The information on this page is used by the permission of The English Shepherd Club.
English Shepherds are intelligent, alert, responsive working dogs. They are exceptionally devoted, and have a strong desire to work in partnership with their owner, whatever the task.
HERDING
English Shepherds are natural low heelers, with strong herding instinct. They exhibit agility, stamina, and stout hearted perseverance and will use the amount of force necessary to accomplish the job. Their natural instincts enable them to work with a minimum of direction, however, and they can be trusted to not bother livestock when help is not needed.
For more about herding with English Shepherds, click here.
HUNTING
English Shepherds are also valued for their tracking, hunting and treeing ability. Advertising brochures from the 1950s depict English Shepherds treeing squirrel, coon and possum, and note "English Shepherds will tree anything and everything." This may include, of course, your neighbor's cat! An industrious English Shepherd may not be satisfied with simply treeing critters -- he may decide to climb a tree or two himself! English Shepherd owners need to be aware of and make allowances for the many faceted drives their dogs inherit.
AGILITY AND MORE
With their blend of intelligence, athleticism, and trainability, English Shepherds excel at many of the newer dog sports. English Shepherds have succeeded at the highest levels of obedience and agility. They also make outstanding partners in Search and Rescue, and many English Shepherds are certified Therapy Dogs, visiting residents in nursing homes and hospitals. English Shepherds are truly all-purpose dogs, eager to work for their owners in a variety of settings.
The English Shepherd is a dog of medium size, presenting a picture of sturdy balance and harmonious proportions, built for speed and maneuverability. He is alert and his face shows a high degree of intelligence. English Shepherds have a medium length, double coat, which affords all weather protection.
APPEARANCE
English Shepherds come in four traditional color patterns: black and tan, sable and white, tricolor (black, white and tan), and black and white. For more information on color variations, and their underlying genetics, see this webpage.
Because they have not been bred for the show ring, English Shepherds have retained much natural variation in features such as ear set, tail carriage, markings, and even build. These differences are appreciated by their owners as reflective of the care breeders have taken to preserve the essential character of the breed, rather than focusing on attaining perfect conformity to a "cookie cutter" ideal.
HISTORY
English Shepherds are descendants of the Shepherds' dogs of Scotland and N. England. This group also gave rise to modern "show" Collies and Border Collies. English Shepherds differ from their cousins in having been bred primarily for an upright, loose-eyed herding style, and by the continuous selection for all-around ability. These abilities include not only herding but also guarding and hunting. The surge in popularity of dog shows and sheepdog trials in the 20th century resulted in increased demand for the Collie types which these venues were designed to showcase. English Shepherds have never been primarily show dogs or trial dogs, but rather practical versatile workers for farmers who were interested in function rather than flash.
For an introduction to characteristics of the breed, see the English Shepherd Club breed standard. For more information on the background and history of this American breed, visit the ESC archives.
"There are several other types of Collie quite distinct from the Border Collie in that they are "loose-eyed" workers... They were easy-going, level-headed dogs, useful but not flashy workers ... For all around farm work they were often far more use than the classically bred (trials type) dog."
-John Holmes, in The Farmer's Dog
The information on this page is used by the permission of The English Shepherd Club. The picture of the English Shepherd and the cat is from an old postcard.
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