They are believed to be ancient dogs of war and today they are very popular working dogs, often adopted by fire departments and police. (topdogtips.com)
The most popular working dog used by the early drovers was a breed brought out from England known as the Smithfield, a breed that eventually became one of the ancestors of the Australian Cattle Dog. (acdra.org)
This breed was originally developed in Germany as a herding dog and currently is one of the most popular working dog breeds. (caninejournal.com)