What is your Border Collie's job?

[Root Beer]

Sammie - pet

 

Maddie - pet

 

Speedy - pet, companion, performance partner in Freestyle Dance (we entertain at nursing homes and other places)

 

Dean - pet, companion, future performance partner in Freestyle Dance

[FoxgloveBC]

Foxy -7 month old BC- (When she's old enough for all of this) Mainly an agility dog, then dock dog, herding, disc dog, and a go everywhere do everything dog...all with being a loving pet

 

Yoshi- 1.5 yr old Sheltie- He thinks his only purpose in life is to run agility and bark at strangers. I have tried other things with him but he really only truly shines during agility. Also a loving pet.

[BustopherJones]

Furry antidepressent

Personal trainer

Social butterfly

Live hot water bottle

and the smiling face that makes home home

 

Way way more than just a pet

I will go along with what "pammyd" said about Ben; after all, one can hardly argue with (or improve upon) the wisdom of a Scot. I would only add that Annie is my hiking buddy, my fishing buddy, and also ensures that all balls in the vicinity of our home are accounted for at all times.

[juliepoudrier]

All of mine, except Farleigh, are current or former working dogs. The retirees (Boy, Willow, and Jill) are now mostly couch potatoes (well as much of a couch potato as a working dog can be). Farleigh is the resident nut. Twist is my go-to farm dog and my top trial dog. I wouldn't be able to handle the flock chores without her. Kat is an open trial dog. Lark, Pip, and Phoebe are all in training, and Lark is my back up to Twist for morning chores: helping hold sheep off feed bunks, keeping the ram back whenever I need to go into the ram paddock--which is fairly often since my chicken house is in there, keeping sheep back when we bring round bales into the pasture, bringing sheep back in after they've been let out to graze unfenced areas, bringing mamas with new babies up to the jugs/lambing area (this last chore is strictly a Twist chore as it takes a certain type of dog to stand up to mamas protecting babies and yet handle the babies with "kid gloves"), etc. Pip and Phoebe are also beginning to be allowed to do some chore work, but only when I have plenty of time since it generally turns into a training session (that is, they don't know the job so don't necessarily do it well and have to be helped--I'm trying to get past the habit of grabbing Twist for all that work because she makes it quick and easy and instead use the youngster so they can get the mileage they need, even if it's not quick and easy for me...). They are all considered my pets and live in the house. Maia is a 5-y.o. maremma (LGD) who lives in the pasture with the sheep.

 

J.

[Krambambuli]

Sky -- my teacher, trying to make me a more patient and understanding and accepting person ))

 

 

Andrea

[Root Beer]

Sky -- my teacher, trying to make me a more patient and understanding and accepting person ))

Andrea

 

Ah yes . . . that is one of Speedy's jobs, too!!

[WyoBC]

Ok, since I miss read it before I will repost It was late, give me a break.

 

Black Jack, 3 yr. old BC. His jobs are couch protector, ball chaser, frisbee catcher, rabbit stalker, and trying to get people to feed him. He is so sweet about it though. He doesn't beg, he'll just sit in front of you and wag his tail until he sees you look at him with those big brown eyes. He also thinks he's very business like. Kind of like "I don't have time for you games, take me outside" But he is just a big 'ol kid at heart. He just has to loosen up a little

[nancy]

Sounds like Black Jack is channeling my brother's last dog. Kibo would sit and will food to fall on the floor.

 

Fergie is not our pet; we are her pets.

 

She makes us take a gazillion walks a day. She encourages us to go for car rides. She makes us play ball outisde and in and place chase and hide and seek indoors. And she encourages good coordination by letting us do major tummy rubs.

 

She's saving the world from little grey terrorists - AKA squirrels - and making sure that all waterfowl are in the water. She finds turtles for me to pick up and let her sniff. She chases all big birds that fly over.

 

She brings in the newspaper and the mail. She alerts us to lunch, cocktail, and dinner times - with the help of Maggie cat.

 

She visits neighbors in rehab centers and their homes. She plays nurse by climbing into be when one of us is sick (never any other time).

 

She "hoovers" for us, especially when the grandgirls visit. She entertains them and lets them order her around on walks. Heck, she comes when they call; for us she pretends to be deaf.

 

She matches Chuck's snoring so I never know which one to poke - Ferg on the left or Chuck on the right.

 

She makes life fun.

[nowwown]

Cody has a long list of jobs he performs for us:

1. Family Schedule Determiner: If we are out to dinner, it's the thought of him needing to go potty that gets us home. If we are out shopping, it's the thought of him all by himself waiting patiently for us that gets us home. That brings me to #2, Family BudgetMinder.

