The internet has been awed by the incredible teamwork shown by two border collies who expertly herded sheep in seconds, with just simple commands from their owner.
Sean Hannah, 29, lives and works as a shepherd in rural Scotland, where he tends to a whopping 700 ewes and lambs, as well as 100 cows and their calves.
But he doesn’t do it alone: Hannah is helped by his two collies, Storm and Echo, as well as his older pup Kate, who he described to Newsweek as now “semi-retired.”
Each of his dogs was bred and raised by Hannah, and are three generations of the same family, with 5-year-old Storm and 3-year-old Echo being mother and son.
The border collie breed is known for its work ethic, intelligence and herding instincts, making them vital on many farms around the world, as well as popular family pets. In 2023, they were 31 on the list of the American Kennel Club (AKC) list of the most popular dog breeds in the United States.
Hannah’s dogs are working dogs as well as pets, meaning they have a long day in the fields before settling down in the evening—exactly what the breed enjoys.
“My dogs love their work, to them it is not work but the best game and enrichment a border collie can have,” Hannah told Newsweek.
“Training begins [when they are] puppies, but it’s more about letting their natural instincts develop naturally on their own by watching older dogs and just generally being around stock.”
Storm and Echo (left). Farmer Sean Hannah cares for hundreds of sheep with the help of his collies.
TikTok @seanthesheepman
His TikTok account, @seanthesheepman, is full of videos of his dogs helping him with the sheep, and one clip shared in September has captured viewers’ hearts in a huge way, boasting over 330,000 likes in just one week.
It shows mother and son Storm and Echo trembling in anticipation as they wait on a hill, with sheep visible in the distance. When Hannah gives the nod, they’re off like lightning, shooting down the hill and into the field, where they split up and gather the sheep together.
Another noise, and they—and the sheep — stop dead in their tracks. But a whistle sets them off again, and the sheep are herded out of the field and onto a path, before the dogs rush back to Hannah, the work done in under one minute.
The shepherd told Newsweek much of the work in training working collies is by “building word associations with a specific command or action,” adding it can take two years to fully train a working sheepdog.
“The whistle commands are just the same as the voice commands in whistle form, so each dog learns each command twice: first in vocal form then in whistle form,” he explained to Newsweek.
“This is because whistles tend to travel better over distance and don’t get distorted by weather like rain and wind.”
As he praises them for their good work, the dogs, soaked from the wet fields, jump straight up on to his vehicle, and look at him expectantly, as though waiting for the next command.
He told Newsweek the best thing about the breed as working dogs is their sheer love for the job: “They crave mental and physical stimulation, they do not have to be bribed or coerced into doing it. They want to do it and they are super intelligent, you won’t find a smarter breed of dog.”
Hannah also praised them as pets for their “extremely loving and loyal” nature, but warned “they need something to be doing constantly,” and may not make the best pets for someone with a more relaxed lifestyle.
The dogs, mother and son both raised by Hannah, got the job done in under a minute. They then hopped up on the vehicle ready for the next adventure.
TikTok @seanthesheepman
TikTok users were suitably impressed by the dogs, with one writing: “This is where border collies belong.”
“I actually never get tired of watching it. Amazing,” another said, while one marveled at “how fast these dogs are.”
Another agreed, commenting on “the distance they covered in like 10 seconds.”
Hannah never expected his videos to gain such a massive following, but suggested it could be down to how “real” his channel is, as he also shows mistakes as well as golden successes.
“My main aim is to spread positive vibes and show farming [and] farmers are not that bad, so if I can help the public perception on working dogs and good farming practices then that’s a bonus, as 99 percent of farmers do the best for their animals.”
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