I would call the English Shepherd a dual purpose breed like many shepherds used to be where they herded or guarded depending on the need. That OK if herding and guarding challenges not too tough. When my English Shepherd is in sedentary mode he centers his activities around house. Area he then patrols easily encompasses the six acres or so used by the chickens. His activities when so centered are the the same as what LGD's where I work do. He barks a lot but not obsessively as GP's are prone to do. ideally takes at least two dogs in the end, especially when dealing with Mr. Fox. Coyotes here at least not as problematic as Mr. Fox even though abundances roughly equal.
