- Kit looks after 210 sheep and goats near the Basque Country town of Sodupe
- As the dog has no vision in his eyes he relies on his nose and ears to locate flock
- Clever hound even beat his sighted rivals at a competition, where he came fifth
Sheepdogs often develop sight problems, but it is extremely rare for herding dog breeds to continue working. – There are many ways to help them during training but a lot of effort, patience, and genuine care is required for them to be able to shine out and perform at this level.
This sheepdog still works the fields tending to his flock – despite being blind. Five-year-old Kit looks after 210 sheep and goats near the Basque Country town of Sodupe relying on just his nose and ears. And the clever hound even beat his sighted rivals at a local competition, where he came fifth.
Five-year-old Kit looks after 210 sheep and goats near the Basque Country town of Sodupe relying on just his nose and ears
Sheepdogs often develop sight problems, but it is extremely rare for blind ones to continue working.
Mark Smithers, of Regal Bliss sheepdog breeders in Purley, said the animal would rely on its other senses being heightened to compensate for the lack of sight.
‘Like humans, when you lose one sense others are heightened. Certainly any dog’s sense of smell is massively more prone than ours,’ he told MailOnline. ‘The dog would be able to smell and hear where the sheep to determine where they are.
And the clever hound even beat his sighted rivals at a local competition, where he came fifth
‘But it is quite surprising as the dog is obviously particularly reliant on its sight.’
Mr Smithers breeds Old English Sheepdogs, which he says are particularly prone to eye problems.
‘Before we would breed any of ours and generally within the UK they would be eye-scored two or three times during their lifetimes,’ he added.
Mark Smithers, of Regal Bliss sheepdog breeders in Purley, said the animal would rely on its other senses being heightened to compensate for the lack of sight