The ancestors of the modern Collie were all-round, adaptable herding dogs, working with all types of stock in a variety of situations. Collies today who have the opportunity to work stock continue to show the range of characteristics needed for this work. While today there are relatively few Collies doing practical work on farms and ranches compared to some other breeds, there are some who still fill that role and many that are capable of the work. Many have been successful in the all-breed trials held by the Australian Shepherd Club of America, American Herding Breed Association, American Kennel Club, Kennel Club, and now the FCI "Traditional Style" trials in Europe.

When considering the herding behaviors shown by the "typical" Collie, it must be kept in mind that "typical" should be used loosely. Dogs are individuals, and herding ability is governed by complex inherited factors and by experience and training. General similarities of style may appear in related lines and be strengthened through selective breeding, but some variability will remain even within the same litter. Owners have ample scope for selecting the dogs with the characteristic best suited to their individual circumstances or preferences.

In general, the "typical" Collie works in an upright, "loose-eyed" manner, rather than with the stalking, pausing approach of the strong-eyed Border Collie. Rough and Smooth Collies will move freely around the stock, often pushing in close. The Collies tends to be a gathering dog, readily going around the stock to round them up and bring them to the handler. While many will soon pick up the concept of pushing the stock ahead of the handler, it will take some training to teach the dog to drive the stock at a distance away from the handler in a controlled manner, as opposed to simple pushing with the handler close by.

Organized herding trials that began in Britain in the late 19th century highlighted the work of the hill dogs of the Scottish/English/Welsh border regions, which involved work at great distances with flighty sheep that received comparatively little close contact with people. In many situations, however, livestock in Britain and America received daily human contact -- sheep and cattle being kept on family farms, for instance, or large flocks of sheep being tended by shepherds who stayed with the flock all day. These situations fit the tendencies of the loose-eyed dogs, which continued in their role as all-purpose farm or ranch dogs.

John Holmes wrote in The Farmer’s Dog:"There are several other types of Collie quite distinct from the Border Collie in that they are ‘loose-eyed’ workers. Most of these are native to Scotland and include the old-fashioned Scotch Collie from which the modern show collie is descended. They were all easy-going, level-headed dogs, useful, but not flashy workers, and quite willing to lie about the place when there was nothing better to do. Personally I think it is a great pity that this type has been practically exterminated by the increasing popularity of ‘strong-eyed’ dogs. For all-round farm work, they were more useful than the classically bred [trial] dog."

What the adaptable herding dog did depended on the farmer’s needs, the set-up of the farm, the type or types of stock kept. Littermates sold to different farmers might end up doing different kinds of work. Many dogs remained on one farm for life, performing a daily routine that varied little or varied with the seasons. Others might go on the road as drovers’ dogs. Confusion sometimes arises because of the use of the terms "driving" and "droving" in old accounts. Drovers’ dogs were not always "driving" dogs in the modern sense of the dog working the stock from the rear alongside or ahead of the handler. In old accounts, "driving" simply means moving stock, with no specification as to location of dog or handler. A dog might be described as "driving" the animals with the handler leading them. "Droving" meant taking the stock some distance, down roads or lanes, usually to market. Droving work required flexibility. The dog had to be able to move anywhere around the herd or flock -- push from behind, move along the sides, go to the head, turn back runaways, turn or slow the leaders. The drover might follow at the rear, lead from the front, or walk along the side, taking the position best suited for the situation. Although some breeds become associated with droving work, the drover’s dog was most often the common local farm dog picked up by the drovers as needed. Suitability for long-distance droving work had more to do with questions or temperament and stamina than with breed or whether the dog was by instinct a "fetcher" or a "driver". In an article which appeared in the May 1960 issue of Collie and Shetland Sheepdog Review, Mrs. Katherine M. Nicks wrote of several Smooth Collies bred by her father. One was owned by a drover, who ". . . went from farm to farm buying cattle . . . The dog brought the cattle along, held them while the driver dickered, collected the purchased cows and drove them down the road till he caught up to the drover again, who would go on ahead. At the end of the day the drover could go home ahead of the dog, telling him only to bring them home, and he would always arrive with them all, steady and unhurried, no matter how far or how late the hour."

A Smooth belonging to Mrs. Nicks’ father was especially skilled at loading cattle onto stockcars in an area where there were no fences or stock pens, only a loading chute. Mrs. Nicks’ father would stand by the chute, and a dog would load the cattle by himself. And, "When other farms had cattle to load, they came and asked my father to help with Pep -- not to load, just to stand by in case the cattle got away on them. They knew Pep could fetch them back in an instant."

