Dogs

Pastoral Dog

A pastoral breed is any dog breed bred to work livestock.

Dogs bred to work livestock are pastoral breeds. There is some overlap into Herding Breeds but a pastoral breed may not be a herder. Pastoral covers dogs who traditionally were used to drive animals to market, such as the Bearded Collie and the Old English Sheepdog. These dogs can do some herding too, and working bearded collies today are still good herders, however they are not the swift speedy, handler dependant animal like the Border Collie, or the Belgian Shepherds, they work much more independantly of their handlers.

In some countries pastoral breeds were used to live out with the flocks and guard them from predators like the wolf. The Old English Sheepdog used to perform this function in the UK.

These consist of various types:

• Herding dogs, such as the swift, handler-dependant dogs such as the Border Collie or the Belgian Shepherd
• Drovers, who traditionally were used to drive animals to market, such as the Bearded Collie and the Old English Sheepdog
• Livestock guardian dogs, who often live with the flocks and guard them from predators like the wolf. The Old English Sheepdog used to perform this function in the UK.

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