Basic Herding Skills

• Gathering – the collective name for the outrun, lift and fetch. Fetching or Wearing – wherever the shepherd walks, the dog brings the stock
• Driving – the stock is taken away from the handler by the dog, who should be TOLD where to take them. If the dog’s doing it on his own, without permission, well that’s something else entirely!!
• Penning – putting the stock into pens, both free-standing and fence-line pens
• Holding – if no pen is available, the dog should be able to control the stock enough so that you can catch the animal.  Of course, if it’s cattle we’re dealing with, a holding pen of some sort might be necessary!