The Herding Group is my personal favorite. As a child, we had a loving and sweet Sheltie. When Tommy was a baby, my mother got another Sheltie and there were many tears shed when that sweet dog was buried in the yard of the house in which we now live. My mother’s current dog is a strong-willed Corgi who visits us frequently. The first dog I owned on my own was a Sheltie/Border mix. She was full of mischief, but I loved her dearly. Of course, the best dog I have ever had the honor of having in my family is our playful and loyal German Shepherd, Molly. Right now, Molly and Evan are nestled together, napping on the couch. I think that it’s a little unfair for the Herding Dog winner to have to turn around and perform immediately in Best in Show, but they are strong and energetic breeds.

Update: The winner of the Herding Group is the Bouvier des Flandres! The German Shepherd came in second.