Alexander Herds Sheep

Background Information

Some breeds of dog have been used for hundreds of years to help us look after flocks of sheep. Border collies, like Alex’s dog, are the breed most often used today. Sheepdog trials – competitions to find the dogs that are best at herding sheep – are held at local, national and international levels. Trials are usually run over a 400-yard course (about 365 metres) with five sheep.

Shepherds build up a special bond with their dogs. When they are puppies, the dogs begin to learn the instructions given by the shepherd. Sometimes these commands are words, such as ‘stand’, ‘by’ and ‘away’. Sometimes, the shepherd will whistle different notes as instructions. Alex uses a special shepherd’s whistle to work with his dog.

Whistles are used because the sound travels clearly over long distances. Old pictures of shepherds often show them with a flute of some kind. Pan, the Ancient Greek god of shepherds, is always shown with a syrinx – a set of musical pipes made from reeds.

Signal whistles are used in many other situations. Football referees and police officers carry whistles and emergency life-jackets always have a whistle.