Sheep Herding GSDs Videos

Quite a long video, but worth fast-forwarding to watch the GSDs in action in this German HGH Championship. You can really see how a GSD works differently to a border collie - and the difference in German sheep too

http://leerburg.com/flix/player.php?id=178

I never knew GSDs could herd sheep. They seem to use more of a bite technique, which border collies are not supposed to do. Interesting.

Very interesting, but a strange technique. Love the Kill Bill music though

I have seen them work sheep and cattle in Switzerland and Austria, but it was a long time ago

Those sheep are weird, reminded me a bit of Babe!

Lovely dogs though, you can see why GSDs have the conformation they have after watching that vid.

It is what the German Shepherd Dog was originally bred to do ;-)

It is acceptable for a border collie to grip a ewe if she is defying the dog.

It probably just looks strange to our untrained eyes, as we are so used to seeing border collies rounding up, driving and herding flocks in the UK.

GSDs do have a different technique to the BC, as their shepherding role is entirely different to that of the BC.

Did you see it in person Jeanette? I bet that was brilliant! I would love to see a GSD herding in Germany.

Yes I did see them work, but it was many years ago

Cool vid, they are really calm sheep tho!!

Its funny but I was just thinking the opposite - the dog doing the job its supposed to dosent move anything like the show dogs. I see the long trot but the dogs hind legs drive way more than the show ring dogs and the hind foot dosent reach as far under the body


Thanks for sharing the vid so different to what we are used to seeing with collies

Wow, absolutely beautiful to see them in action like that.

Haha they are very big, slow and docile sheep compared to the mad hatters from Scotland and the North of England Our Blackies are more akin the wild deer really! I think the German sheep are also very well trained.

I was recently told on another forum that the GSD gait was "designed" in order for the dog to trot with ease within the narrow troughs created in a ploughed field, as their feet land in a straight line in contrast to the wider steps of other breeds".

I find this a believable theory. Has anyone else heard this before?

Lucky you! Would love to have seen that, however many years ago ;-)

Yogi (showline) had beautiful movement and a free-flowing gait. However Zak's movement is poetry in motion. They do move in a similar fashion, but Zak seems to have longer strides and gives the impression of being able to gait for miles and miles without ever stopping or breaking into a run.

Glad you enjoyed it too The video does run on a bit but I love watching dogs working.

strange you say that when a lot of the dogs with HGH qualifications are showline bloodlines

but the show just go and ruin the GOOD bits, again!!!!

lovely to see them do what they were bred to do....and still be physically capable of doing it. dont they look lovely and happy?

This is a really good clip showing the different exercises the dogs are trained to do:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UgoCfNS3qk&feature=related

Thanks for that link Blitzen, I really enjoyed watching it and Lenz's tail never stopped wagging

always got to have a little dig haven't you!