A sheep dog or sheepdog is generally a

dog The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...

or breed of dogs historically used in connection with the raising of

sheep Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...

. These include livestock guardian dogs used to guard sheep and other livestock and

herding dogs A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of dog that either has been trained in herding livestock or belongs to one of the breeds that were developed for herding. A dog specifically trained to herd sheep is known as ...

used to move, manage and control sheep and other livestock. The

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The (; FCI; ) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs and purebred registries. The FCI is based in Thuin, Belgium and has 98 members and contract partners (one from each country). History The FCI was founded in 1911 un ...

has grouped Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) in Group 1.FCI breeds nomenclature
FCI

Herding breeds

Australian Cattle Dog The Australian Cattle Dog, or simply Cattle Dog, is a breed of herding dog developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. This breed is a medium-sized, short-Coat (dog), coated dog that occurs in two main ...

Australian Kelpie The Australian Kelpie, or simply Kelpie, is an Australia, Australian Herding dog, sheepdog capable of Muster (livestock), mustering and droving with little or no guidance. It is a medium-sized dog and comes in a variety of colours. The Kelpie ha ...

Australian Shepherd The Australian Shepherd is a breed of herding dog from the United States. The name of the breed is technically a misnomer, as it was developed in California in the 19th century. It is believed to have its origins in sheepdog breeds from northwe ...

* Basque Shepherd Dog *

Beauceron The Beauceron () is a herding dog breed originating from the plains of Central France. The Beauceron is also known as Berger de Beauce (, sheepdog from Beauce) or Bas Rouge (, red-stockings). Description Appearance This breed stands in height ...

* Belgian Shepherds ** Groenendael ** Laekenois ** Malinois **

Tervuren Tervuren (; ) is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Duisburg, Tervuren proper, Vossem and Moorsel. On 1 January 2006, Tervuren had a total population o ...

* Bergamasco Shepherd * Berger Blanc Suisse *

Bouvier des Flandres The Bouvier des Flandres is a herding dog dog breed, breed originating in Flanders, Belgium. They were originally used for general farm work including cattle Drover (Australian), droving, Livestock guardian dog, sheep herding, and dogcart (dog-dr ...

* Briard * Can de Chira * * Can de Palleiro * Cão da Serra de Aires * Carea Castellano Manchego *

Carea Leonés The Carea Leonés ( English: Leonese Sheepdog) is a breed of herding dog from León, Castile and León, Spain (Europe), and is used as a sheepdog. For centuries, they tended flocks of Churra (sheep) in the mountains of the historical region of ...

* Canaan Dog *

Catahoula Leopard Dog The Catahoula Leopard Dog is an American dog breed named after Catahoula Parish, Louisiana. It became the state dog of Louisiana in 1979. It is recognized by the United Kennel Club under the name ''Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog'', while the Ame ...

* Catalan Sheepdog * Chiribaya Dog * Collies **

Bearded Collie The Bearded Collie or Beardie is a British breed of herding dog of collie type. It was formerly used primarily by Scottish shepherds, but now commonly kept as a family companion. Weights are usually in the range , while height at the withers ...

Border Collie The Border Collie is a British list of dog breeds, breed of herding dog of the collie type of medium size. It originates in the region of the Anglo-Scottish border, and descends from the traditional Sheep dog, sheepdogs once found all over the ...

Rough Collie The Rough Collie (also known as the Long-Haired Collie) is a long-coated dog breed of medium to large size that, in its original form, was a type of collie used and bred for herding sheep in Scotland. More recent breeding has focused on the Co ...

Scotch Collie The Rough Collie (also known as the Long-Haired Collie) is a long-coated dog breed of medium to large size that, in its original form, was a type of collie used and bred for Herding dog, herding sheep in Scotland. More recent breeding has focus ...

Smooth Collie The Smooth Collie is a dog breed, breed of dog developed originally for herding. It is a short-coated version of the Rough Collie of Lassie fame. Some breed organisations consider the smooth-coat and rough-coat dogs to be variations of the sa ...

Welsh Sheepdog The Welsh Sheepdog (, ) is a breed of herding dog of medium size from Wales. Like other types of working dog, Welsh Sheepdogs are normally bred for their herding abilities rather than appearance, and so they are generally somewhat variable in bui ...

* Croatian Sheepdog * Cumberland Sheepdog * Dutch Shepherd *

English Shepherd The English Shepherd is a breed of herding dog from the United States. Description The English Shepherd is a medium-sized breed of dog, it weighs between and stands between , males are typically larger than females. The breed has a long, strai ...

* Finnish Lapphund * Garafian Shepherd *

German Shepherd The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German Dog breed, breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various Old German herding dogs, traditional German herding dog ...

* Gaucho sheepdog * Huntaway *

Icelandic Sheepdog The Icelandic Sheepdog (, ), is an Icelandic dog breed, breed of dog of spitz, Nordic Spitz Dog type, type. It derives from dogs brought to Iceland by Viking settlers in the ninth century; it is both similar and closely related to the Buhund of N ...

Koolie The Koolie (also known as the Australian Koolie or by the historic misnomer "German Coolie") is an Australian dog breed. The Koolie is a working or herding dog which has existed in Australia since the early 19th century when it was bred fro ...

* Komondor *

Lancashire Heeler The Lancashire Heeler is a small breed of dog developed for use as a drover and herder of cattle. The Lancashire Heeler is listed by the Kennel Club (UK) as an endangered breed. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2024. De ...

* Lapponian Herder * Magellan sheep dog * McNab * Miniature American Shepherd * Mudi *

New Zealand Heading Dog The New Zealand Heading Dog is a New Zealand list of dog breeds, breed of working and herding dog derived from the Border Collie. The dogs are sturdy, long-legged and even-haired, and use their visual prowess, intelligence and quick movement to c ...

