Dogs

Dogs are ‘man’s best friend’. Dogs are not sheep’s best friend. Dogs’ instinct is to ‘go for’ sheep. Sheepdogs are so very trained that the tendency is contained and dog’s closeness to sheep is under strict control. Of the rest of dogs, a proportion are not restrained by their owners from ‘going for’ sheep. Sheep, as prey animals, can do nothing to defend themselves, other than rush away or stand together to try to look fierce. The risks to sheep from dogs are stress, injury, death.

Dogs are their owners’ responsibility. So, if dogs are not stopped from worrying sheep, it is because their owners are failing to stop them. One reason for the failure can be that owners are not training dogs adequately. But often the reason seems to be that owners have not much desire or motivation to keep back their dogs from sheep. Can this be because dog owners see their dogs as of far more worth and importance than sheep? Is a hierarchy of value present whereby sheep are viewed as lesser beings than dogs? And, moreover, is there an owner outlook of ‘I’ll do what I want’ rather than what is in the best interests of sheep?

As an example, is it kind or sensible to take a dog - albeit that it is on a lead - near sheep in pens at a show? The sheep are stressed by the circumstance anyway. Why choose to add to the sheep’s discomfort by bringing a dog in close proximity to them? Are the sheep not cared about?

With dog ownership on the increase, and, it would seem now, a growing tendency for a dog walker to have several dogs with them at a time, the urgent necessity is for strong and full addressal of the issue of sheep worrying.