Herding is something we give our dogs an opportunity to do because they love it. Atlas is our real herder - he loves to go herding. Mira and Vegas have both had a try at it, and they like it okay, but are not passionate about it.

Herding is an ancient dog activity, one that predates our modern idea of dog sports by many, many years. It's also much more complex than some of the other activites we enjoy with our dogs. The nuances of moving stock and developing a stock sense, not to mention just getting used to being around sheep, have been a challenge for us.

Herding is something we plan to allow all our dogs to continue for fun once in awhile because we feel they need an outlet for their natural instincts. Atlas could probably be an excellent herding dog if he were more consistent in his performances. To us, the important part is how much he enjoys it.

See more picture of our dogs Herding!