re: Border Collies are on an entirely different level

Another Border Collie story: Wife and I are snoozing. Dog wakes me up, whining as if she needs to go outside.
I go to let her out, but when I turn around, she's not behind me. She's in my spot, head on my pillow, snoozing away.

So, the next time she does it, I ignore her. Then, she goes to the back door whining so I think "this must be legit." I open the door, and she turns and goes back to the bedroom and takes my spot.

So, the next time I'm ready and when I open the door I block her from doing a reverse to the bedroom. But, when I let her back in, she quickly goes past me and takes my spot. I think she just pretended to pee too.

For several months, we played this game and she would constantly adjust her strategy. Different times, different sounds, etc. One time she barked as if there was something in the yard. I ran out, leaving the door open and she cruised in to the bed.

She's getting older and can't get up on the bed. She doesn't have a lot of time left.

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Labs have that same focus when they duck hunt. They live for the retrieve.

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My dad had a yellow lab trained as a duck dog and he was a completely different dog when you got him out in the blind. He was a high energy dog, loved to play. But get him out hunting and he'd sit still by your side until he was sent for a duck.

My uncle used them on his farm. Couldn't have done it without them when his health started going down.

His first one went blind when she got older. He put a bell on her leash so he could hear her, and she covered the entire farm like she did before going blind. Never got lost.

My favorite was one in my hometown that would hang out at the tennis courts around town and herd the balls all day long.

I want one if those now

My old boy. 13 or 14 years old and still as chipper and mischevious as ever.

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There are a lot of smart dogs. German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Aussie, Heeler, and the list goes on. A lot are smarter than they lead on.

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very true, dogs that are bred to do some sort of work are incredibly smart, just the other night one of my dogs was helping my youngest son with some derivative equations from his calc homework

I have a border collie/retriever mix. She isn't quite as high-energy as pure border collies but she is still fricking smart. She is also the best dog. So obedient and friendly. I always wanted a boxer but then we lucked into getting her and I couldn't imagine having a different dog.

I have a pure bred Border Collie and a mutt Basset Hound. My dogs range from the height of intelligence and energy levels to the bottom of intelligence and energy levels.

The Border Collie knows what I want her to do just by watching me, and she never, NEVER stops or slows down. The Basset Hound...well, he just sleeps and flaps his ears. Its an amazing contrast. If you have yard enough, get the Border Collie.

I legit thought the commentator was Gary Danielson at first