Despite endless warnings about sheep worrying and the risk that their pet may be shot, or euthanised after a court hearing, some dog owners seem to be incapable of acting responsibly.

Manx farmers are regularly reporting fatal dog attacks on their flocks – last Saturday, for example, sheep were attacked in Cornaa leaving two dead, several badly injured and a ram missing.

The police are appealing for anyone with relevant information to come forward by calling 631212 and quoting investigation reference 97/2332/26.

From dachshunds to great Danes, it is every dog’s instinct to chase even if they are normally obedient with good recall skills and they enjoy being around other animals.

The mere presence of a dog can cause sheep great distress, and at this time of year there is the added problem that a pregnant ewe may abort her lamb, or a lamb could be abandoned if its mother is spooked.

The National Sheep Association’s research suggests that most attacks are carried out by single dogs injuring or killing multiple sheep; and that the most likely cause of attacks is that dog owners assume that their pet will not attack livestock, or cause damage if it does.

Given the island is a semi-rural environment, none of us lives very far away from a flock of sheep.

Is your dog always under control, even when it’s at home? Is your back garden secure; do your gates shut properly; do you know just how high your dog can jump? Some particularly agile breeds like collies and greyhounds can easily jump as high as six feet.

Another issue linked to dogs and the countryside is that dog faeces can cause serious, sometimes fatal, diseases in sheep.

So, it is vital to pick up poo not only on paths and pavements, but also when walking in the depths of the countryside.

If you see a stray dog, whether it’s near sheep or not, then please advise the government’s dog warden service on 686688 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday (and maybe keep this number stored in your mobile phone).

We will do our best to assist at weekends, and we also encourage the use of our Facebook page ‘ManxSPCA Lost and Found Pets’.

If the dog is scared then there is little chance that anyone will be able to catch it other than its owner, but a friendly dog that is simply disorientated may allow you to keep it in a garden or garage (with water) until help arrives.

Back to sheep and lambs – did you know that a ewe only has two teats, and so if she has triplets the smallest lamb has a slimmer chance of survival because the bigger ones will dominate access to their mother’s milk.

This is when a farmer will either move the lamb to suckle from another ‘foster’ ewe, or raise the lamb (now called a meg) by hand. Some breeds of sheep, such as Dorset and Merinos, are more prolific than others and can even have quadruplets.

And did you know that lambs born from the same ewe could have different fathers (provided the ewe has had ‘access’ to more than one ram)?

This is called heteropaternal superfecundation, and it occurs when two or more eggs are fertilised by two or more males during the same reproductive cycle.

About 30% of twins and about 50% of triplets are sired by more than one ram, but it may not be obvious if the sheep are all the same breed.

Sheep are an amazing species, and although they are happiest when quietly co-existing in a flock, they are also extremely intelligent.

For example, sheep possess a remarkable capacity for sustained recall, and studies have demonstrated that they can remember the faces of up to 50 sheep (and humans) for more than two years.

They also have a large vocabulary of bleats and calls, and distinct social hierarchies, which challenge the conventional belief that sheep are simply ‘followers’. Far from it – they are worthy of respect and consideration, and all dog owners should remember this.