They were guard and hunting dogs. Noisemakers, essentially. Herding was mostly done by people, often kids, and fences, though some neighbors did use herding do

They were guard and hunting dogs. Noisemakers, essentially. Herding was mostly done by people, often kids, and fences, though some neighbors did use herding dogs. I can understand how trained herding dogs can also be important, but it was certainly not my experience in the countryside.