Collies and the life they live

Ruff! Ruff!” You’re a collie and trying to herd sheep in an open field but they just won’t listen. But it’s really no big deal because you can run up to forty miles a day. Not all dogs run the same distance when herding. You just keep your mind off your stomach since you haven’t eaten all day. Your behavior changes from a nice and cuddly pet to an extremely aggressive dog. Then one of the sheep goes the wrong way and you have to run and snap him on the leg. You can feel the bone that you wish was in your mouth. Then before you know it the herding is done for the day. You never gave up and kept your willingness to work very hard all day. Some border collies always need to be doing things such as obedience classes or herding. If not some dogs will go crazy. Running around the house and barking are one of the many things they will tend to do. They are meant to do things like herd, play, and be a protective dog. Like this dog below. Mostly you will see dogs at an airport to sniff out drugs and bombs, but a border collie in southwest Florida does something else. This 9- year old dog named Radar has been chasing away birds! At this airport, Southwest Florida International, birds being sucked into aircraft engines are one of the most common problems. The birds will mess up the engine if they get sucked in. This caused many plane flights to delay or even cancel. They do not hurt the birds they only scare them. This airport is the first commercial airport to use dogs. Have you ever heard of a dog that was spelled so many different ways? There’s coll, colley, coally, coaly, colle, and of course collie. If you look at a collie most of them aren’t white. This is because if you have a herding dog that is white the sheep think that the collie is a sheep. That is something that could affect collies herding abilities. They are very trainable dogs that excel in everything that is competitive such as Frisbee toss, fly ball, and performing tricks. He runs, he leaps and he snatches the disc out of mid air. Then he lands perfectly. The dog got a score of 45/50. You’re a border collie and your job is to beat that score to win. Your owner makes too strong of a throw and you think you are going to miss it but your speed is so good that you are able to use your scissor-like bite. You get lucky that your body is so long. The land is good and you win. You become a very proud dog. That is the way you act around your owner. Collies are also great pets that are excellent to have around your house. They can make good guard dogs that are great at protecting your home. Collies are lovable, active, and amazing pets. Some jobs are search and rescue, police dogs, bomb sniffing dogs, guide dogs, and herding dogs. If you’re a collie life is a busy one. From herding sheep to competitive play you’re always doing something. Collies are dogs that are smart and very friendly. by Declan

Border collies were developed in the border country between Scotland and England in Great Britain. They were chosen for their instinct to gather stock, or farm animals, and bring them back to their masters. Instinct is what a dog wants to do without being taught. Many herding dogs drive stock forward but the instinct of a border collie is to bring the stock back. Border collies work quietly, with little or no barking. They are energetic and much focused on working. They use their eyes to control the animals.

And border collies are smart. "Because they were chosen for their herding abilities and not their looks, they maintained their intelligence," says David. "They are considered the smartest dogs in the world.

Oh, it's harder than it looks!" They want to work all the time, and this is the problem when people get them as pets," says David. Border collies need work to burn off their energy and to keep their brains busy. Those two things keep them happy.

Work cited Snyder, Rebecca Upjohn. "It's a Dog's Life." Boys Quest Sept. 2010: KidsInfobits. Web. 15 Feb. 2011

Border collie infobits.com

Border collie, breed of medium-sized, sheepherding dog developed in the British Isles. It stands about 18 in. (45.7 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 45 lb (13.6-20.4 kg). Its double coat consists of a soft, fuzzy under layer and a harsh, very dense, wavy or slightly curly topcoat of varying lengths. Its color is black with white around the neck and on the chest, face, feet, and tip of tail. Bred for many years exclusively to develop its herding instinct, the Border collie is unsurpassed as a sheep dog and has been used with equal success for herding cattle, swine, and poultry. It is exhibited in the miscellaneous class at dog shows sanctioned by the American Kennel Club.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bordercollie.htm