English Shepherds at Work
By Kathy Gallman
Published in Bloodlines, 1980
The English Shepherd is a sturdily built, medium-sized dog. They come in colors of black/tan, black/tan/white, black/white and various shades of sable. These dogs are extremely intelligent and loyal. They are very faithful and obedient towards their owners, but usually reserved toward strangers. Their calm, affectionate disposition makes them an excellent child companion and family pet.
English Shepherds are one of the finest of all stock dogs. They are natural low heelers which means that they circle around behind the stock and bite their heels to drive them forward. They can be unbelievably gentle with lambs, calves and ducks but never hesitate to “take hold” of older cows or stubborn bulls when the need arises.
The English Shepherd is also a very reliable watchdog. Our dogs seem to be constantly scouting or patrolling our property lines. Any uninvited guests such as stray dogs or cats are promptly ushered back out of our yard by our dogs. If someone approaches our house on foot or by car, the dogs sound an alert as soon as they enter the driveway. Most people don’t get out of their car until we go outside.
In summary, the English Shepherd is an excellent stock dog, watchdog, and child companion. If you ever once own an English Shepherd, you will never want to be without one.