My lab used to herd her mate, a Chow, upon my command, to get him to return from the big yard to the dog yard for meals and bed time. She would pace him, grab the excess of his collar and somehow manage to get him to come in. I would say she herded cats, too, but you know how improbable that is. A friend of mine just got a team of Pyrenees to protect her goats. They're puppies right now, but I can't wait to see how well they perform at herding. Great topic, thanks for posting!

The German Shepherd, the Border Collie, the Corgi and the Rottweiler are some of my favorite herding dogs. Of course, who hasn't seen the movie Lassie? That was when I fell in love with Collies. German Shepherds and Rottweilers are the toughest of the bunch given their height and build. They can be nasty too when agitated but make for good K9 units. Finally, Corgis are adorable. They're rather short but they're so energetic and have initiative.

A German Shepherd any day, I just love the energy they display, quite watchful, loyal, curious and very courageous...and the pups are extra adorable:p;)

My favorite breed will always be the sheltie! Though I doubt I'll have anymore in the future due to how difficult their coats are to manage. Such clever, aristocratic dogs.
Rose (my sheltie) developed the habit of 'spinning' whenever she wants/needs to go outside. Other people have said it looks funny, but it's been a nice feature to have. I can never tell with the chihuahua and the dachshund if they want food, toys, or outside (though the dachshund does copy the spinning every now and then, though she seems to think it means 'open door').

My favorite herding dog is the Australian Sheppard. They are incredibly smart and good at their jobs. I prefer to stay away from corgis as they tend to nip at the heels of their herd a bit too aggressively. I have had long term problems buying stock from places with corgis. they tend to fear dogs and strike out against them. I would definitely choose an Aussie or a larger dog such as the Great Pyrenees which is more of a live stock watch dog than a herder.