Passage IV

Dog Days

“Come Bye!” the shepherd shouts to a black-and-white border collie. Excitedly, the dog races to gather a group of sheep. Several sheep have broke away. “Look Back!” the shepherd calls. The dog whirls back to round up the errant sheep.(47) Then, the shepherd shouts more commands, the dog moves all around the flock. Keeping the sheep in a controlled group, they are driven across a pasture.

The border collie, whose popularity in the United States dramatically increased in the 1990s, emerged along the borders of England, Scotland, and Wales; similarly, the Industrial Revolution increased demand for wool and large-scale farming. This breed was quick and agile, woven by the rough terrain typical of sheep farms in the area. Most importantly, this medium-sized dog socialized well with other breeds of dog. Rather than barking, nipping, or biting, these dogs often used “the eye”—a commanding stare inherited from the dogs’ wolf ancestors—to quietly intimidate stubborn sheep into rejoining the flock.

Today, border collies herd sheep in much the same way as your ancestors did centuries ago. To gather a flock of sheep, for example, a shepherd uses a series of whistles or shouted commands to direct the dog to run in a wide arc around the sheep. Once the flock is gathered, the border collie eyes the sheep with an intense gaze to prevent them from scattering. Next, the dog drives the gathered flock toward a specific location, such as a holding pen. The border collie then isolates a small number of sheep by moving within the flock and flanking (running alongside) particular animals. Finally, guiding the smaller group of sheep through a gate and into a pen.

Many people are familiar with the loving companionship border collies offer as pets. These dogs, however, are also tireless workers that can perform farming and ranching tasks that normally require the work of three people. Highly intelligent and energetic, border collies are being considered by many farmers and ranchers to be essential to raising sheep.