HE’S more used to chasing rams around a field, but these days retired sheepdog Robbie is quite happy to sit in front of the TV and watch one in particular.

The loveable canine is a massive Shaun the Sheep enthusiast – so much so that he has been given a DVD of the series for his birthday ever since it started.

And he remains glued to the box to this day.

The 11-year-old border collie will come running from any room in his owner’s New Forest house when he hears the theme tune.

Owner Richard Smith, who lives with his wife Joan in Burley, said: “He must have square eyes; he has been watching television all his life.”

Aside from the popular Aardman Animations series, which started in 2007, Robbie also enjoys watching football and snooker, although he doesn’t like to see any aggression on pitch.

“It is the sheep he likes most; he has done a lot of sheep work in the past,” said Mr Smith.

“Collies are very intelligent dogs, but it is unusual for one to get quite so much enjoyment out of watching television.

“You only have to look at him to see that he loves it. He gets right up close to the screen; he wants to be in amongst them.

“I would love to be able to take him to the cinema to see the film.”

British stop-motion animation Shaun the Sheep is a spin-off from the popular Wallace and Gromit series and its 1995 short film A Close Shave.

The feature length film was released to critical acclaim earlier this month.

Despite his general enthusiasm for the series, there is one episode Robbie will not watch.

“He doesn’t like the episode with the bees – he will leave the room straight away when that comes on,” said Mr Smith.

The sheepdog’s TV viewing is also occasionally interrupted by the newest addition to the family – 14-month-old collie Katy.

  • Do you want to see Shaun the Sheep on the big screen? The Daily Echo has four family tickets to give away in conjunction with Empire Cinemas. See the Echo on Thursday for details.