Meet the tiny corgi who has become an ace sheepdog on a busy farm.
When little Daphne, a two-year-old, was originally bought for her owner Heather Rutter as a Christmas present, her family expected her to enjoy a right royal pampered lifestyle like the corgis the Queen used to own.
But Daphne is definitely a working-class gal — and has made herself an indispensable member of staff at her owner’s Lake District farm.
Heather, 27, who has always loved corgis and was desperate for a puppy, says Daphne has slotted into the role of sheepdog by natural instinct.
Daphne, two, is definitely a working-class gal — and has made herself an indispensable member of staff at her owner’s Lake District farm
She says: ‘I think Daphne is the only sheep herding corgi in the UK. I have not heard of any other farms keeping one as anything other than a pet.
‘I’ve always thought they were great and filled with such funny personalities.
‘My fiancé, who is a farmer, said that he looked over my shoulder one day and I was looking at corgi puppies and decided to surprise me with Daphne for Christmas in 2018.
‘When we first got her, she was nervous when she was around the quad bikes, but after a couple of days she settled in and took to the sheep herding straight away; she was really keen for it.
Heather, 27, who has always loved corgis and was desperate for a puppy, says Daphne has slotted into the role of sheepdog by natural instinct (pictured together on a quad bike)
‘She did not need much training, she just copied the other dogs and she was great, a real natural.
‘We would just take her out working with us on the farm and on the quad, and slowly introduced her to the sheep so she could build her confidence with them and she was great.’
The little dog obviously loves her job and being outside with the border collies.
She’s involved in all the action but being so low-slung, she often gets filthy dirty and needs frequent showers when the ground is muddy.
Heather says: ‘Daphne is not as fast as the other sheepdogs because of her little legs, but she does try her best to keep up.
‘When she is giving it her all, she is like a bullet flying across the land.
‘But after the sheep have been gathered by the other dogs, she is great at pushing them forward and keeping them moving with her barking.
‘She is also really good during lambing season when sheep are a lot harder to move.
Owner Heather said: ‘I think Daphne is the only sheep herding corgi in the UK. I have not heard of any other farms keeping one as anything other than a pet’
‘Day to day she works with one or two working border collies to herd more than 100 sheep.
‘She has picked up the commands well, she is really good at recalls when we want her to come back.
‘She sometimes struggles with the left and right commands unlike our collies. But she makes up for it in other ways being well-behaved, energetic and a loving dog, with a hint of sass.
‘Daphne has a dominant personality, she is the boss of all of our four collies. We have to feed her in a separate room because she can get food aggressive and try to steal their meals.
‘Of course, she lives inside the house, and I definitely spoil her compared to the working collies. I treat her to some cheese and ham, that is her favourite.
Heather said: ‘Day to day she works with one or two working border collies to herd more than 100 sheep’
‘Daphne loves getting on the quad bikes now, as soon as she hears the engine she runs over and jumps on the back and is ready to go.
‘She enjoys racing and chasing the other dogs, too, she has an endless amount of energy.
‘When people find out that we have a corgi as a sheepherder, they love it.
‘She is well known in our local area, all the farmers adore her. People are always asking if we are going to breed her. We love having a corgi as a sheepdog.’
This royal favourite is obviously the best — baa none.
The little dog obviously loves her job and being outside with the border collies. She’s involved in all the action but being so low-slung, she often gets filthy dirty and needs frequent showers