The key insight: "The dogs could simply wait until the sheep were facing in the direction they wanted before closing in". This is standard herding procedure. H

The key insight: "The dogs could simply wait until the sheep were facing in the direction they wanted before closing in". This is standard herding procedure. Head them up in the desired direction, then move them out.[1] Sheep are so herd-bound that once the front of the herd is going in the desired direction, the rest will bunch up and follow. Even through a narrow gate. There's been millennia of selective breeding for that. Cattle are not as herd-bound. Horses even less so. [1] https://smallfarmersjournal.com/cattle-handling-part-1-basic-cattle-handling/ https://smallfarmersjournal.com/cattle-handling-part-1-basic...