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The dog crouched low. Its ears pricked up as it stays alert. In front of it, a flock of animals are staring back at it. The lone dog is outnumbered. It is outnumbered by sheep!

“Woof! Woof! Woof!” the dog barks at the flock of sheep. Bleating in fear, the sheep obey the dog and make their way towards the sheep pen. Every one of the sheep in the flock obeys the barking dog.

The sheep may seem like a cowardly animal, yet it is such a useful animal to us. We have domesticated sheep for many thousands of years. From this one animal, we get wool, meat and milk. The wool is made into blankets and clothes. Its meat can be fried, roasted or stewed. Its milk can be drunk or turned into cheese.

There is an estimated one billion sheep all over the world!

One of the sheep's biggest contributions to our world is their wool. Sheep wool or “fleece” is the most common animal fibre used to make clothes and other products. When sheep have grown a thick amount of wool, they are sent for shearing much like you and I in getting a haircut. A sheep shearer will cut off the wool with a sharp shearing device. Once that is done, the wool is washed and put into a chemical bath to kill mites and micro-organisms living in it. The wool is then sent to factories to be turned into clothes and other garments.

Wool is very effective in keeping us warm. Many people love wearing woollen jackets and mittens in cold countries. Carpet manufacturers also use wool to make carpets. Woollen carpets are more expensive than polyester carpets.