Herding Dog Guides

Herding dog leaping after a large red CollieBall in the yard
How to tell if your dog is bored (not badly behaved)
Bored and badly behaved look almost the same in a herding breed. Here are the signs that point to boredom, the ones that point somewhere else, and three questions that... Read more...
Border Collie mid-leap on a white background
How to calm a hyper dog without punishment
A hyper dog is usually under-employed rather than naughty. Five changes that bring a working breed down without corrections: routine, real brain work, decompression walks and a quieter evening. Read more...
Australian Shepherd stalking a large red CollieBall herding ball
Mistakes Most People Make with an Australian Shepherd
The eight things Australian Shepherd owners get wrong most often, from exercise without thinking to a herding instinct with nowhere to go, and what to do instead. Read more...
German Shepherd and Dobermann sitting beside a large red CollieBall herding ball
The German Shepherd Owner's Field Guide
What living with a German Shepherd actually looks like: working and show lines, temperament, a daily rhythm that holds, coat care, and how the breed changes from puppy to senior. Read more...
Herding dog balancing on top of a black CollieBall herding ball
Herding dog enrichment toys: what works, what wears out
Puzzle feeders, snuffle mats, flirt poles, tugs and herding balls, compared honestly: what each one asks of the dog, how long it survives, and where the money is worth spending. Read more...
Blue merle Border Collie herding a large red CollieBall on grass
Border Collie Enrichment: How to Keep a Border Collie Busy
A bored Border Collie isn't subtle about it. A practical guide to routine, brain work and an outlet for the herding instinct, the kind of day that settles a working... Read more...
German Shepherd resting next to a large red CollieBall herding ball
Mistakes Most People Make with a German Shepherd
The mistakes German Shepherd owners run into most: too much cardio, too little thinking work, inconsistent house rules, a missed socialisation window. And what tends to work instead. Read more...
Belgian Malinois leaping at a large red CollieBall herding ball
The 95 cm Herding Ball: Shepherds, Malinois, Rottweilers, Dobermanns
Which large breeds need the 95 cm herding ball, how to size by shoulder height, and what a strong jaw does to a ball that wasn't built for it. Read more...
Working dog driving a large herding ball across a dry field
What a Herding Ball Changes for a Working Dog
A herding ball gives a working dog's instinct something to push against. What that changes in the dog's day, and how to introduce the game without overcooking it. Read more...
Australian Shepherd cross with front paws on a large black CollieBall herding ball
Inside CollieBall: how the original herding ball is built
How the CollieBall herding ball is built, why the two layers come apart, which size fits your dog, and how it stacks up against a gym ball. Read more...
Dog standing with front paws on a yellow CollieBall herding ball
Is a Herding Ball Worth It? What It Does and Who It's For
Do herding balls work, and will one survive your dog? A straight look at durability, the two-layer build, and which dogs a herding ball suits. Read more...
Two herding dogs of different sizes resting next to a large red CollieBall herding ball
What Size Herding Ball Does My Dog Need? An Honest Guide
45, 55, 75 or 95 cm? Start with breed, then check shoulder height and weight. Here is how the sizing works, plus one rule for dogs that land between two... Read more...