Would you take your dog into a field with sheep and lambs in?

[Circletime27]

We have some lovely countryside accessible from our home, all with public rights of way through them. However, the fields now have sheep and lambs in. We’re new to dog ownership (pup is 7 months old). Our friends frequently walk their dog (on lead of course) through these fields. Our puppy is good around livestock ie.he won’t bark at them. We walked through 2 of the fields today as they were empty. We got to the 3rd field which had sheep and lambs in and I couldn’t bring myself to go in there, it didn’t feel right so we came home. I don’t know if we’re being silly or not. Our pup is from a farm and I know his mum and brother are always in the fields with the sheep (that’s where our pup has had his experience with livestock from as we take him back their to play).

With all due respect, ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR TINY MIND?

Take your dog somewhere else, and not into a field full of animals. Why do people think it is ok to do this?

Absolutely not

No. We have a field of pregnant ewes at the bottom of our drive. The farmer is a friend and let’s us use their land whenever we want. I’d not take liberties or risk the lambs. Luckily the shepherd diverts the path to run alongside the field.

littleeasterbonnet here’s another one. I hate this board, I don’t know why I come on it. Every single time I ask a question I get really lovely helpful responses interspersed with horrible, judgemental, sarcasm. Every time. I always come away from it feeling like a crap dog owner. I’ve been told throughout my whole life that if you’re unsure of something you should ask. Ask people with experience, draw on their years of knowledge. I don’t have anyone to ask in real life so I come here instead and it bites me on the arse every time. If a child asked a question would you reply with ‘are you out of your tiny mind?’. I hope you wouldn’t but for some reason that’s ok to say to an adult on an Internet forum. Shame on you.

No

Sheep farmer here - we currently have our girls with their lambs out on a field with a public footpath through it. I have absolutely no problem with someone walking their dog on a short lead through them - it's the ones who think it's ok to run a dog loose or on an extendable lead which really riles me.

We always walked our pups on a lead through fields with livestock and horses as part of their training, so they were used to them and didn't bark or try to chase them.

Sheep are not stupid. Most abortions in sheep are caused by disease. Most sheep out in fields at this time of year have already lambed as most people lamb indoors.

I would look carefully to see if there’s a tup in the field as they can charge you and would really hurt or possibly kill a dog ( the dog could be behaving perfectly on a lead), some will go for people as well. Especially toddlers! Some ewes will also do this.

If your dog is on a lead and you just walk through the field it’s not a problem even if it barks. Have you seen how sheep are caught and loaded into trailers? If they can’t be caught it’s not one man and his dog!

If you were to ask me if I’d walk through a field of cows and calves with a dog, the answer would be no far too dangerous but sheep are fine.

Isn’t it funny OP how two different sheep owners have now commenting saying yes it’s fine..... yet you get these horrid posters trying to ridicule you for no apparent reason - not one of them has given any background or reason for their answer, they just want to try and kick the boot in someone :(

As someone from a farming background - NO for reasons mentioned above. Even family pets can turn savage.

You aren't a crap owner, the crap owners are the ones who don't care and let their dogs chase livestock. Our ewes are fine with strange dogs on a lead going through, how else are you going to train it? If you live in a sheep area there are usually requests to keep dogs on a lead, if you don't want walkers accompanied by a dog near your stock then you use different grazing that isn't on a prow.

I would and do on a lead but my dog only looks at sheep longingly. We're surrounded by sheep fields so has been around them her entire life. Dog is not a barker but parents are gun dogs so maybe hereditary behaviour? Also well behaved off lead around chickens, ducks and geese. Obviously we stay well away from sheep and lambs. The sheep tend to stand and stare at the dog but they also do that when we walk down the drive which has sheep fields on either side.

Not a chance 🤷🏽‍♀️ sheep maybe if I needed to pass through but not at this time of year with lambs etc

LuluBellaBlue yeh, it’s always the shitty replies that stay with me. This threads been pretty good to be fair, I’ve had some awful replies in the last though. I’m not a particularly sensitive person in real life but for some reason they do upset me. I just can’t fathom why anyone feels the need to be rude and often nasty to someone politely asking for help and advice. This forum is awful for it.

I’ll stick with my gut instinct, I obviously haven’t got the confidence yet with pup but I will keep going into the fields when they’re empty. Seeing the sheep and lambs in the next field and at a safe distance will be good for him. We are surrounded by lovely countryside but if I never walk through the fields with sheep in we are cut off from accessing all the open space without livestock in (unless we drive there).

In normal times on a short lead you should be OK if your pup responds well to you, and if you can distract it with treats. Keep to the strictly to the footpath and leave gates as you find them. Right now I wouldn't unless you can get through the field without touching gates, fences, styles etc.

Please let farmers move around their factory floor freely right now, without risk of infection.

And yes, another sheep owner encouraging responsible dog owners.

We only touch the styles in the fields we go in which I can’t imagine the farmers use. Good point though.

I live on a sheep farm. It’s fine for you to walk a dog on a short lead on the footpath through sheep and lambs.

@littleeasterbonnet you are unbelievably, incredibly rude and also totally wrong.

As long as the dog is under close control and on the lead, and the OP walks straight across the field sticking to the path, the sheep would be fine.

Don't worry about it OP, acclimatise your dog how you'd like but as long as you don't let your dog off lead you'd be fine.

@Circletime27 funnily enough I too get really hurt by nasty comments on here and don’t understand why it upsets me so much!

Just wanted to add, that a dog behaviourist was working with me on my dogs and recommended something she called ‘desensitisation training’ for sheep it would be: playing sheep noises to the dogs whilst distracting them with commands, playing videos of sheep (yes really 😂) and bringing in sheep’s wool into the house for them to smell. Just to build it up so the sight, sound and smell are more normal to them.

I was very that playing chicken videos on my iPad would help my dogs!

My two older dogs teaching a new dog that sheep are boring. (all three are more interested in eating the poop than they are the sheep 🤢)

No, don't do it. Ewes lambing are very vulnerable and sensitive. If they're disturbed - even by people walking through their field - it can sometimes have adverse effects.

Yes, on a short lead if the ewes are pregnant or have young lambs. I would give them a wider berth if they got antsy. I can loose-lead walk my younger dog past sheep, though - if she was going to lunge and bark it would be a different story.

I would always check fields very carefully before going in.

No. It’s good you asked though, lots of people don’t and don’t see the consequences after they’ve walked home, not because they are irresponsible just because it hasn’t crossed their minds. Just because your dog might be a lovely animal and great on his lead, just his presence and smells might cause serious damage to a panicking field of pregnant sheep.

I'm sorry you've got hurty feelings OP but my brother, who has a mixed farm, you know what that means I assume, is incredibly stressed by the current situation. He is dealing with sheep still on tack, his own cows calving and people taking their daily exercise with dogs in tow. If he gets sick, who picks up the pieces?
You can make choices to avoid people's businesses and livelihoods by walking your pet elsewhere.