Reference Terms
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Herding dog
A herding dog or pastoral breed is a dog that either has been trained in herding or that is a member of a breed developed for herding. Dogs can herd other animals in a variety of ways. Some breeds, such as the Australian Cattle Dog, typically nip at the animals' heels. Others, notably the Border Collie, get in front of the animals and use what is called eye to stare down the animals; they are known as headers. The Koolie has been observed to use both these methods and to jump on the backs of their charges.
All herding behavior is modified predatory behavior. Commonly herded animals include cattle, sheep, and reindeer, although it is not unusual for poultry to be handled by dogs.
Related Stories
1
2
Plants & Animals News
May 9, 2026
May 9, 2026 Scientists studying axolotls, zebrafish, and mice have uncovered a shared set of genes that may one day help humans regrow lost limbs. By identifying powerful “SP genes” involved in regeneration, ...
May 8, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising way to influence the bacteria living in our mouths — not by killing them, but by interrupting how they “talk” to each other. Researchers found that dental ...
May 8, 2026 Beneath the beauty of coral reefs lies a hidden universe of microbes unlike anything scientists expected. Each coral species supports its own specialized microbial partners, many of which have never ...
May 7, 2026 A little-known tree from Brazil’s Atlantic Forest may hold a surprising weapon against COVID-19. Researchers discovered that compounds called galloylquinic acids, extracted from its leaves, can attack SARS-CoV-2 on multiple fronts—blocking the ...
May 3, 2026 Long before humans spread across the globe, a deadly disease may have quietly shaped where our ancestors lived—and even how we evolved. New research reveals that malaria didn’t just threaten early human survival; it actively pushed populations ...
May 2, 2026 Crabs’ famous sideways walk may trace back to a single evolutionary moment 200 million years ago. Researchers found that most modern crabs inherited this trait from one ancestor—and never looked back. The movement likely gave them an edge, ...
May 1, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a tiny wall-dwelling spider named Pikelinia floydmuraria, inspired by Pink Floyd. Despite its size, it’s a fierce predator that hunts ants much larger than itself and helps reduce common urban pests like mosquitoes and ...
May 1, 2026 Scientists have uncovered a surprising new layer of complexity in Cannabis, identifying dozens of previously unknown compounds—including the first-ever evidence of rare molecules called ...
Apr. 28, 2026 A new study suggests Neanderthals didn’t go extinct simply because of climate change or competition with Homo sapiens. Instead, the key difference may have been social connectivity—Homo sapiens formed stronger, more flexible networks that helped ...
Apr. 27, 2026 A mysterious “golden orb” found more than two miles deep in the Gulf of Alaska left scientists baffled for over two years, sparking wild speculation about its origins. After an intensive ...
Apr. 26, 2026 Dinosaur DNA may still be out of reach, but scientists are uncovering something almost as exciting—ancient blood vessels hidden inside fossilized bones. In a massive Tyrannosaurus rex nicknamed Scotty, researchers discovered a network of preserved ...
Apr. 25, 2026 As Alaska’s rivers warm, invasive northern pike are becoming noticeably more voracious. Scientists discovered that pike of all ages are eating more fish, with young pike increasing consumption by over 60%. Warmer water speeds up their metabolism, ...
Latest Headlines
updated 12:56 pm ET
May 9, 2026 Scientists may have found a smarter, safer way to wipe out termites hiding inside homes. A chemical called bistrifluron prevents drywood termites from forming new exoskeletons during molting, killing ...
May 9, 2026 Fur seals may look like they’re simply resting after exhausting hunting trips at sea, but their bodies are secretly working overtime. Scientists ...
May 7, 2026 A routine experiment with a new single-cell DNA sequencing method turned into a surprising scientific twist when researchers stumbled upon a bizarre genetic code in a microscopic pond organism. ...
May 6, 2026 A forgotten fossil hidden inside a garden wall has turned out to be one of Australia’s most remarkable prehistoric discoveries. Scientists have now ...
May 5, 2026 Oak trees have a surprising trick to fight back against hungry caterpillars: they simply wait. When trees are heavily attacked one year, they delay leaf growth by just three days the next ...
May 5, 2026 A surprising genetic twist shows that boosting a seemingly ordinary “housekeeping” gene can dramatically improve fruit quality without any trade-offs. By increasing the activity of a tRNA-related ...
May 5, 2026 Tyrannosaurs may be famous as fearsome apex predators, but new research reveals a more opportunistic—and slightly grim—side to their behavior. Using high-resolution 3D scans, a researcher ...
May 4, 2026 Evolution seems to follow a script more often than expected. Researchers found that distantly related butterflies and moths have reused the same pair ...
May 2, 2026 A bizarre rainforest insect is rewriting what scientists thought they knew about camouflage. A katydid spotted glowing hot pink in Panama stunned researchers when it slowly transformed into green in ...
May 1, 2026 Deep in a dried-up riverbed in Brazil, scientists uncovered a bizarre prehistoric mystery—twisted jawbones from a strange, long-lost animal unlike anything seen before. Dating back 275 million ...