On Friday, October 21, my husband and I found ourselves in our vet’s office, tears’ streaming down our faces asking each other “is it time?” Our 12, almost 13 year old, Josie was having some issues that we attributed to being old.  She was a little stiff and slow getting around and had started suffering from incontinence.  The incontinence was remedied with medication and we thought we dodged a bullet.  Then on the morning on the 21st, she couldn’t get up and stay up.  It was like she was drunk.  She couldn’t control her back legs and now we had the opposite problem of the incontinence, she wasn’t going.  She was alert, but she wasn’t herself.  She either had a spinal tumor or degenerative myelopathy. 
 
There is no cure or successful treatment of either condition.  Any “treatment” would just delay the inevitable.  But the options still ran through my head; Do we go for the neurological consult? How long with it take to get an appointment? Do we try whatever “treatment” the vet had to offer? Do we have them put in a catheter?
 
So as the tears and now snot (yes, I was a mess), continued, I realized that I was doing exactly what so many people do.  At that moment I would have done anything and paid any amount of money to buy more time with Josie.  But at what cost to her?
 
So in the end, you know it’s time to let them go when you realize that keeping them alive is for your benefit and not theirs.

Herding dogs were originally bred as working dogs and have heightened instinctive herding abilities.  Various breed were developed for specific tasks to help people manage domesticated animals such as cattle and sheep.

Today these working dogs not only herd animals, but are used as police dogs, rescue dogs, therapy dogs and any other job suited to their intelligence, agility and willingness to please.

A herding dog, also known as a stock dog or working dog, is a type of pastoral dog that either has been trained in herding or belongs to breeds developed for herding. Their ability to be trained to act on the sound of a whistle or word of command is renowned throughout the world.

In Australia, New Zealand and the United States herding dogs are known as working dogs irrespective of their breeding. Some herding breeds work well with any kind of animals; others have been bred for generations to work with specific kinds of animals and have developed physical characteristics or styles of working that enhance their ability to handle these animals. Commonly mustered animals include cattle, sheep, goats and reindeer, although it is not unusual for poultry to be handled by dogs.

The term "herding dog" is sometimes erroneously used to describe livestock guardian dogs, whose primary function is to guard flocks and herds from predation and theft, and they lack the herding instinct. Although herding dogs may guard flocks their primary purpose is to move them; both herding dogs and livestock guardian dogs may be called "sheep dogs".

In general terms when categorizing dog breeds, herding dogs are considered a subcategory of working dogs, but for conformation shows they usually form a separate group.

Australia has the world's largest cattle stations and sheep stations and some of best-known herding dogs, such as the Koolie, Kelpie, Red and Blue Heelers are bred and found there.

All herding behavior is modified predatory behavior. Through selective breeding, man has been able to minimize the dog's natural inclination to treat cattle and sheep as prey while simultaneously maintaining the dog's hunting skills, thereby creating an effective herding dog.

Dogs can work other animals in a variety of ways. Some breeds, such as the Australian Cattle Dog, typically nip at the heels of animals (for this reason they are called heelers) and the Cardigan Welsh Corgi and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi were historically used in a similar fashion in the cattle droves that moved cattle from Wales to the Smithfield Meat Market in London but are rarely used for herding today.

Other breeds, notably the Border Collie, get in front of the animals and use what is called strong eye to stare down the animals; [5] they are known as headers. The headers or fetching dogs keep livestock in a group. They consistently go to the front or head of the animals to turn or stop the animal's movement. The heelers or driving dogs keep pushing the animals forward. Typically, they stay behind the herd. The Australian Kelpie and Australian Koolie use both these methods and also run along the backs of sheep so are said to head, heel, and back. Other types such as the Australian Shepherd, English Shepherd and Welsh Sheepdog are moderate to lose eyed, working more independently. The New Zealand Huntaway uses its loud, deep bark to muster mobs of sheep. German Shepherd Dogs and Briards are historically tending dogs, who act as a "living fence," guiding large flocks of sheep to graze while preventing them from eating valuable crops and wandering onto roads.

Herding instincts and trainability can be measured when introducing a dog to livestock or at noncompetitive herding tests. Individuals exhibiting basic herding instincts can be trained to compete in herding trials.

