Sheep Worrying by Dogs: Why Education, Responsibility, and Regulation Matter More Than Ever: NSA 2026 Survey
2026 dog owner results: update added 12 October 2026
The National Sheep Association has published its dog owner survey findings. Among respondents, 97% said they understood sheep worrying, but only 65% recognised that dogs off lead near sheep could count. Some 79% said they would use a lead when seeing sheep, and 16% reported their dogs escaping from gardens.
Some 72% said more signage would or might encourage responsible behaviour. These are reported responses from participating dog owners. They are separate from NSA’s farmer and police surveys and should not be presented as figures for every UK owner.
Practical message: keep dogs on a lead near livestock, check gates and fences, and learn the reporting route where you live. Signs and recall are not substitutes for secure control.
Read NSA’s published results and survey groups → · Read NAPET’s livestock safety guide →
Original January article and closed invitation
Archived survey invitation. Updated 11 October 2026. The NSA’s 2026 dog owner survey closed on 9 March 2026. It is no longer open for responses. Read the published NSA results. The discussion below is retained from the original January article.
Sheep worrying by dogs remains one of the most serious, distressing, and preventable animal-welfare issues facing the UK countryside today. Each year, farmers across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland experience the devastating consequences of dogs chasing, harassing, or physically attacking sheep, often with fatal outcomes for the animals involved and profound emotional and financial impacts for those who care for them.
As part of its ongoing work to address this issue, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched its 13th annual sheep worrying survey, marking an important development: for the first time, the survey is aimed directly at dog owners.
This shift recognises a crucial truth, meaningful change cannot happen through enforcement alone. It requires education, accountability, and cooperation between farmers, dog owners, trainers, welfare organisations, and policymakers.
What Is Sheep Worrying, and Why Is It So Serious?
Sheep worrying occurs when a dog, whether intentionally or unintentionally, chases, stalks, harasses, or attacks sheep. Crucially, physical injury is not required for serious harm to occur.
The consequences can include:
Miscarriage or premature labour in pregnant ewes
Mismothering, where stressed ewes abandon lambs
Severe injuries such as bites, torn flesh, and broken limbs
Fatal stress responses, even without direct contact
Death of sheep or lambs, sometimes entire groups
From a welfare perspective, sheep worrying is not a “minor incident” or an unfortunate accident, it is a significant animal-welfare crisis. From a farming perspective, it represents lost livestock, emotional distress, and financial damage that is rarely fully recoverable.
Thirteen Years of Evidence, and a Growing Need for Dog Owner Engagement
For over a decade, the NSA has collected data on sheep worrying incidents across the UK. These surveys have consistently shown that:
Incidents are widespread and underreported
Many attacks involve well-loved family dogs, not “dangerous” animals
A large proportion occur when dogs are off lead or poorly managed
Owners often underestimate the risk, believing their dog would “never chase”
By directly inviting dog owners to take part in the 2026 survey, the NSA is taking a vital step toward shared responsibility. Understanding attitudes, behaviours, misconceptions, and gaps in knowledge among dog owners is essential if prevention strategies are to be effective rather than purely reactive.
The 2026 survey ran from 12 January to 9 March 2026 and has now closed.
Timing Matters: Lambing Season and Increased Risk
The survey’s timing is no coincidence. Each spring, many UK sheep farmers enter lambing season, when ewes are either heavily pregnant or caring for young, highly vulnerable lambs.
During this period:
Stress levels have a far greater impact on welfare outcomes
The risk of miscarriage and mismothering increases significantly
Even a brief chase can result in long-term suffering or death
Survey findings are released each spring and shared with stakeholders, including the national press, helping to raise awareness at the exact time when vigilance from dog owners is most critical.
Why This Matters to NAPET and the Dog-Training Community
At NAPET (National Association for Professional E-collar Training), we believe sheep worrying highlights a broader issue: the gap between dog ownership, real-world responsibility, and effective education.
Preventing sheep worrying is not about demonising dogs or owners, it is about:
Reliable recall and control, especially in high-distraction environments
Understanding prey drive and chase behaviour, which exists even in friendly dogs
Using appropriate tools, training, and management, tailored to the individual dog
Clear legal and ethical accountability for handlers
Education-led regulation, professional standards, and honest conversations about risk are essential if we are serious about protecting livestock, safeguarding dogs from legal consequences, and preserving access to the countryside for everyone.
A Call to Action: Read, Share, and Learn
NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker has highlighted the gravity of the issue, noting that sheep worrying causes not only immense animal suffering but also stress, anxiety, and financial loss for farmers across the UK.
By reading the published results and sharing practical prevention guidance, dog owners and professionals can help:
Build a more accurate national picture of the problem
Inform education campaigns and guidance
Support proportionate, evidence-based policy decisions
Reduce preventable harm to livestock and dogs
Survey results also inform discussions among those responsible for legislation, enforcement, and countryside access, making participation genuinely impactful.
Learn More and Get Involved
Read the NSA’s published survey results. The 2026 owner survey and 2025 farmer survey are different samples and should not be merged.
Use a lead around livestock and follow local signage. Recall training does not replace physical management of risk.
Share the findings as survey respondent reports, not as a census of all UK dog owners or farms.
Sheep worrying is preventable. Through better education, responsible ownership, professional training standards, and cooperation between rural and urban communities, we can reduce harm, protect welfare, and ensure dogs and livestock can safely coexist in the UK countryside.
Outcomes over optics. Welfare over ideology. Responsibility over assumption.
For practical guidance on owner responsibilities and walks around livestock, read Dogs and livestock: the law and what to do.
