Watch: This shepherd dog was put to an intense test, and passed with flying colours

In a video originally posted to Imgur, a shepherd dog going about sheep-herding is getting a lot of attention on social media. The dog asserts its dominance despite a series of refusals from the two sheep it is trying to send into their enclosure, and the sheer intensity of its instinct can be seen in the footage.

One of the most traditional canine careers is cattle herding. The herding dog was specifically developed to help control and direct herds of cows or sheep out to pasture or back to the barn.

Herding breeds are actually born with the instinctive tendency to herd. These dogs have an innate ability to control the movement of larger animals, either by nipping at them, or by barking and circling around them, as is seen in the video.

This report by Animal Planet discusses the possible training of domesticated herding breeds that have never actually come into contact with cattle.