Sheep grazing along trails is a rite of spring in the Boise foothills, so are the White Great Pyrenees dogs that protect them.
Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission spokesman Steve Stuebner says it's important to keep pets leashed up to avoid a confrontation with the guard dogs. "And then if you’re on a mountain bike and you come up to the sheep, it’s a good idea to dismount from your bike and get off your bike and walk through the sheep."
These animals will be in the foothills for the next few weeks to eat grass and weeds. They’ll eventually move upslope and into the Boise National Forest.
Copyright 2012 Boise State Public Radio