Herding dogs are quick, agile, athletic, and have bundles of stamina. They are also intelligent, quick, and responsive. This combination makes them ideal for all elements of herding, but it can be challenging to keep them entertained if they are not working. And if you fail to entertain a herding dog, you will find it creates its own entertainment, which can lead to unwanted behavior. Fortunately, you do not need a herd of sheep or a field full of livestock to offer a herding dog enough stimulation.
Below, we have detailed 11 activities that you can use to keep a herding dog busy and ensure they are happy and active.
The 11 Activities for Herding Dogs
1. Long Walks
Walking your dog not only gives them some physical exercise, but also allows for socialization with other dogs and people. Your herder can smell other dogs, investigate their surroundings, and potentially make new friends. Walking may not be enough to tire out herding breeds, however, because most are physically equipped to run long distances and for long periods.
Walk different routes to offer some variety and mental stimulation. If you enjoy going hiking, choose trails where dogs are permitted, and take your herder out with you for the day. They will appreciate the exercise and it is a great bonding opportunity.
2. Running
Herders are more than capable of running alongside you, and they can be taught directional commands. Start by ensuring your dog is good at walking on a loose leash and doesn’t spend the entire time darting in front of you. Try a short run before increasing the distance you cover.
Running with your dog can be a great way to offer physical and mental stimulation to your dog while also improving your own physical fitness levels.
3. Canicross
Canicross is essentially cross-country running with dogs. It takes place on running trails in a variety of different places, but typically through forests and up mountain trails. Your dog wears a harness, attached to a leash, and most canicross handlers use a leash that attaches around their waist.
This leaves the hands free for running. Your dog typically leads the way, so you do need to have very good control of your pup, but this is another great form of exercise that benefits you both.
4. Obedience Training
Obedience training will not only exercise your dog’s body, it will also exercise their mind by providing mental stimulation. Although it can be beneficial to start with puppy or basic training classes, obedience training can be done at home.
Start with basic commands like sit, stay, and leave, before moving on to more complex commands. Eventually, you can have your herder clearing up its toys and even helping you around the house, and good obedience training forms the basis of most other activities and canine sports.
5. Let Them Run
Herding dogs love to roam and run, and one way to let them enjoy these activities is by finding a secure outdoor area and letting them off the leash.
Make sure your dog has excellent recall and that the area you choose is properly secure before you take the leash off, however. Look for fenced local dog parks. These are not only secure and offer open space, but they enable your dog to socialize with others.
6. Hide and Seek or Find it
Herding dogs love this game. If you have taught your dog the basic commands, you can ask them to “sit” and “stay.” You can then hide yourself somewhere in the house or garden and call them to come and find you. You can do this with hidden treats or toys too. Herding dogs love to search, find and round up objects, animals or people, so this activity suits them down to the ground.
7. Fetch
It is not just retrievers that enjoy a good game of fetch. A herding dog’s instinct is to search, stalk and chase, which means many of them really enjoy a game of fetch. You can use a special fetch ball, frisbee, or pretty much any toy you can throw a good distance.
You can play fetch in the garden, if your garden is big enough, or you can play in a dog field or park.
8. Agility
Agility requires athleticism and it takes concentration. It also needs a good bond between dog and handler, as well as a solid understanding of directional commands. It exercises the brain as well as the body, and herding breeds tend to do well in this kind of activity because they have the required combination of characteristics.
As well as signing up for agility classes and events, you can set up some basic agility obstacles in your own garden, including jumps and slaloms.
9. Rally Obedience
Rally obedience uses many of the same skills and even obstacles that are used in agility classes, and effectively turns it into an obedience competition. It requires very good obedience, and considering the reputation that breeds like the Border Collie and other herding dogs have for picking up new commands, it is an activity that lends itself well to these breeds.
Again, it is another activity that can be enjoyed with other dogs and handlers as part of classes, but it can also be practiced and perfected at home.
10. Flyball
Flyball is an active, high-speed canine sport. Or it is when done well. In flyball, teams of dogs line up at the end of a lane containing some hurdles and a ball launcher platform at the end. The first dog runs down the line, clearing the hurdles, steps on the launcher pad, and catches the ball before running back next to the hurdles.
As the dog passes the starting line, the next dog runs. The winning team is the one that gets its dogs and balls back first.
11. Treibball
Treibball is a relatively new canine sport. It is a competitive game in which dogs compete to round up large exercise balls and place them in soccer goals. It is especially popular with herding dogs because it uses many of the same motions and skills as herding. Except, rather than having the unpredictability of sheep or other livestock, it uses large balls.
Different-sized balls can be used for dogs of different breeds, making this a popular choice for herding dogs of all sizes. And it is possible to set up a Treibball pitch in the garden if you have enough space.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Are Herding Dogs Aggressive?
Herding dogs have been bred over the years to help control and move livestock from place to place. A cattle dog, for example, won’t have much hope of moving a herd of cattle without the ability to bite or nip at their heels to tell them to move. This ability to bite and want to control a population can mean that herding dogs are more prone to nipping than other breeds. This is particularly true of German shepherds, who’s protective instincts can turn to aggressive behavior towards strangers.
However, as with any dog, their nature very much depends on their socialization and training. Herding dogs are highly intelligent and can be trained to such a high level that they know when to show aggression and when not to. Herders can make good family pets as long as they are exercised both physically and mentally, and have an outlet for their need to work.
Are Herding Dogs Clingy?
These breeds were bred to work alongside their humans, and many would have gone home and spent the evening in the family home. As such, they are used to having a lot of human companionship, and if owners don’t provide this level of companionship, a herding dog can struggle.
This is likely to be even more of a problem if the dog doesn’t get the physical exercise and mental stimulation that is required for this type of dog.
Do Herding Dogs Bark a Lot?
Herders use every tool at their disposal to convince the herd to move. One such tool is the dog’s voice. Herding dogs might yip or bark at their intended livestock to get them to move.
As such, some herding breeds can be quite vocal, and they might bark at approaching dogs or even if they see people walking past the window at home.
What Is Common Herding Dog Behavior?
Herding dogs love to herd, and this isn’t only evident in the field. Many owners of these breeds find their dogs attempting to herd their other dogs, cats, and even children and adults. While it can be cute to watch, it becomes a problem if the dog nips at a small child’s heels to try and encourage them in the right direction.
Train your herding dog not to nip at heels, as a young puppy, to reduce the likelihood of this potential problem occurring.
How To Stop Nipping in Herding Dogs?
Use positive reinforcement to discourage this type of behavior. If your dog is nipping at your heels when you walk, stop walking and wait for them to stop biting. When they do, praise and reward before walking off again. Keep praising and rewarding when your dog doesn’t bite at your heels, and they should get the idea over time.
Alternatively, you can try distraction. Offer a toy or something your dog is allowed to bite when they start biting at your heels. You can even use a combination of the two, so you praise and reward for chewing on an acceptable item rather than your feet.
Conclusion
Herding dogs can make excellent pets, but they are quite demanding because they have high physical and mental needs. They need a lot of exercise and require mental stimulation to encourage good behavior and prevent bad behavior.
One way to help achieve this is by taking part in events or activities that your dog will enjoy, such as the 11 activities listed above which will also help build a bond between the two of you.
Featured Image Credit: Sbolotova, Shutterstock
The 11 Activities for Herding Dogs
