There are many types of sheepdogs, in addition to those breeds that can learn to herd herds. These dog breeds are distinguished by their intelligence, attention span, and sense of protection.
Interested in adopting a watchdog? Sheepdogs are a great option for you. Meet the 12 main breeds of sheepdog!
- You may also like: Main guardian dog breeds
Index of contents
- 1 How many breeds of sheepdogs are there?
- 1.1 German shepherd
- 1.2 Belgian Sheepdog
- 1.2.1 Belgian Shepherd Groenendael
- 1.2.2 Belgian shepherd malinois
- 1.2.3 Belgian Shepherd Tervueren
- 1.2.4 Belgian Shepherd Laekenois
- 1.3 Basque Shepherd
- 1.4 Australian Sheepdog
- 1.5 Caucasian dog
- 1.6 Mallorcan Shepherd
- 1.7 Catalan shepherd
- 1.8 Pyrenean Shepherd
- 1.9 Garafiano shepherd dog
- 1.10 Border collie
How many breeds of sheepdogs are there?
Between the International Cynological Federation (FCI), the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Royal Canine Society of Spain (RSCE) it is possible to find more than 60 types of existing sheepdogs.
Sheep keepers are called sheep and goat keepers, while cattle keepers they are called boyeros. These breeds have been described as ideal both to protect herds from attacks by wolves and other animals, and to guide them to pasture.
These are some of the best known sheepdog breeds:
German shepherd
This breed comes from Germany, where it originated in 1899. It is a sheepdog and watchdog noted for its muscular body and intelligent personality. You will easily recognize it by its black fur on the back and brown on the abdomen and legs, in addition to its elongated snout and pointed ears.
Although the “classic” variety of this breed is recognizable to everyone, there are actually 4 types of German Shepherd, differentiated by the color of their coat.
- Characteristics and temperament of the German Shepherd
Belgian Sheepdog
Belgian Sheepdogs have been used to care for herds since 1891. They originate from Belgium and have a large, streamlined body. Despite the musculature, they are agile and fast.
This variety is a single breed, but it presents different varieties that are recognized by the different canine organizations:
Belgian Shepherd Groenendael
The body is muscular and the head haughty. The appearance of the face is friendly, the result of a long snout, pointed ears and a somewhat melancholic expression. The coat is long, thick and black.
Belgian shepherd malinois
The malinois or mallinois is another of the Belgian sheepdogs. In addition to fulfilling this task, it is also a breed that stands out as a tracker. It has a short coat in charred color, that is, each strand of hair is divided into a light tone on the outside, and dark towards the body. It also has a mask around the eyes.
Belgian Shepherd Tervueren
Like the malinois, it has a mask around the eyes, accompanied by reddish or brown fur. It is an energetic variety excellent for the practice of Agility.
Belgian Shepherd Laekenois
This Belgian Shepherd is less muscular than the other varieties. In addition, the hair is curly, either tawny, yellow, or reddish.
Basque Shepherd
The Basque shepherd is a breed originating from the Spanish state. It is not recognized by the FCI, but it is recognized by the RSCE. It is a medium breed with an elongated snout and semi-drooping ears. The coat comes in a brownish or reddish hue with a white abdomen.
- Basque Shepherd dog character
Australian Sheepdog
Among the types of sheepdog, this one originated in the United States, despite its name, although in Australia it began to be used to protect sheep flocks. It is a faithful and intelligent breed that can be trained to serve as a watchdog.
- Complete information on the Australian Shepherd breed
Caucasian dog
This breed has been used to protect herds from wolves and coyotes. It stands out for its muscular body, small ears, melancholic expression and abundant skin on the neck. The cloak can be short or long, it comes in a combination of white with black.
- Characteristics of the Caucasian Shepherd breed
Mallorcan Shepherd
It is a Spanish variety originating from Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands. It is a boy dog, so it herds cows and pigs, sometimes also horses. It has semi-fallen ears and short, shiny black fur.
Catalan shepherd
Among the sheepdog breeds is the Catalan shepherd, a variety native to Spain. Despite its cute appearance, this type of sheepdog
is steadfast in leading herds and has been shown to make decisions of its own to prevent any sheep from separating from the rest.
It stands out for its abundant and smooth coat, a combination of black, chestnut and reddish.
- Temperament and care of the Catalan shepherd dog
Pyrenean Shepherd
This is another boy dog that protects livestock not only from wolves, but also bears. Although with a nervous personality, they remain calm during conflicts and are able to make decisions. They are distinguished by long, cream fur on the abdomen and legs, and legro on the head, back and tail.
Garafiano shepherd dog
This variety is native to Spain and remained pure for a long time, since it comes from the town of Garafia, on the island of La Palma, where they were isolated due to the shortage of communication routes. It is a large breed with an elongated snout and pointed ears. The coat is long and appears in tawny color.
- Complete information on the Garafiano sheepdog breed
Border collie
The last in this list of types of sheepdogs is the border collie, a breed native to the United Kingdom. He is in charge of grazing cattle and has shown great intelligence for this work, making decisions when necessary. It is distinguished by having long or short fur in combination with white and black.
- Characteristics of the Border Collie breed