Shepherd dogs Formafantasma, Oltre Terra NAM Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo NO A shepherd dog (also known as sheep dog) is a type of working dog historically used in connection with the raising of sheep. These include livestock guardian dogs used to guard sheep and other livestock and herding dogs used to move, manage and control sheep and other livestock. Creating herding dog breeds is associated with the development of cattle breeding. Shepherding was a difficult task, so dogs that were previously helping humans in hunting, became assistants in livestock maintenance. The main task for dogs in the early stages of cattle breeding was protecting herds from a variety of wild predators, that were very numerous. After the extinction of large predators, the massive spread of sheep breeding and with an increase in the share of cultivated and populated land, the main task of herding dogs was to protect crops, private and protected areas from harm during grazing and moving herds. A sheepdog trial is a competition for testing the working abilities of herding breeds of dogs. It is a type of dog sport that emerged in the 1860s in New Zealand in which dogs demonstrate basic herding management skills assessed by a judge. The competition program includes guiding the sheep through several obstacles, collecting them in and out of the pen, separating the sheep from the flock, etc. The judge is evaluating the accuracy of the dog's work under the guidance of a handler. Sources: 1 - “Sheep Herding Dogs", RaisingSheep.net (2015) Video: 1 - British Pathé, Historical Footage of Border Collies and Sheep Trials, Elkana Border Collies #formafantasma #oltreterra #NAMoslo #nasjonalmuseet #design #research #shepherd #dog @nasjonalmuseet