Keeping sheep as pets may not be very common practice but we love them.  Our 5 sheep were bought at 4 weeks old from a children's farm where they had been orphaned.  Because we bottle fed them for 3 months they instantly looked to us as their mums and their devotion continues now they are fully grown sheep.

Sheep are really easy to keep, they are not a demanding pet and give much more back to you.  We get loads of cuddles and still have a real good laugh when they charge across the field to see us. They also often just suddenly bound around and jump vertically straght up in the air, as though they have spring loaded feet, every now and then in little "mad 5 minute" periods  

If you were to keep sheep, you would obviously need some form of shelter and enough land as they are grazing animals, but they more than earn their keep as lawn mowers and providers of wonderfully rich manure.  Every morning they wait patiently (but noisily) for us to give them their daily pellet feed and top up their hay and we have a race to get to the feeding trough!

If you want to find out more about keeping sheep check out:

Keeping sheep as pets

Diane  

I think big cities should look into sheep as a way of cutting grass. Lawn mowers are bad for the environment and sheep would help fertilize the soil. There are so many ways we could work with nature. I know I can't get away with sheep, but they sould wonderful.

Catherine, yes keeping sheep is wonderful. I have just had a play with them and by running away and clapping my hands they come chasing after hopping like rabbits! Not many people know the really sweet side of sheep but I wish they would because sheep desurve more credit.

I love my two sheep...but there IS a "BUT..." in this "keeping sheep as pets" that I have to admit in all honesty.

I am new to keeping sheep.  I have two, both raised from lambhood. One bottle fed by us, the other brought to be just after weening.

As we (my boyfriend and I ) were not skilled or experienced in sheep keeping, it has been an interesting game of trial and error, in terms of proper fencing, and learning where and how to keep the sheep without destroying the garden which surrounds the house.  For instance, as youngins they were not interested in eating flowers and roses...and I was told they wouldn't....goats do such things, not sheep....but as they have gotten older...they eat everything and anything. more interested in the trees and flowers than the grass and greenery on the ground....and even food we feed them.

Also, Taki, was bottle fed by us.  Bella was bottle fed by others and brought to us a little later.   Taki certainly has a beautiful and loyal attatchment to us as his parents...but it can really break the nerves at times.   It is impossible to be in his near vacinity without him bleating bleating bleating non-stop.    Bella on the other hand, seldom gives us much attention, just baas when hungry....not at the mear sight of us!

The baaing is fine if we lived in a spacious isolated farm area....but as far as keeping sheep as PETS....They are not as perfect as they seem for more residential outskirts.   I'm sorry.

If you have neighbors....they WILL complain about the smell, (we keep the area very clean...but especially on cleaning days, the smell fumigates the area!) and the noise.  The neighbors children will love them....but.... we are not the most popular in the area, as some neighbors do not like to be woken up at 6 am when the sheep get excited for their feedings or at the sight of passers-by.

Baaaaa BAaaaaa BAaaaa BAaaa!

If I may say a word about that, woolie sheep, yes you may complain about them, but hair sheep have extremely tiny amounts of "issues". I would reccommmend, of any breed for the city (I know it would probably be illegal to have sheep in the city anyhow), hair sheep. All sheep are browsers, including hair sheep, but the hair sheep know what to, and what not to eat (normally. But you can get some that don't).
You are right about the neighbors complaining about the smell and noise, even the noise with hair sheep.