Sheep

Information on sheep behaviour, characteristics and facts.

Sheep are very interesting animals. Many people see them as calm by nature, fluffy and irrational, but they can be very clever at times. Especially when they are under threat.

They also have particular behaviour patterns which make it possible to herd them with dogs.

This collection of sheep behaviour facts and information, includes items with strong sheep interest. From their characteristics when used for sheepdog training, to the strange things which sheep do from time to time.

To train a dog to work sheep, you need to know about sheep behaviour. That’s why one of our sheepdog training videos is dedicated to sheep.

  • New Tutorial: Sheep – Essential Facts for Beginners

    New Tutorial: Sheep – Essential Facts for Beginners

    Understanding sheep and their behaviour makes training your dog far easier As we approach the tenth anniversary of the release of our double DVD set “First Steps in Border Collie Sheepdog Training“, we’re busy updating it in anticipation of releasing a second, even more comprehensive version in the near future. A useful spinoff of this… Read more…

  • How you can save a sheep’s life

    How you can save a sheep’s life

    …it’s important to raise the BAA! Find out how you can save a sheep’s life. Sheep don’t sleep or even lie comfortably on their backs, so if you happen to see one in this position you can be sure it’s close to death. If you know what to do however, you can probably save its… Read more…

  • Between a Flock and a Barred-Place!

    Between a Flock and a Barred-Place!

    A sheep trapped in a fence (it looks much worse than it really is)! “LOOK BACK” at our favourite posts! (23 Feb 2014) They say sheep spend their entire lives thinking of ways to die. This one gets full marks for ingenuity! When Gill and I were putting the dogs away after their run this… Read more…

  • Bronwen’s baptism of fire

    Bronwen’s baptism of fire

    As we announce our latest sheepdog training tutorial, Bronwen faces a stiff challenge in the shearing pens Yesterday, we released our latest sheepdog training tutorial, Bronwen and Scylla, Part 6. As the title suggests, this is the sixth instalment in our fascinating series of videos comparing the training of litter sisters Bronwen and Scylla. While… Read more…

  • Dogs aren’t the only ones who can learn

    Dogs aren’t the only ones who can learn

    Our sheep have become experts at avoiding pressure Our sheepdog training course yesterday was a great demonstration of just how clever sheep can be. Many people think sheep are very stupid, because to us, they seem to do some really silly things, but anyone who really knows about sheep has a lot more respect for… Read more…

  • Pic of the day – sheep by numbers

    Pic of the day – sheep by numbers

    An unseasonably sunny (is it really December?) morning was the opportunity for some sheep maintenance Primarily we were checking the ear tag numbers on our most recent intake of “training assistants”, but it’s important to check the sheep regularly, just to make sure they’re all the right way up. The ear tags show the sheep’s… Read more…

  • A clip in time

    A clip in time

    “A little off the back and a pedicure, please.” I wish I thought that The Girls enjoy dagging and trimming. It would be lovely to think that when they skipped into the pen on Saturday afternoon they were fuelled by happy anticipation, rather than pursued by a wolf (well, Carew). With the new spring grass… Read more…

  • We have too many sheep. Sadly, some must go

    We have too many sheep. Sadly, some must go

    Our field’s overstocked, so we have to reduce the number of sheep. We don’t own the sheep we use for training the dogs, they belong to a sheep farmer in Mid-Wales. For years now, Glyn’s kept us supplied with however many sheep we want. He’s happy to change them at any time, but to keep… Read more…