Norwegian Buhund The Norwegian Buhund () is a breed of dog of the spitz type. It is closely related to the Icelandic Sheepdog and the Jämthund. The Buhund is used as a watch dog and an all purpose farm and herding dog. Description General appearance The ...

* Old English Sheepdog * Pastore della Lessinia e del Lagorai * Picardy Shepherd * Polish Lowland Sheepdog * Polish Tatra Sheepdog * Portuguese Sheepdog * Puli dog * Pumi *

Pyrenean Shepherd The Pyrenean Sheepdog, the Chien de Berger des Pyrénées in French language, French, is a small to medium-sized Dog breed, breed of herding dog from the Pyrenees Mountains region of France. It is found herding flocks of sheep throughout the Pyr ...

Rottweiler The Rottweiler (, , ) is a breed of domestic dog, regarded as medium-to-large or large. The dogs were known in German as , meaning Rottweil butchers' dogs, because their main use was to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered mea ...

* Slovak Cuvac * Tornjak * Schapendoes * Schipperke *

Shetland Sheepdog The Shetland Sheepdog, also known as the Sheltie, is a breed of herding dog that originated in the Shetland Islands of Scotland. It was formally recognized by the Kennel Club in 1909. It was originally called the ''Shetland Collie'', but this c ...

Small Međimurje Dog The Small Međimurje Dog, also known as Međi, or locally well known as Štakoraš ("Ratter"), is a breed of dog native to Croatia. It has been bred for over a hundred years in northwestern Croatia, in Međimurje area mostly. It is found in rural y ...

* Smithfield * Swedish Lapphund * Swedish Vallhund * Welsh Corgis: **

Cardigan Welsh Corgi The Cardigan Welsh corgi (; Welsh language, Welsh for "dwarf dog") is one of two different varieties of livestock-herding dogs, herding dog breeds known as Welsh Corgi, Welsh corgis (originating in Wales), with the other being the Pembroke Welsh ...

Pembroke Welsh Corgi The Pembroke Welsh Corgi (; Welsh for "dwarf dog") is a cattle herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The name ''Corgi'' is of Welsh origin, and is a compound of the words and (mutated to ), meaning "dwarf" and "dog", r ...

Livestock guardian dog breeds

* Aidi * Akbash dog * Aksaray Malaklisi *

Anatolian Shepherd The Kangal Shepherd Dog () is a traditional Turkish breed of large livestock guardian dog. The breed name derives from that of the town and district of Kangal in Sivas Province, the easternmost province of the Central Anatolia Region in cent ...

* Armenian Gampr *

Bakharwal dog The Bakharwal dog is a livestock guardian dog found in northern India including Jammu and Kashmir. It is an ancient working dog, working Kashmiri dog breeds, Kashmiri dog breed found in Ladakh and across the Pir Panjal Range of Jammu and Kashmir ...

* Bucovina Shepherd *

Cão de Castro Laboreiro The Castro Laboreiro Dog (, 'dog of Castro Laboreiro'), also known as the Portuguese cattle dog or Portuguese watchdog, is a dog breed of the livestock guardian type, originating from Castro Laboreiro in the northern mountains of Portugal. His ...

* Cão de Gado Transmontano * Carpathian Shepherd Dog *

Caucasian Shepherd Dog The Caucasian Shepherd Dog or Caucasian Ovcharka is a large livestock guardian dog native to the Caucasus region, notably Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Dagestan. It was bred in the Soviet Union from about 1920 from dogs of the Caucasus M ...

Central Asian Shepherd Dog The Central Asian Shepherd Dog, also known as the Alabay, Alabai (, ) and Turkmen Wolf-Hound (Туркменский волкодав), is a livestock guardian dog breed. Traditionally, the breed was used for guarding sheep and goat herds, as w ...

Estrela Mountain Dog The Estrela Mountain Dog () is a large dog breed, breed of dog from the Serra da Estrela, Estrela Mountains of Portugal. They are a livestock guardian dog bred to Livestock guardian dog, guard herds and homesteads and also kept as a family ...

* Georgian Shepherd * Great Pyrenees * Greek Shepherd * Gurdbasar * Himalayan Sheepdog * Kangal Shepherd * Karakachan *

Kars Kars ( or ; ; ) is a city in northeast Turkey. It is the seat of Kars Province and Kars District.� ...

* Karst Shepherd * Komondor * Koyun dog * Kuchi * Kuvasz * Maremmano-Abruzzese Sheepdog * Mioritic Shepherd * Persian Mastiff * Polish Tatra Sheepdog * Pshdar dog * Pyrenean Mastiff *

Rafeiro do Alentejo The or Rafeiro Alentejano is a Portuguese breed of flock guardian dog. It is named for its area of origin, the Alentejo region of southern Portugal. It is recognised by the Clube Português de Canicultura, and was definitively accepted by the ...

* Romanian Raven Shepherd Dog * Sardinian Shepherd Dog * Šarplaninac * Slovak Cuvac * Spanish Mastiff * Tibetan kyi apso *

Tibetan Mastiff The Tibetan Mastiff is a large Tibetan dog breeds, Tibetan dog breed. Its double coat is medium to long, subject to climate, and found in a wide variety of colors, including solid black, black and tan, various shades of red (from pale gold to deep ...

* Tobet * Tornjak * Vikhan Sheepdog

References

Dog roles Human–animal communication Working dogs Sheep farming {{Dog-stub

Herding breeds

Livestock guardian dog breeds

See also

References