Friday 4 June 2010

Sam the (Very Intelligent) Ball Dog

This is Sam the Border Collie.

Border Collies are often cited as the most intelligent of all dogs. Highly energetic, they are used on farms to assist with the herding of livestock. Bred for hilly conditions, the Border Collie is outstanding when it comes to working sheep. Their inborn traits - the instinct to gather, the intelligence to understand what is required, the independence to work at far distances from the shepherd, the ability to cooperate with a shepherd, and the stamina to run the hills all day long when necessary - are what makes them sought after for dog sports like obedience, agility, Frisbee and flyball.

Sam was bought four years ago for the purpose of being a sheep dog, and to a degree he fills that criteria, but his main passion in life is tennis balls. He would happily play all day, if someone was willing to give him their time, catching a ball, dropping it on the ground and nudging it back with his nose.

One day last week, poor Sam felt neglected and wandered off to find someone to play ball with. He found himself at the shop. Because he is not known to wander, no one could figure out who he was or who he belonged to. It was a complete shock to his owner Alayne when he was eventually returned home by a kind person holding a ball.

Sam had taken the opportunity to sneak into the shop, pinch a bouncy ball off the bottom shelf and then had the cheek to drop it on the floor and nudge it towards an unsuspecting visitor to kick it back to him. The owners of the shop saw the funny side but Sam has officially been given an ASBO by his owner.

Gael Cameron

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