The book, Our Friend the Collie, ed. by Rowland Johns (1936), tells of several working Collies which would fetch up cattle without any special training. One dog, if challenged by an animal, would give a bark in its face to turn it, then nip its heels to hurry it on its way. Another dog, bringing cattle along a main road, " . . . runs alongside and keeps them all to one side of the road when any vehicles happen to be passing." Delwood Vanity, the descendant of show Collies on both sides of her pedigree, ". . . a few years ago, during some great floods which followed terrific snowstorms on the Yorkshire Wolds, went through both snow and water that neither the shepherd nor his helper could penetrate, and rescued not only her owners’ sheep but those of neighboring farms too . . . only when all were safely penned did she return home completely exhausted . . . . A remarkable feature is that Vanity has never been trained to work sheep but has taught herself to fetch them from the surrounding hills." Vanity’s owner stated that he could tell her to fetch the sheep or fetch the cows, and she would bring in the type of stock named."

Foy Evans, a Border Collie trainer, wrote in a letter that appeared in the Dec. 1961 issue of Collie Cues magazine:
"I’ll never forget the first truly good dog I ever owned. He was the biggest and one of the most beautiful sable and white AKC registered Collies who ever lived. He worked for me four years on a dairy farm. He was fantastic – literally a genius in the dog world. His breeding potential was almost entirely wasted. He sired one litter and even though the dam was plain and unregistered, the pups were marvelous stock dogs. He did not have the eye and crouch of the Border Collies, which I have now, but for brains and inherent know-how, I have never seen his equal . . . I gave up the breed because I couldn’t find a female even half-way suitable . . . Prince was used equally well on cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry. He was most effective, efficient and quick to learn. His speed was determined by my tone of voice as was his patience or roughness."

These accounts illustrate some of the versatile skills and variety of tasks required of the working Collie. Even for such a basic task as going to the pasture to get the cows, a variety of herding behaviors would come into play. The Collie was noted for its ability to go out on its own and bring animals home. In so doing, it was gathering and fetching the animals toward the reference point of the barnyard, just as the trial dog gathers and fetches its sheep toward the reference point of the barnyard, just as the trial dog gathers and fetches its sheep toward the reference point of the handler, even if someone writing about it referred to the moving of the stock as "driving". After getting animals grouped in the pasture moving, the dog would go in behind to push them along and perhaps "heel" a recalcitrant one to urge it on its way. The dog needed a heading tendency, going to the head to stop forward movement, in order to get the animals grouped, but if the dog continued going only to the head, it would have ended up holding the stock in one place rather than moving them. So the dog also had to be able to go behind the stock and push it from the rear.

Dogs performing familiar jobs on farms or ranches often needed very few commands to accomplish their tasks, with a certain amount of independence being acceptable and even desirable. Collies have a strong sense of working in partnership with their handlers and enjoy being given the opportunity to show independent judgment. Some may resent being told every little step to take, and prefer the broader scope that working larger groups of animals gives them.

In the U.S. in the 1980s, organized herding instinct tests came about as a way to provide an accessible and standardized introduction to herding for owners and dogs who might otherwise have little opportunity in this area. It is simply the supervised exposure of an inexperienced dog to livestock, in the same way that in a home situation a trainer might introduce a herding prospect to stock as the preliminary to beginning training. The tests did not arise with the idea that they could ever substitute for the gradual introduction to herding that traditionally formed the basis of the herding dog’s experience. It should be kept in mind that these tests have great limitations. A private session or lesson with a trainer allows for more individual attention. And passing an instinct test does not "prove" the dog is a good herder. Tests only provide a glimpse of potential. Only time, training and experience with provide a clear picture of a dog’s abilities.

Many tests have been held specifically for Collies, and many Collies have taken part in all-breed tests. The dogs being tested have for the most part been untrained dogs in their earliest exposures. This is not because it is desirable for a dog’s first encounter with livestock to be at an instinct test; it is simply because, for most of these dogs, having no stock at home, there has been no other opportunity. Nonetheless, because of the dogs at such tests have, for the most part, had little or no herding training, their natural tendencies would tend to be revealed.

