Rottweiler Herding Style?

[guppyfry]

Hello all! I registered about two years ago, but hardly ever posted.

I have a shelter rescue that is most likely a GSD/Rottweiler Mix.
I adopted Keeta when she was about a year old, and it was obvious that she had not been socialized to other dogs. She is a dominant female that marks like a male, and her idea of play was jumping on a dog and grabbing it by the neck.

Over the last two years, I've been working on her social skills with the help of a friend with two strong, confident and well socialized GSDs. Keeta has improved to the point that I can let her run and play with these dogs, and occasionally with other dogs. So now that she is toning down the offensive behaviours, it seems that 99% of her "play" are attempts to herd the other dogs.

I'm curious as to how Rottweilers herd. (Or German Shepherds, if anyone is familiar with GSD's herding.) Keeta will run on the "outside" of a dog, and occasionally nip at it and push the dog into smaller and smaller circles. The position she maintains, and the predictability of her focus and movements seem highly stylized, like she is following some kind of internal program.
If the other dog stops, or changes direction, she will do gymnastics to take up her "outside" position again, and start pushing the dog into circles again.

It is fascinating to watch, but I'm not even sure if this if herding behaviour, or is she is just obsessive compulsive and not too bright . At first, she used to nip the other dogs hard enough that they told her off, so she learnt to tone that down, and now barely touches them, but does lean into them and push them with her body to try to control their direction.

Any thoughts or insights about what is going on? I know German Shepherds herd sheep, and will run big circles around the flock to keep the sheep together, but I'm not sure about Rottweilers. I know they do work cattle - but I don't know how. And are Rottweilers ever used to herd sheep?

Thanks all!

[sweetlee]

I can't tell you about the style, or what your dog is doing, but yes rotties do herd sheep, cattle and ducks, and probably anything else in a group.
My dog "sneaks" up on other dogs, well he tries to anyhow, and at first I thought it was a herding behavior but when he gets close he makes a noise and is trying to get the other dog to chase him.
I am sure someone with more information will be along shortly.

Sharon

[fbkeays]

Rottweilers do indeed herd sheep and anything else that needs herding. A rottweiler should NOT be nipping. Nipping is reserved for stock that is refusing to move or challenging the dog. Nipping stock that is in motion is a sign of not being in control.
Rottweilers like to be close to the stock and use their bodies. With all of my dogs, the hardest part was teaching them that they can be more effective at a distance then having their chest glued to the sheep's butts.
The dog, in herding, is the one that directs the direction the stock moves by its position to the stock. The stock doesn't make that decision. The stock reacts to the dog, not the dog to the stock. Constant circling is also a sign of dog not being confident and in control. It could also be a sign of containing prey- not herding.

[guppyfry]

Thank you for the answers. I keep wondering which of Keeta's behaviours are breed related , and which ones are just her own unique "crazy and out of control having fun" type behaviour.

I've been asking about herding behaviour on a GSD forum also, and it seems to me from the answers I got and some of the videos that were posted, that Keeta is mostly influenced by her Rottweiler side when it comes to herding-like behaviour, mostly because of how she uses her body.

(It was interesting to find out that some GSD owners, at least, weren't aware that Rotties were herding dogs. Seems this is a well kept secret!).

I don't think that Keeta would have what it takes to be a herding dog, she is too excitable and enthousiastic in her desire to just play and chase. I am sure that there are some genetic herding influences in her play style, especially the part where the Rotties use their bodies to direct the stock, but not enough for her to work in a disciplined and focused manner.

Thanks again!

[fbkeays]

Originally Posted by guppyfry

(It was interesting to find out that some GSD owners, at least, weren't aware that Rotties were herding dogs. Seems this is a well kept secret!).

That is true, it seems like people can't get away from the last 100 years of history and not see the nearly 2000 years prior. Rottweilers were the all purpose farm dog. They were the poor man's horse. They drove the cattle, pulled the carts, and went hunting for birds and boar.
It is also apparent that these herding GSD folks have not read the rules for whatever venue they herd in. They all list rottweiler as being eligible.