Items23The creator’s order
  1. 1Border CollieBorder CollieBred on the hills either side of the Anglo-Scottish border to gather sheep across open ground, often far beyond the shepherd's sight, the Border Collie works with "eye": a crouched stalk and fixed stare that moves sheep without touching them. Trial dogs still trace back to Old Hemp, born in…0i
  2. 2Welsh SheepdogWelsh SheepdogThe hill dog of Wales was kept for work rather than looks, so size, coat and colour vary from farm to farm, and eighteenth-century drovers took these dogs with them on sheep-selling journeys. It is loose-eyed: where a Border Collie crouches and stares, the Welsh Sheepdog stays upright and moves…0i
  3. 3Bearded CollieBearded CollieScottish shepherds used the Beardie to work tough hill sheep and cattle in hard weather, and it moves stock with bounce and voice rather than a silent crouch. The modern show breed was rebuilt from 1944 by Mrs G. Olive Willison, starting from Jeannie and Bailie of Bothkennar. The working…0i
  4. 4Rough CollieRough CollieThe Rough Collie came from Scottish working sheepdogs, then took a different road: Queen Victoria's fondness for collies in the nineteenth century, and later the Lassie films, turned it into a show and family dog. Most are now bred for the ring and the home rather than for stock work. That history…0i
  5. 5Shetland SheepdogShetland SheepdogShetland's small island sheep were worked by a small spitz-type herder, later crossed with collies, a little Rough Collie among them, and the Kennel Club recognised the result in 1909. The Sheltie keeps the full herder's alertness in a dog under 40 cm at the shoulder. In a house that alertness…0i
  6. 6Old English SheepdogOld English SheepdogA bobtailed drovers' dog first noticed in the south-western counties of England in the early nineteenth century, the Old English Sheepdog moved cattle and sheep along the roads to market, and its rolling, ambling trot suits a long day at walking pace. Do not take that coat lightly: the thick…0i
  7. 7Pembroke Welsh CorgiPembroke Welsh CorgiPembrokeshire farmers used this corgi to drive cattle by nipping at their hocks, and its short legs keep it low enough for a kick to pass over its head. The small body hides a big-dog attitude and plenty of stamina. Pet Pembrokes are known for nipping heels and barking at anything that moves, so…0i
  8. 8Cardigan Welsh CorgiCardigan Welsh CorgiUsually considered the older of the two corgis, the Cardigan comes from the hill farms of Cardiganshire, where it drove cattle and turned its paw to general farm work. Look for the long, fox-like tail and the heavier, rounder build that set it apart from the Pembroke. Owners tend to describe a…0i
  9. 9Lancashire HeelerLancashire HeelerThis small black-and-tan cattle dog, also called the Ormskirk Heeler, drove cattle on west Lancashire farms and kept the yard clear of rats. It is rare enough to sit on the Kennel Club's vulnerable native breeds list, and long-lived, with a 2024 UK study putting life expectancy at 15.4…0i
  10. 10Australian KelpieAustralian KelpieBred on Australian sheep stations from British collie stock, the Kelpie takes its name from a black-and-tan bitch Jack Gleeson bought around 1872 near Casterton, Victoria. It musters big mobs in heat and rough country with little direction, and in a crowded yard it will run across the sheep's backs…0i