German shepherd trampled by flock and rammed by sheep

They are known as nature's followers - subservient animals content to fit in with the flock rather than stand out.

But as this video proves, in every family there is always a black sheep willing to go against the grain.

This is the dramatic moment a female shepherd was trampled and then butted into the ground after her flock was spooked by a car.

Believed to have been filmed in Germany, the footage shows a female shepherd leading her sheep down a country road.

But when a car approaches things quickly go wrong as the shepherd's dog gets distracted from its task of controlling the animals.

As the canine runs toward the vehicle the sheep gather together at the side of the road before deciding to run the other way.

At this point one particularly large sheep takes advantage of the chaos to ram the shepherd in the back of the legs, causing her to fall down.

The woman lays stunned on the tarmac for a few moments as the sheep backs off, before managing to get up to her knees.

But she makes the mistake of turning her back on the sheep who runs back over before butting her in the back, sending her tumbling to the ground again.

The sheep then starts stomping on her before the car drives over and scares it away.

The footage was filmed in 2014 but has recently gone viral.