Sheep, GSD and eyesight matters

‪@KrustynLara‬ Did you know that some studies suggest that German shepherd dogs are prone to myopia? That means that affected dogs see things close to them with clarity. In the video you can see the dog looks along the line and notices those sheep close to the line with ease. This helps her keep the border clear, she can see the small intentional signals that sheep make and which indicate that they might be about to step over the line. The dog can then get to that place quickly and dissuade them from crossing. Mesocephalic dogs like German shepherds (dogs with middle sized skulls) have a nifty additional trick within their eyesight which enables them to notice movement on the horizon. Their eyes have an evenly spaced visual streak, a concentrated line of rod cells in the retina of their eyes. This special area of the eye catches sight of movement as it occurs in the periphery and at the horizon. In our terms that means that if the sheep further away start moving the dog senses it intently and automatically. Doesn't matter how many sheep, near or far, the German shepherd dog is equipped visually to know what is going on and where. They're also beautifully equipped to know what to do about it, but that's another story. No shock or prong collars are ever used in training my dogs, it simply isn't necessary. The dog is Anna. The sheep belong to friends in Germany.