Sheep

It’s not just the grass that’s green—the sheep are, too.






Not a Blaupunkt radio, but a Blaupunkt sheep...




Is this the new summer fashion?



Are they waiting for the ferry here?



These two have disappeared...



and here, the traffic sign is being guarded.




It’s just sad that so many dog owners don’t follow the leash law—or even let their dogs jump over the fences and chase the sheep. Aside from the fear this causes the sheep, it can lead to serious injuries, miscarriages, or even deaths.
All that dog waste is also harmful to the sheep, just like litter.

People don’t realize that the sheep are essential for the safety of the dike.

Best regards, Marlies

Years ago, a deer was injured by a dog near our house. The dog was off-leash in the woods. The deer was shot. Right below our windows. 

Sheep keep the dike compact and stable by walking on it and constantly grazing; for this reason, sheep are important for dike maintenance.

Best regards, Inge

Well, I’ve learned something new again—I didn’t know that sheep help keep the dike stable. Very interesting! And we love sheep for their wool, of course. :) It always breaks my heart when animals have to suffer.

Oh yeah… dog owners…

I walk my own dog, and what I sometimes “encounter” out there is unbelievable. Mine is always on a leash, and if she’s “allowed” a little more exercise, I use a long-line leash.... But even then, I “work” with the leash—Emely only gets enough slack that I can call her back at any time. Chasing is absolutely out of the question—no sheep and no other animals either.
We’ve been “practicing” since she was very little—I’d sit with her next to the fence and we’d watch the sheep together. Now she still watches very intently, but sheep are kind of “boring,” and so are Bambi and those “stupid” kamikaze rabbits or the harakiri bunnies that love to run straight at you....
  A few weeks ago, there was a TV report about “those kinds” of dog owners; one of them said, “He just wants to play.” I wonder if the sheep knew that, too....
I love sheep 😍 
My Emely was still so tiny back then; now she’s 2 years old, weighs 45 kg, and this St. Bernard mix is still a little playful, too. 

The sheep compact the surface with their hard hooves. Very important: in doing so, they also repair damage caused by voles and moles. Water can no longer seep in and wash out holes, which is extremely important, especially at the base of the dike.
By grazing low to the ground, the sheep keep the grass extremely short, which in turn serves as a protective layer.
Without sheep, there are no safe dikes.

Frieda, our neighbor’s dog, is lying among the sheep and sleeping. Good training is very important for dogs, too. We see that with the other neighbor’s dog. As soon as anyone moves anywhere, the dog barks nonstop. On top of that, the beast has already bitten our neighbor, that neighbor’s dog, and his girlfriend’s dog. It figured out that it can jump over the fence…
Now it’s in the process of widening another hole in the fence. There are three children playing in the yard. I don’t even want to think about what could happen there.

Ours also “started at some point” barking at everything.... We then armed ourselves with water balloons and, without saying a word, simply threw them in front of her paws. Most people encourage a barking dog by going over to it or “shouting along”.... In our case, at any rate, barking is now heard only very rarely, and when it is, it’s justified. 
Some owners are just 😤 
In any case, I have a responsibility that I’m happy to take on, and yes, it’s work, and yes, going for a walk now and then isn’t always as relaxing as hoped. So if I want to enjoy nature in a completely relaxed way, I go without my dog 🐕. 

I learned a lot about sheep and dikes. 

I thought the sheep just keep the grass short so the farmer doesn’t have to mow. Maintaining the dike was new to me, but the explanation was very well written. 

Thanks for the beautiful pictures

Sheep and dikes have played an important role since the beginning of dike construction. Although I live farther away, in a city, our rivers are also protected against flooding by higher embankments, and these meadows are regularly grazed section by section by a flock of sheep. When I was a child, I loved going there, and a shepherd explained to me back then why there are sheep on the dikes and what purpose they serve.

As for the leash requirement during the breeding season, it sometimes makes me want to scream. I often walk our dog in the woods myself; she’s 12 years old now, but I wouldn’t swear that she no longer has any hunting instinct. When I hear certain comments when a dog isn’t on a leash, I just want to……

This is our shepherd’s small herd of goats.



Cracks caused by the heat on the dike. It rained quite a bit over the weekend. When the sheep return to that section, the cracks will be trampled shut again.



Best regards, Marlies

...those are happy goats 🐐....
it’s great to see them lying there so relaxed in the shade.
How nice that there are no “he won’t do anything” or “he just wants to play” dogs disturbing the peace. 

Two years ago, we took part in a sheep drive and helped the shepherdess. It was a great day. We signed up to be assistant shepherds the following year, but then COVID-19 hit......

Maybe next year we’ll be able to combine a week of sheepherding with our vacation.