially true for herding dogs. These dogs are very easy to train because of their instinct to herd, because they were bred to do so, and know how to herd other animals.
These dogs are not just used for herding though, as we also mentioned – the Shetland Sheepdog has been used for many other purposes, too. These dogs are also used as medical alert dogs, therapy dogs, and service dogs (especially for the blind). Not only that, but they also love learning new tricks as well, and are considered to be very much obedient to their owner and family.
So yes, these dogs are very much easy to train, and actually should be taught as many tricks as they can learn because they love it!
Conclusion
We talked about some of the best breeds of herding dogs out there. We also talked about how some herding dogs are used for a variety of things outside of herding, like the Shetland Sheepdog. We also talked about the Spanish Water dog and how this dog breed is very obedient and loves to be around children! We mentioned that these herding dogs also need plenty of exercise and how easy they are to train.
We hope you learned something new when it comes to herding dog breeds! They are definitely a good dog fit for any family!
Featured image: A Shetland Sheepdog
