It's one man and his dog with a difference IT'S THE EYES THAT HAVE IT: TV star sheepdog Roy -- who has different coloured eyes -- has no trouble rounding up the geese in his usual calm style THE TEAM: Farmer Bill Heslop with sheepdogs, from left, Daz, Bee and Roy WHEN farmer Bill Heslop visits local shows to demonstrate the art of sheepdog training he doesn't take his sheep -- he takes ducks or geese!

On his farm in Baxenden, Bill, who trained his first sheepdog when he was just five, now has 12 working dogs, 180 sheep and a handful of ducks and geese.

With the foot and mouth crisis this year he has not been able to take his sheep off the farm for larger demonstrations so instead he bought five geese so they can be easily seen when working in the large arenas because he found the ducks were too small to be seen.

Bill turned to birds as they're easier to control in arena venues than sheep.

He said: "All dogs aren't suitable for the ducks and geese, because you need a dog to gear down to the pace of the birds and some dogs find it easier than others.

"When I got the geese I started using a very quiet dog just to get them used to it. The geese have grown very quickly and are now four months old and they can live until 30 so I will be working them for some time.

"I train the dogs every day -- it is like a pair of old boots, if you want a shine you have to give it polish."

After carefully introducing the dogs to the geese, Bill has now trained them to work with them demonstrating the sheep trialling skills including herding, shedding and guiding the birds into boxes or a trailer.

With their heads held proudly, the geese are a truly hilarious sight as they are herded round by three sheepdogs Daz, five, Roy, eight, and trainee Bee who is just 15-months. The dogs have an obvious strong affection for Bill who in turn loves his job.

He has run Rossendale Sheepdogs -- the title he gives to the trialling business -- from his 20-acre Pilling Farm off Back Lane for 20 years.

Bill has also been to Austria a couple of times as a trialling judge and to demonstrate working dogs. His dogs have also featured on Channel 4's Pet Rescue programme when they were shown herding the ducks and geese. Roy was such a success, with his different coloured eyes, he was featured on the opening credits.

Bill said: "It all started because I used to train the dogs for Shaun Raywood of Guardhall Security who used to live in Baxenden.

"When he moved to Tockholes he asked me to do a demonstration at the village show and so I got some ducks from Longridge and have been doing it ever since."

Thomas Binns, vice-chairman of Lancashire National Farmer's Union, said: "There are a few people herding geese and ducks across Britain and I know of a farmer in Oakworth and Katie Cropper who used to live in Rossendale did, but I think Bill was one of the first in this area."

Bill said he has never had any problems with the geese so far and he has been showing them this year in Glasgow, St Helens, Kings Lynn and Poynton.

He used to herd ducks and a drake -- until they decided to get a bit frisky and he had to restrict it to females only!

Bill said: "This is a way of life to me, not a job. I have always said you know when you are successful because you find something you enjoy doing and get some idiot to pay you for it!"

He will be at Darwen Lodgeside Trust on September 2 and Edgeside Park in Rossendale on September 9.