The German Shepherd Dog was originally bred as a sheepherder and in Germany,
many still do this type of work.  In Canada, there are some who work on
'hobby farms' but most German Shepherds trained to herd compete in various
herding trials put on by several different organizations.

The German Shepherd's natural herding style is the 'tending' style in which the dog becomes a natural fence (barrier) while controlling many sheep over a wide area.  They were not bred to do the 'traditional' type of herding one usually associates with the border collie.   But due to the tremendous versatility of our breed, many of our dogs have been successful in this traditional style.   At the current time, the traditional herding style is the only training style presently available in Canada and as a club, we are committed to preserving the
herding instinct in our dogs.

Our club sponsors a Herding Instinct Test yearly.  In addition, we also put on several fun trials and a herding trial.  Herding is becoming a very popular
event for both the owners and the dogs!