Over the years of working with dog breeds for stock work, I have found one thing for sure and that is that you will find bigger variations within a breed, than you will find between breeds.  This is a good thing and a difficult thing, as you have to really start to do your homework as to what you are really after.  It however, is great if you have one breed in mind because if you look far enough you are sure to find exacly what you are chasing for the job at hand.

Now for years there has been a rivalry between breeds, this is all driven by personal opinion.  (It also can be fun to stir people up.)  In saying this, there are breeds that are more suitable then others for different jobs, or the average fit into these roles more than not.  You see every breeder breeds for what they want or need for their particular job.  This can change with climate, vegetation, mob size, stock to be worked, coat type, environment, where you are working - in the yards or the paddock, trialing ground and the type of trialing or for showing.

This will make a difference to how a dog works its stock eg. casts - close or wide, barks, backs, bites, space, front end or back, how they cope with contact and energy - what reaction they cause it there stock.

Now we all know as trainers that we can teach our dogs to do any number of things with enough time and persistance, the thing is that when the pressure really comes on, they go back to natural.  So all the work that we do can be undone in the wink of an eye, if we work on trying to change to much about our dogs.

It's our job as dog trainers to recognise what we are working with and get the most out of what we have by changing our work style or our expectations, or even our dogs, if we are driven that way.  We do have to remember that even though what we have might not suit us it may be exactly what someone else is looking for.

If the basics are done right in the growing and assessing time (The Ground Work) and the age is right, most dogs will go on to be very useful or even great companions for the owner that needs or desires these dogs. That have had countless hours spent with them to ensure that they are in the right frame of mind to be great compaions.

As Breeders we have started putting temperament as a priority, with more and more dogs reaching the urban environent.  We need a to be thinking about the acceptance level - trainability of what we are producing.

The information on my website on individual breeds comes from various places.  I have put in some points from my experiences and what I have gleaned from other trainers over a period of time.

It is only a guide and should be read it the way, as it could be useful to know at some point - which could be now if you are living with any breed of working dog. As I said at the top of the page, there can be bigger variations between breeds as within breeds so read a few different breed descriptions to help you to know what you could be dealing with.