A flock of sheep grazes in an open field while, a little way off, a dog sits keeping a sharp eye on them. As soon as an animal strays beyond its bounds, the dog runs over, scolds it and brings it back. And if it senses a stranger or danger, it alerts its owner.

Such a scene may be seen abroad, but it is truly rare in rural Bangladesh. Suman Khan, a medicine trader from Shariatpur, has adopted this novel way of raising sheep and goats: a German Shepherd dog keeps the animals on his farm safe.

Suman Khan is the son of Hamid Khan of Jogpatta in Naria upazila, Shariatpur. A businessman by profession, he spends most of his time in Dhaka for work, but largely as a hobby he decided to set up a sheep farm at his village home. Two years ago he started the farm with 20 sheep and a few goats. Through breeding, the farm now has 60 sheep and 20 goats.

When the farm started, Suman Khan brought in a German Shepherd to protect the sheep from thieves and foxes, and later had it trained. Alongside three people who look after the farm, the dog plays an important role. At night, when the workers are asleep, the German Shepherd takes on the job of watching over the whole farm.

Nurul Haque, who looks after the dog, said: "Because of the dog, we can sleep peacefully at night. If a thief or robber comes, it handles everything on its own and alerts us. And in the morning, when we let the sheep out, the dog stays with them, so they cannot wander off anywhere. With the dog here, it takes fewer people to look after the animals."

A young man named Toha stopped on his way after seeing the dog herding sheep. "As I was passing along this road, I saw some goats and sheep grazing in the field, looked after by a foreign German Shepherd dog. Such scenes are usually seen in developed countries. I really liked seeing it in our country," he said.

Asked about this way of raising sheep, Selimuzzaman, speaking for the owners, said: "We wanted to set up a hobby sheep farm that would also create jobs. When the farm was set up, the German Shepherd was brought in first for the animals' security, and was later trained. Because the dog was kept with the goats and sheep from the start, a friendly bond has grown between them. As a result, the dog protects them and keeps them within set bounds."

Saying the dog provides complete security on the farm, he added: "When the dog is on guard at night, if any outsider or animal enters its area, it barks very loudly and charges, so our workers can tell something is up. Where we would need three or four workers for security, this dog handles it all alone."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.