Above all else, you will want to remember that your herding dog is simply not meant to spend a great deal of time confined, alone, indoors. Your natural worker simply will not fare well with your long days at work or indoor inactivity as a general rule. She will quickly develop neurotic and obsessive behaviors, unfit to adapt to the conditions of the average American pet. In order to avoid both of you going crazy in the confines of the home, you will need to find ways to work her body and mind. Start with plenty of difficult puzzle toys, herding balls, and exciting lessons in the indoor classroom. Give her a life filled with missions that push her to reach her great potential.

PUBLIC LIFE—While some herding dogs can be very outgoing when socialized extensively, many prefer to keep a more discerning social circle of people and other dogs. They are uniquely focused on their primary people and their family, and naturally concerned with order and boundaries. While going out into the world—into public life and its many adventures—is exactly what she needs to be sane, it can also present an awkward challenge at just about every turn.

Law and order. That’s her MO. The person who reaches out uninvited to pet her, the truck making an enormous racket passing by, the rambunctious puppy jumping out to greet her, the schoolchildren running down the street—can all be perceived as violations warranting a swift correction by your four-legged officer. You will have to be the ever-mindful sheriff on the beat when you go out with her, providing clear directives at all times.

Her (and therefore your) experiences when you’re out together have a great deal to do with the quality of communication and understanding between you. If she can trust that you are on the ball and you let her know how to handle things, you can just enjoy the day. Don’t let the invasive petter and impulsive puppy reach her. Step away from the loud truck and posse of kids and ask her to sit and wait quietly as they pass. What concern of yours are they? You have better things to do. You are grooving to the Mission Impossible theme song in your head as you forge on toward the river, where you’ll enjoy a game of “save the stick” together and a two-hour evening hike to find all those invisible sheep.