They can mow the lawn, fertilize the garden, inspect any project, take the ATV for a spin and, quite possibly, win over a person鈥檚 heart.

More than a year ago, Ken and Karleen Kantymir purchased two Old English Southdown Baby Doll sheep (鈥楤aby Doll鈥� for short) in Vernon.

With fuzzy faces, the brothers have a slightly teddy bear-like look. Their names are Gin and Tonic.

The Kantymirs enjoy pair names; their orange cats are Mac and Cheese and, for the sheep, they considered names like Bert and Ernie and Starsky and Hutch, but the English beverage seemed just the right fit.

Although the woolly boys do mow the lawn 鈥� usually in patches, do provide non-stop fertilizer and are very interested in every job or project their humans do, driving the all-terrain vehicle is a slight exaggeration. Not completely though.

Ken recounted how their son Nate was in the house one day last summer when he heard Ken鈥檚 little side-by-side ATV start up. Thinking it strange that his father had come home from work in the middle of the day, Nate went outside. There he found both sheep in the vehicle with the engine running.

Ken had forgotten the keys in the ignition.

鈥淭hey had climbed in and nibbled on the key enough to turn it and they鈥檇 started it, and they were just standing there, both of them inside the ATV.

鈥淪o that was a pretty good story, a lot of our friends thought that was pretty funny.鈥�

The Kantymirs decided to get the sheep when they moved out of town after their kids left home. Karleen had always wanted sheep and when Ken was growing up, his family always had 20 to 30.

鈥淲e always get a lot of comments. When I go to buy feed for them, or hay, they ask, how many sheep you got, and I say, I got two, and they all laugh at me.

鈥淭hey say, what? Two sheep? Nobody has two sheep.鈥�

You either have a herd of sheep or no sheep, laughs Ken.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e just for fun,鈥� added Karleen, pointing out they鈥檙e very gentle and low key. 鈥淏asically they鈥檙e just a grown-up 4H project for no reason.鈥�

Ken said they are 鈥渄efinitely professional inspectors.鈥�

鈥淎nything you鈥檙e doing 鈥� like if I鈥檓 working in my shop, and they can get in there, they鈥檒l get in there. They鈥檙e very social.鈥�

Karleen told of the day when their daughter Sienna was cleaning her car and left the door open.

鈥淪he comes back outside and both sheep are in her back seat.鈥�

The family has photos of the sheep 鈥渄oing all their dumb things,鈥� smiled Karleen.

She explained that Tonic is a little more skittish than his brother and is more alert to possible danger. While Gin, the bumbling brother, is like, 鈥淲hoa, whatever.鈥�

Although the Kantymirs were well aware sheep are herd animals and should be kept in pairs at a minimum, they have been surprised just how social they are.

The sheep like to be taken on walks over to the river, especially when there鈥檚 grass to munch on, but if Ken and Karleen go for a walk anywhere without them, the couple hears about it.

The sheep come running, baa-ing and baa-ing, Ken said.

鈥淒on鈥檛 leave us,鈥� quipped Karleen. 鈥淎ll the way down the road, they鈥檙e still yelling, 鈥楬eyyyyy!鈥欌��

The couple is impressed with the sheep鈥檚 wool and how warm their skin remains in cold weather. Ken noted that鈥檚 why they鈥檙e such an old breed; they鈥檙e hardy.

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Another of the sheep鈥檚 quirks involves food. Taco chips, to be specific.

When the Kantymirs are sitting out in the yard in the summer, the sheep will crawl right up on their laps to get taco chips.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e definitely motivated by food,鈥� emphasized Ken.

Karleen said the sheep have taught her a lot about living in the moment.

鈥淏ecause they only have this moment. They don鈥檛 think behind or ahead, it鈥檚 just right now. They鈥檙e really calming actually.鈥�

Would she recommend them?

鈥淚f you鈥檙e into docile dudes who like to hang out with you, yes.鈥