They are feared due to their capabilities and versatility of doing things beyond that of a typicaldog, such as pulling a sled, herding reindeer and serving as a watchdog.
Knowing you dog's heritage may help explain the behavior traits he exhibits, like the excellent swimming skills of a Labrador retriever or herding behaviors typical in Border collies.
This site describes a typicalherding competition pattern for the tending dog - German Shepherd Dog in this cadog - German Shepherd Dog in this caDog in this case.