On the forms used at the tests, various categories have been set up in order to evaluate the dogs in a relatively standardized way. The categories include such characteristics as whether the dog showed a tendency to go around the stock and attempt to move it toward the handler (gathering and fetching); or whether the dog appeared to want to keep a position between the handler and the stock, pushing the stock on ahead (driving); or whether the dog showed no clear preference. How much distance did the dog keep as it approached and moved around the stock’ Some dogs keep a good distance, better able to keep flighty stock well grouped, while others will start out close but readily respond to being encouraged to keep more distance. Many dogs will remain close, which often is necessary when working tame or stubborn stock. The dog being evaluated may or may not show some degree of wearing -- a weaving path of travel, with the dog moving from side to side as it goes forward, which helps keep the stock grouped and prevents breakaways. Larger groups of stock usually bring out more wearing, and active, free-moving dogs often are inclined to wear a great deal or in larger arcs. Did the dog bark or was it a silent worker? If it barked, was the barking constant, or only on occasion in response to a need to show more force on stubborn stock?

The characteristic of "eye" also is noted. "Strong eye" is an intense gaze usually accompanied by a low-to-the-ground stalking movement; it is most often associated with Border Collies. Medium eye usually signifies intensity but without the stalking approach. Loose eye indicates a tendency to move freely and to look over the whole group rather than focusing tightly on a smaller group or a few individuals. Medium and loose-eyed dogs work with an upright stance. In general, strong eye is especially effective with smaller groups of flighty animals, looser eye is more effective with larger groups or less flighty animals. The original working collie, ancestor to both the Rough/ Smooth Collie and the Border Collie, was generally a loose-eyed dog, but old accounts show that eye existed in some individuals and it is from such individuals that the modern Border Collie was developed. Rough/ Smooth Collies remained largely loose-eyed "all-round" workers, but in a few cases some degree of medium or strong eye may show up in Collies.

Also evaluated are the dog’s boldness and readiness to face down stubborn stock, while using no unnecessary force. Some dogs are too quick to resort to force, while others will back away from stubborn stock. Also important to the dog’s effectiveness as a herder is temperament. The dog should be adaptable to whatever comes along, keeping its attention on the job at hand and not becoming frightened by new or unusual experiences.

Through examining results of the tests, comparing them with what is known of the Collies’ working ancestors, and observing those Collies which have gone on to be trained for herding competitors or are being used as working dogs today, an idea can be obtained regarding the general tendencies of the "typical" Collie. It must be remembered that "typical" has to be used very loosely. Collies are individuals, displaying a wide variety of characteristics. Within many breeds, a variety of styles may exist and no single, set style can be decreed as the "correct" style although some traits will be more widespread within some breeds than others and some traits can be more useful in certain situations than others. Herding ability is governed by complex inherited factors and by experience and training. General similarities of style may appear in related lines and be strengthened through selective breeding, but some variability will remain even within the same litter. Owners have ample scope for selecting the dogs with the characteristic best suited to their individual situation or likes.

From the results of the numerous tests in which Collies have taken part, it appears that, while the full range of behaviors has been shown by various individuals, the "typical" Collie is a gathering dog, showing loose to medium eye, fairly close-running, forceful enough for the job at hand, inclined to show some wearing, readily adjusted in temperament but with a significant percentage easily distracted, generally silent but with a significant percentage showing a tendency to force bark. These results conform quite well with what is known about the Collie’s original work and with what is being shown by Collies today as they are trained for trialing or for practical work.

Because Collies, like most other breeds, don’t work in the manner of the classic Border Collie, gathering stock at a distance with a wide sweeping movement and carefully positioning itself in precise relation to the flighty stock, they sometimes have mistakenly been considered to be driving dogs or of a "driving" breed. The loose-eyed dog usually has a "looser" balance, moving freely past the balance point (the position which the dog needs to take in order to control the stock and hold it or move it in a particular direction) and then reversing to recover it. Although basic balance and suitable distance from the stock are always important, great precision in balance or wider movement relative to the stock are not as critical with relatively placid animals or with larger groups -- the types of stock typically worked by all-around farm or ranch dogs. A tendency to approach the stock more directly or to show a less clear or precise sense of balance does not mean the dog is lacking in gathering instinct or has primarily a driving instinct. In most cases as soon as an inexperienced dog settles and begins working the stock it begins to show a gathering or fetching tendency in greater or lesser degree. Some of these dogs may more readily be persuaded to take a driving position, on the same side of the stock as the handler, and there were many farm situations when the dog was used primarily for pushing stock down lanes or through pens. But the fact remains that the natural gathering dog is in most situations the most useful herding dog and gathering instinct is widespread in the herding breeds. In most cases a dog that will only drive is a very limited dog. A dog that can only push from behind ends up just pushing the stock further away without necessarily being able to control the direction. Thoroughly-grounded herding training will produce a dog that not only will be able to handle a wide range of situations, but when called upon to drive, the dog will be able to truly drive, controlling the direction of the stock rather than merely following along as a sort of four-footed stock prod. While one dog may show a stronger gathering tendency than another dog, it isn’t the case that the dog whose gathering tendency is less strong has a driving tendency instead. A dog that goes around the stock at a distance of 50 feet rather than 500 yards is still going around the stock. On the whole, even the looser-balanced dogs are by nature gatherers. .

