The Perceived Value of Behavioural Traits in Australian Livestock Herding Dogs Varies with the Operational Context

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Information on Australian livestock herding dogs and their handlers and breeders is limited. This study aimed to collate baseline information on how handlers and breeders value various behavioural traits relevant to the work of these dogs. A survey was presented to explore herding dog behaviour in four contexts including work and competition. The behavioural traits were divided into three groups: working manoeuvres, working attributes and general attributes. Data from 811 respondents revealed that several behavioural traits were of high and low value to handlers and breeders across all contexts, while others were unique to only one or two contexts. For example, cast, force, gather, trainable, confident and friendly were of most value; whereas bite, bark and back were of less value. Further analysis revealed that respondents can be considered as coming from two main groups: firstly, handlers with a preference for specialised dogs in the utility context and, secondly, handlers focussed on the yard context, who need dogs that have a broad range of skills and that are easy to work with. This information may assist in matching handlers with suitable dogs. Future research should clarify handlers’ understanding of innate and learnt behaviours. ABSTRACT: This study investigated the value that handlers and breeders assign to various behavioural traits in Australian livestock herding dogs. Data were obtained from 811 handlers and breeders through the ‘Australian Farm Dog Survey’. Respondents were asked to consider dogs within four contexts: utility (livestock herding in both paddocks and yards), mustering (livestock herding in paddocks and along livestock routes), yards (in and around sheds, sale-yards and transport vehicles), and trial (specifically a standard 3-sheep trial), and to rate the value of 16 working manoeuvres (movement sequences used in herding), 11 working attributes (skills or attributes used in herding) and five general attributes (personality traits ascribed to an individual dog). The most valued working manoeuvres were cast, force and gather. Bite, bark and backing were considered of little value in certain contexts, notably the trial context. Across all four contexts, the general attributes most valued in dogs were being trainable, motivated, confident and friendly, while control and trainability were the working attribute traits considered to be of most value. Excitability was revealed to be a ‘Goldilocks’ trait in that respondents preferred not too much or too little but a ‘just right’ amount in their preferred dog. Analysis indicated a handler preference for either specialised dogs for the utility context or dogs who are easy to work with because of a broad range of traits favoured in the yard context. These results reveal both generalities across and the need for specialisation within these four herding contexts. Further investigation may help to reveal how well handlers distinguish between innate and learnt behaviours when selecting and training livestock herding dogs. Identifying which group handlers fit into optimally may assist in selecting suitable dog–human dyads.