Feisty farm dog becomes TikTok star
A sweet-looking sheepdog working in Somerset has recently risen in the rankings on the social media channel TikTok, for his role in the festive season.
At just seven stone and with an adorable face, Bear isn’t your typical staunch protector, and uploaded images of him on TikTok rolling on his back in the field just add to his lovable image. However, the new social media celebrity is a force to be reckoned with and is tasked with an important duty on Nempnett Pasture in the run up to Christmas.
Bear is a Maremmano Sheepdog and works tirelessly for Farmer George Ford both night and day safeguarding a flock of Christmas turkeys. This is no small feat for the hound, who lives outdoors with from April through to December, as the flock of slow-grown Bronze Turkeys is 640 birds strong. Furthermore, his owner Ford is committed to an approach he calls “beyond free range”, which means the turkeys are never kept inside and require constant supervision.
On arrival at the pasture as a puppy, Bear immediately took to his flock, requiring practically no training at all. He is passionate about protecting the birds from threats ranging from hungry foxes to criminal poachers. Ford commented that Bear is extremely loyal to him and his family. The sixth-generation farmer recently got Bear a friend of the same breed of Italian sheepdog, Molly, who will provide companionship throughout the year and help him by sharing his festive duties.
A dog owner since the early 80s, after convincing his parents to buy a Yorkshire terrier named Sadie, Darren created Dream Dogs so dog owners could find the best dog related information on the Internet.