Actual training techniques usually are not clearly explained in the old books. In earlier times (and often still today) the training was of a learn-as-one-does type. Many of the techniques being used today to train herding dogs have been set out in systematic manner only fairly recently. Over time, principles of herding behavior were articulated and techniques were developed and disseminated. Many of these techniques were first outlined by Border Collie trainers. Practical experience with other breeds has shown many of these methods to be beneficial with other breeds as well in producing a well-rounded, well-trained herding dog. But adjustments will be made, particular emphases altered. Knowledge of training techniques often assumes a greater importance today because there is not as much time or opportunity to rely on the learn-as-one-does methods, although practical day-to-day experience will always remain important in the development of a good herding dog. Many people who are interested in herding simply do not have the opportunity to give their dogs daily farm-work experience and must rely upon training exercises. But even a town dog can be trained to herd if the owner dedicates the necessary time and effort to it. Ducks in the backyard can substitute for sheep, supplemented by trips to work sheep. After the reactions of a dog’s first encounter with stock - excitement, perhaps leading to chasing, or holding back at first due to uncertainty -- the typical Collie will attempt to go around the stock and try to move them in some semblance of grouping to the handler. This may be disorganized at first and some human guidance may be needed to help establish a more controlled pattern, but then, this is also the case with many Border Collies on their first introductions to stock. There will understandably be more consistency of herding behavior shown in the Border Collie, a breed selected almost exclusively for herding for many generations. Rough and Smooth Collies have undergone a long period when there has been little selection for herding qualities. Therefore, while herding ability remains strong in some individuals, others have lost these qualities to a greater or lesser extent. Diminished working ability should not be confused with "style". A dog that is lacking in confidence and inclined to stay with the handler for moral support, or a dog that is out of condition and so content to follow, should not be presented as simply having a different "style". The recommendations for dogs such as these would be, in the case of the hesitant dog, to help it develop a feeling of mastery, and in the case of the less fit dog, to get it into shape -- not to classify them as "driving" dogs and require them only to follow behind stock. With more experience, an unruly dog will settle, a timid dog will gain confidence, and even an uninterested dog may gain interest and turn out to be just as talented a herder as a dog which revealed its instinct right away.

A Rough or Smooth Collie doesn’t have to be judged according to whether it does or does not show "eye" or crouch like the Border Collie. Nonetheless, like the Border Collie, Rough and Smooth Collies should be able to both gather and drive. They should be able to go out from the handler and round up the animals. This need not take place at 500 yards -- in many small farm fields, this distance could not be approached. Many working Collies on farms and ranches did not do a great deal of work at great distances from the handler. They can still be encouraged to do distance work within their individual capabilities. The standard should not be a particular "style", but good, efficient, practical herding.

In early training, it is important to know the dog’s natural tendencies and to take them into consideration. At higher levels, the dog should be able to do what is required by the situation. There are many methods of training, and different techniques will work best with different dogs. It is a common practice to concentrate on gathering or fetching first. In the case of a dog which has a strong gathering instinct, one is working with the dog’s instinct and establishing control before the dog is asked to do work on command that is contrary to its instinct. In the case of the dog with less of a gathering instinct, it is important to encourage and preserve the gathering ability before going on to driving work. If this gathering ability is not developed and the dog is encouraged instead to do a great deal of driving too early in its training, it may later prove difficult to get the dog to go around and gather up the stock when needed. The dog will have not developed the "feel" of collecting and controlling the stock and, if keen, will quickly revert to chasing if the stock is the least bit flighty. On the other hand, if the dog is a strong gatherer, it is good to introduce driving sooner, or the dog may become reluctant to drive.

Investigate the complexities of herding behaviors and learn about your breed’s work both past and present. If your dog’s earliest exposure is at an instinct test, or even if it has had some exposure before being entered in such early-level tests, be sure that your Collie is tested in an open-minded and evaluative manner. Then, investigate all types of training techniques and use those that work best for you end your dog in producing a capable, well-rounded herder.

-- Linda Rorem