Glossary

Herding trial

A competition in which a dog gathers, drives and pens livestock such as sheep or cattle under a handler's direction, judged on control and ability.

Also called: herding test, herding instinct test, stockdog trial, sheepdog trial, herding competition

A herding trial tests a dog's ability to move livestock under the handler's direction. Sheep are common, and cattle, goats and ducks are also used. The dog works through a course that may include gathering the animals, driving them across the field, through gates and into a pen. Judges score control, responsiveness and style, and the handler uses voice, whistles and hand signals.

The AKC and many other groups run trials and non-competitive instinct tests for the Herding Group breeds. Breeds such as the Border Collie, the Australian Shepherd and the Belgian Sheepdog are common competitors. Ranch and farm dogs also compete in open trials.

A dog from a show line may have less herding drive than one from a working line. An instinct test is a good first step, and many clubs allow a dog to try before committing to lessons.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Herding Group The AKC group of breeds developed to gather, drive and guard livestock, including the Border Collie, German Shepherd Dog and Corgis. Dog agility A timed sport in which a handler directs a dog over an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles and ramps, open to purebred and mixed-breed dogs. Obedience trial A formal dog sport that judges how precisely a dog performs set exercises such as heeling, recalls, stays and retrieves, in classes from Novice to Utility. Working line vs show line The split within one breed between dogs bred mainly for work or sport and dogs bred mainly for the show ring, which often differ in drive, build and energy.