What Are the Duties of a Shepherd?

Although a shepherd is often seen as a religious figure, they are responsible for keeping sheep in order. Many farms do not use shepherds today, but in places like Australia and England, they are more common.

Together

The main duty of a shepherd is to keep the herd of sheep together at all times without letting them escape.

Watch

The shepherd is responsible for the sheep 24 hours a day. In traditional settings, he must stay with the sheep at all times.

Chase

If any sheep gets away, it is the shepherd's job to retrieve them by chasing after them to rejoin the rest of the herd.

Dog

To assure that the sheep do not get away, many shepherds use dogs that are trained to rally the sheep together.

Leader

The shepherd is seen as a leader because of her role as leader of the pack.

References

• A Treatise on the Eldership
• Shepherd the Flock