is it a good idea to teach my dog to herd sheep?

Question

i have a border collie x kelpie and she's been barking at birds, obviously teaching her various tricks and exercise aren't enough to entertain her. she has a very strong herding instinct and i was thinking of teaching her how to herd sheep, there's a farm near me that lets people do this apparently.
is it a good idea for me to do this with her even though she's not a farm dog or would it make her worse with the birds?

Answer 1

My personal opinion - go for it. She'd love to be able to herd sheep, just the thrill of it. She might even get so tired out from the herding that she'll forget about the birds. Even if you're not sure, doing nothing isn't going to stop her from barking at birds.

Answer 2

It would be impossible to tell if she has strong herding instincts without having the dog on stock. Chasing birds or anything else is not herding instinct. The key with working bred dogs is you really need to have a committment to work them regularly. So i would pick a sport that will be something you may commit to for regular outings. Obviously herding is a good outlet for most herding breeds, however, it's generally more expensive and more frustrating for the beginner. You may also look into agility which also utilizes the herding dog's love for combining thinking with running and is generally more moderately priced and tends to be a shorter learning curve for the person.

Answer 3

If she is taught to herd sheep it might make her too exhausted to bother with birds when she's got the real thing to look forward to.

Answer 4

take herding lessons



and you might find agility classes will be very good for her too