About English Shepherds— English Shepherds have a long history in North America. Early settlers brought with them a shepherding dog, who herded livestock and protected the family. For over 200 years, English Shepherds and their ancestors have been found in rural areas and on farms across the country. Many people remember the nice old farm dog laying by the front door on their grandparents porch, who followed grandpa as he did the morning and evening chores, helped him move cattle or sheep, kept critters and predators off the farm, played with and watched over the kids for mom, and alerted the family to anyone coming up the lane. English Shepherds are highly intelligent and learn what their owners teach them very quickly. They are sensitive and a harsh word is all the correction they need. English Shepherds are extremely devoted to their family and have a strong desire to stay close to home. They are physically and mentally active and have retained their herding instincts to this day. English Shepherds are happiest when they have a job and plenty of time with their family, but if there is nothing interesting going on, an English Shepherd can lay on the front porch for hours and loves nothing more than to lay at your feet. English Shepherds thrive when they are a member of the family and can join in on the family activities. And with their low maintenance coats, English Shepherds always look and smell cleaner than you would expect! With the decline of the small family farm, English Shepherds have shown their versatility as agility competitors, search and rescue dogs, and therapy dogs and more. Now with the movement to buy from local farmers, we may be seeing more of our multi-talented English Shepherds back to their original roles!
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