Sheepdogs are reputed to be among the smartest in the canine world.
And now a shepherd – who switched a German account’s office for the Scottish hills – is showing how linguistic skills can match their uncanny ability to round up a wandering flock.
Lisa Gast has 14 dogs in her sheepdog school, but her first Border Collie, Harvey, remains the leader of the pack and is fluent in three languages – dog, English and German.
Ms Gast has trained the dogs to act as canine midwives for distressed ewes during lambing season.
The 27-year-old gave up her job as a bookkeeper in an accountant’s office in her home town of Frankfurt to become a shepherd six years ago.
She said: “I dreaded the thought of spending the next 10 years sitting at a desk.
“Dogs have always fascinated me, especially sheepdogs and I always wanted to train them.”
She brought her trusty dog Harvey from Frankfurt and spent a year working on a farm in the Borders.
She then moved to Bute where she met her partner Ian Dickson, 30. He farms more than 1,000 sheep and 130 cattle, with his father John at Scalpsie.
And Ms Gast’s work with the sheepdogs has gained attention from around the world – with two hounds snapped up by American farmers for their ranches.
But one of the collies will certainly not be going anywhere, with Ms Gast describing Harvey as “top dog” and her “right hand” on the farm.
“He is bilingual and understands commands in English and German,” she said.
“Along with the other dogs he can spot a ewe in trouble in labour and gently guide her towards me so I can help deliver the lamb.
“The dogs have the inherent wisdom and skill to spot any unusual behaviour or distress in sheep.
“It’s a joy to see them care for the flock and enjoy their work.
“Their intuition and wisdom is fascinating.”
Aside from breeding and training dogs, Ms Gast is now a judge and has recently returned from a competition in Israel.
Her pup Ben is also a finalist in the Scottish Nursery competition for Scotland’s young sheepdogs, which takes place in Campbeltown on March 3.
“He will be up against roughly 60 other dogs and great, very experienced handlers and I really hope he does well,” Ms Gast said.
“It’s a tough one for a young sheepdog, but he is more than ready for it.”