• Come-bye or just bye - go to the left of the stock, or clockwise around them.
• Away to me, or just away or 'way - go to the right of the stock, or counterclockwise around them.
• Stand - stop, although when said gently may also mean just to slow down.
• Wait, (lie) down or sit - stop.
• Steady or take time - slow down.
• Cast - gather the stock into a group. Good working dogs will cast over a large area.
• Find - search for stock. A good dog will hold the stock until the shepherd arrives. Some will bark when the stock have been located.
• Get out or get back - move away from the stock. Used when the dog is working too close to the stock, potentially causing the stock stress. Occasionally used as a reprimand.
• Hold - keep stock where they are.
• Bark or speak up - bark at stock. Useful when more force is needed, and usually essential for working cattle and sheep.
• Look back - return for a missed animal.
• In here - go through a gap in the flock. Used when separating stock.
• Walk up, walk on or just walk - move in closer to the stock.
• That'll do - stop working and return to handler.
• Hey's of shame - just repeat hey... that's all thank you.
  

These commands may be indicated by a hand movement, whistle or voice. There are many other commands that are also used when working stock and in general use away from stock. Herding dog commands are generally taught using livestock as the modus operandi. Urban owners without access to livestock are able to teach basic commands through herding games.

These are not the only commands used: there are many variations. When whistles are used, each dog usually has a different set of commands to avoid confusion when more than one dog is being worked at one time.

Herding dogs are often chosen as family pets. The collie breeds including the Bearded Collie and Border Collie are well known. Although they make good family dogs and show dogs they are at their best when they have a job to do. These dogs have been bred as working dogs and need to be active. They retain their herding instincts and may sometimes nip at people's heels or bump them in an effort to 'herd' their family, and may need to be trained not to do so.[1] Their activity level and intelligence makes them excellent canine athletes. The Shetland Sheepdog, Rough Collie, Smooth Collie and Old English Sheepdog are more popular as family companion dogs.

Herding breeds include the following:

• Altdeutsche Hütehunde[12] (Tiger, Gelbbacke, Harzer Fuchs, Kuhhund, Schafpudel, Schwarzer, Strobel)
• Australian Cattle Dog (Also known as "Blue" or "Red" Heeler)
• Australian Kelpie
• Australian Shepherd
• Australian Stumpy Tail Cattle Dog
• Basque Shepherd Dog
• Bearded Collie
• Beauceron
• Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael, Laekenois, Tervueren, and Malinois)
• Bergamasco Shepherd
• Berger Picard
• Berger Blanc Suisse
• Black Mouth Cur
• Blue Lacy
• Border Collie
• Bouvier des Flandres
• Briard
• Can de Chira
• Can de Palleiro
• Cão da Serra de Aires
• Carea Castellano Manchego
• Carea Leonés
• Catahoula Leopard Dog
• Catalan Sheepdog
• Chien de Crau[6]
• Collie breeds (see specific breed)
• Croatian Sheepdog
• Cumberland Sheepdog
• Cur (Blackmouth Cur, etc.)

• Dutch Shepherd
• English Shepherd
• Farm Collie/Farm Shepherd
• Finnish Lapphund
• Garafian Shepherd
• German Shepherd Dog
• Hairy Mouth Heeler (Also known as Wire Mouth Heeler)[1][2][6]
• Huntaway
• Icelandic Sheepdog
• King Shepherd
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Koolie (also called Australian Koolie or German Coolie)
• Lancashire Heeler
• Lapponian Herder
• Magellan sheep dog
• McNab
• Miniature Australian Shepherd
• Mudi
• New Zealand Heading Dog
• Norwegian Buhund
• Old English Sheepdog
• Pastor Mantiqueira
• Picardy Shepherd
• Pyrenean Shepherd
• Polish Lowland Sheepdog (Pons)
• Pomeranian Sheepdog
• Poodle
• Portuguese Sheepdog
• Puli
• Pumi (dog)
• Pyrenean Shepherd

Wikipedia contributors. "Herding dog." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 28 Sep. 2016 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herding_dog

The herding behavior is modified from the predatory instinct, to hunt and prey on other animals. Instincts don’t go away and if a herding dog’s needs aren’t met, they can show up in inappropriate places.  If your dog is constantly trying to control your movements, round up the kids while they are playing (especially squealing children), or move the cats around in an orderly manner, your dog is displaying herding behavior.