AHBA’s website describes the organization’s purpose as: “To support all breeds of herding dogs in the management of livestock; preserve and promote education, responsible breeding practices, and responsible livestock management techniques to both the public and the herding community.” Their mission is to “provide a framework for developing and testing dog and handler teams’ skill in managing livestock and to promote herding competition and good sportsmanship.”

AHBA is title-based and does not have a national finals event. Dogs earn titles (HTD, HRD, HTAD, etc.) by getting qualifying scores under judges.