What is the most common herding dog breed?

Answer 1

The most common herding dog would depend upon what country you are talking about specifically. In the United states the most commonly used herding dog is the Border Collie, in Australia it is the Australian Kelpie. Worldwide a figure would be much more difficult to come across. The some other commonly used breeds include the Australian Shepard, the Australian Cattle Dog, the New Zealand Huntaway.

Some breeds of dogs that are used as herding dogs are more frequently found in other situations. So though they are not commonly used to herd they may be more common than the other herding dogs. The German Shepard, as it's name suggests can be used as a herding dog, and it is the third most popular dog in the US and the fourth in the UK (by number of registrations). The Border Collie doesn't even make the top 30 list in the US and it is down at number 24 in the UK.

The commonality of the herd dog also does notnecessarilyreflect the quality of the dog as a herd, which is ultimately a subjective measure. Some people have touted the German Shepard as the 'best' herd dog, others the Border Collie, and I'm sure the people in Australia would be happy to stand up for their Kelpies as well.

In summary, most popular by use as a herding dog is the Border Collie in the US and the Kelpie in Australia, this figure is specific to the country. Most popular by number in the US is the German Shepard followed distantly by the Shetland sheepdog and even more distantly by the Welsh Corgi. These figures are also going to vary by country.