Domestic sheep are typically kept as livestock in the UK, but a growing number of people do keep them as pets and some even trick-train their sheep.  Numbering a little over one billion, they are also the most numerous species and there are more than 200 breeds now in existence.

Sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated by humankind; the domestication date is estimated to fall between 11,000 and 9,000 B.C. An adult female is referred to as a ewe, an intact male as a ram, a castrated male as a wether and a young sheep as a lamb.

Domestic sheep are relatively small ruminants, usually with a crimped hair called wool and often with horns forming a lateral spiral. Depending on breed, domestic sheep may have no horns at all, or horns in both sexes, or in males only.  The horn is not an indicator of gender in this scenario!  Most horned breeds have a single pair, but a few breeds may have several. 

Another trait unique to domestic sheep is their wide variation in colour. Wild sheep are largely variations of brown hues and variation within species is extremely limited. Colours of domestic sheep range from pure white to dark chocolate brown and even spotted.  A fascinating fact is that sheep have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, with excellent peripheral vision; with visual fields of about 270°-320°, sheep can see behind themselves without turning their heads.

Sheep are flock animals and strongly gregarious. They can also recognise individual faces and remember them for years. This is one of the reasons they are wonderful companion animals.  They have good hearing and are sensitive to noise when being handled, so keep this in mind when filming this animal.

Sheep have had a strong presence in many cultures. In the English language, to call someone a sheep may allude that they are timid and easily led. In contradiction to this image, male sheep are often used as symbols of virility and power; the logos of the Los Angeles Rams football team and the Dodge Ram pickup truck allude to males of the bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis.

Counting sheep is popularly said to be an aid to sleep. Sheep also enter in colloquial sayings and idioms frequently with such phrases as “black sheep”.  Citizens who accept overbearing governments have been referred to by the Portmanteau neologism of “sheeple”. Somewhat differently, the adjective “sheepish” is also used to describe embarrassment. If your media brief covers these themes, we have the perfect sheep for you.

Lambs, unlike their parents, are very popular for event work in the springtime. Likewise, this is the best time to photograph lambs for merchandising purposes, such as Easter cards, calendars and much more.

There are many ancient Greek references to sheep: that of Chrysomallos, the golden-fleece ram, continuing to be told in the modern era. Astrologically, Aries the ram is the first sign of the classical Greek zodiac and the sheep is the eighth of the twelve animals associated with the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.  Again, for any of these images, a photoshoot with one of our talented sheep would be perfect.  Our sheep can work indoors in a photography studio as well as outdoors on site, or in a chosen location.

Sheep are key symbols in fables and nursery rhymes like The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing, Little Bo Peep, Baa, Baa, Black Sheep, and Mary Had a Little Lamb; novels such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Haruki Murakami’s A Wild Sheep Chase; songs such as Bach’s Sheep May Safely Graze and Pink Floyd’s “Sheep” and poems like William Blake’s “The Lamb“.

Whether you need guide animals for animation for a children’s TV programme, background animals for a scene you’re shooting, or as a key role in a film, we can provide a variety of breeds suitable for your needs.

We supply professional animal location handlers around the world to ensure you get all the shots you require and, as overseers to ensure the wild is not disturbed, the crew will always be safe and no welfare regulations are ever breached.

It isn’t just the animals that are well trained, our team including our handlers are also highly experienced and fully qualified experts in the field. 

Your handler will take full control of any animals on set and ensure the entire shoot runs properly. They will also fully manage the welfare of all the animals both on and off set; the safety and welfare of the animals is their prime concern.  All of our handling is strictly force-free and only positive, reward based practices are deployed. This way you can have total confidence that by booking With The Animal Talent everything is taken care of legally, professionally and ethically.

The Performing Animals Licence is no longer relevant (it was scrapped in 2019) and has been replaced with the Animal Activity Licence, which we hold.

All of our sheep are covered by a £5 million Public Liability Insurance policy. 

Sheep require certain licences and transportation logs for travel any distance away from their home.  They also cannot mix with other livestock on site at any time.  An Export Health Certificate is required along with a movement document and in some situations, an Animal Gatherings Order in order to comply with DEFRA and APHA.  Please speak with our agents to discuss which licences are appropriate for your requirements.

If any species of animal listed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act are required, special measures will need to be put into place for the shoot. Precisely what is appropriate will vary species to species, but may include sectioned off areas where only trained handlers are allowed. In the event of large and dangerous carnivores, a specifically built green screen studio can also be supplied.