English Shepherd Information & Dog Breed Facts

Introduction

The English Shepherds, sometimes called “shadow shepherds” because of their love for being around their humans, are medium-sized dogs with a strong and agile build.

They have a history of working on farms but also make companion pets.

Origins

Despite its name, the English Shepherd is actually an American breed, known as the original all-purpose farm dog.

Early settlers from Britain and Ireland carried collies of various types to the New World, and the English Shepherd shares a heritage with the current Border Collie, Scotch Collie, and Australian Shepherd.

The English Shepherd’s predecessors were widely utilized on farms throughout the eastern states, mostly as sheep or cattle herders, but it also served as a watchdog, ratter, and companion.

America’s finest contribution to the dog world is the English Shepherd. The breed developed into the wonderful app-purpose dog it is today in America.

The English Shepherds were one of the few canines chosen to travel aboard the Mayflower. Moreover, the breed has also accompanied America’s westward expansion as it was in charge of guarding their prized livestock and assisted them in the search for the game that was so important to their existence.

The English Shepherd was a dog who also gave warning of the attack and fought and died alongside the early Americans who helped build the United States.

No other dog played such an important role in the formation of the United States of America. No dog, like no person, could be a specialist in those early days.

To survive in those days, you needed a lot of knowledge about a lot of subjects. This was the reason for the breed's early breeding as it was bred to do anything its master demanded.

Although originally a herding dog, the English Shepherd of today is a utility dog rarely equaled. In some dogs the herding instinct is stronger than in others, generally, smaller types of dogs are not as rough workers as the larger ones.

As a result of their size and speed, the smaller ones are utilized for geese, sheep, and goats, on the other hand, the large ones are used for hogs and cattle. Regardless of size, the English Shepherd is a fearless dog who will complete the task at hand.

Decline inbreeding

The English Shepherd is considered a rare breed and there are several reasons behind this. One is the decline of family farms.

As time went by, more and more people moved to the city and there was not as much need for these types of dogs as they were firmly associated with farming.

Eventually, fewer and fewer people knew about them and the variety of uses they could be put to. In fact, during the Second World War, the English Shepherd was one of the armed service's top choices for dog training.

However, in the end, the German Shepherd was chosen for the top spot. Today, as their usefulness has started to be recognized once more, they are still hard to dins and their gene pool is limited.

Recognition

The United Kennel Club has been registering English Shepherds since 1927, originally the UKC called the breed the American Farm Shepherd but in 2003 renamed it the English Shepherd.

The breed is not recognized by the American Kennel Club.