Guardian dogs help ranchers protect their flock. Like other livestock in the Rocky Mountains, sheep need protection from coyotes, wolves, and other predators. To address this, ranchers have imported guardian dogs from Europe, where the best breeds have sheltered livestock for thousands of years. Ranchers place guardian puppies in fleece so they identify with a sheep's smell. Soon, the dogs meet their first sheep and mingle with the flock. With little training and great instinct, the dogs understand that their job is to watch for danger . . . and to do some occasional baby-sitting. Cat Urbigkit's engaging photo-essay shows how guardian dogs form a bond with the sheep that lasts throughout the dogs' life. This bilingual edition brings an already popular, high-interest title to readers of Spanish and English.

Author Biography

Cat Urbigkit is the author and photographer of "Cattle Kids: A Year on the Western Range "and "A Young Shepherd, "a Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year. She is a reporter and rancher and lives in Wyoming.