2. Family Budget Minder: It's hard to buy a lot when you are rushing through the mall or food store so you can rush home for poor Cody who has been alone for hours and hours all by himself and is lonely. However, he is also #3, too, Family Budget Buster.

3. Family Budget Buster: But that beautiful red Coach leather leash for only $69 matches his black and white coat so nicely! And he absolutely NEEDS another soccer ball, that other one has teeth marks in it after only a few weeks!

4. Always up at 6 AM Reason, 365 Days a year: Rain or shine, snow or sleet, weekend or workweek morning. Doesn't matter. Cody needs his walk and to go potty.

5. Reason we can't go on extended vacations to Europe: Can't board him due to occasional aggression to other dogs and we also don't want him cooped up in a small area, also friends/family can only be asked a few times a year to dogsit, plus they must be paid well which puts a dent in the travel budget.

 

Okay, his real jobs also include:

 

4. Walking partner for DH and me - 5-6 miles a day.

5. Running partner for me - about 15-20 miles a week, except right now that I'm healing a fractured heel from running.

6. Chief playmate and giggle-maker for my 13-year old daughter.

7. First choice for company while sitting outside at Starbucks.

8. Hiking partner for DH and me.

9. Neighbor Ice Breaker - it's easy to meet neighbors and passersby with such a great dog at the end of the leash.

10. Family member extraordinaire - he's definitely loved and cherished by all of us.

[Blue Wolf]

I have to say.. I'm surprised at how many people do not work their dogs on sheep.

[kelpiegirl]

You could I suppose take that from the responses- maybe those who work their dogs on sheep don't have as much time to reply?

I only work one dog on sheep, and not enough as it is.

[Laurae]

I didn't respond to this because I wasn't sure what to say. I regularly work two of my three dogs on sheep. But I don't own any sheep. Is it still their job if they're not working in the sense of helping me complete necessary chores?

[MagicGirl]

Magic is my #1 Girl Friend, but loves to join me in cow work on the weekends.

 

My employees call her their mental health benefit. When ever any of them are feeling bad or just delt with a tough customer, they go get a love from Magic and she is always ready and willing ( if you will throw the ball after you get a kiss)

[Shoofly]

All of my dogs work sheep - 4 are Open level trial dogs, 1 is a ProNovice/Nursery level dog, and 2 are pups not quite ready to train.

[1sheepdoggal]

Ok, I'll throw in too.

 

Cain, 8 1/2 yrs GSD= Head of Security, constant companion, and personal body gaurd. Mr Serious. He's all about mom.

Lexy, BC 8yrs= Head of Household, my go to girl for sheep work, and the worlds best foot warmer.

Chris, BC 3 yrs= Holding steady the #2 posistion for top hand for sheep work, and constant busy body. Ball catcher extrordinair.

Miss Stella, BC 1 1/2 yrs= Just starting sheep work, and steadily trying to oust Chris from the #2 seat. Her most enjoyable job next to sheep work, is to constantly harass everyone else.

Roy, BC 1 yr= Roy's job has not yet been defined as he has had a few medical set backs in his short life. He'd like to work sheep, and we let him, when he can keep it together and remember what he's doing.

Andy, Std. Poodle 18months= Our comic relief. No more and no less. We have no expectations for Andy, and he likes it that way.

Bruin, Great Pyr 6 months= Part time livestock gaurdian, full time puppy.

[afrancis]

I have to say.. I'm surprised at how many people do not work their dogs on sheep.

 

I was hoping to get a sense of this from the replies. Years ago when I belonged to a (the?) list there were quite a few posters from overseas, namely the UK and Australia, who almost exclusively had working dogs. I seem to recall that these were the *very serious* and pragmatic folks who regularly got into *heated* discussions with North American bc owners about dogs sleeping in the barn vs. in the house. I get the sense that working border collies here do have house priviledges and are also considered family "pets", and accorded all the requisite privileges (i.e. couches). That being said, I have no idea how many bcs are actually active working dogs here in Canada, seeing as our outdoor season is relatively short. I'm sure someone may have a statistic somewhere.

I wonder if Kelpiegirl is right; many of the working dogs and their partners are outside and not even necessarily here.

And yes Laurae, I think yours are still "working dogs" even if the sheep are borrowed!

Ailsa

[kelpiegirl]

As for the question regarding are they working dogs if you don't have sheep- I reckon work is different for everyone. Work in the dog's eye (on sheep) is the same- or it should be- a partnership. In the USA, it is a very fortunate person indeed who can afford to own acreage and livestock, and put food on the table. My grandparents had a good sized farm, and livestock, but never worked the dogs on the aforementioned- and in my neck of the woods- that is far more common- farm animals, and no dogs to work them. In the end, as long as your dogs are fulfilled in their lot in life, be it companion, stock worker, or couch potato, it makes no never mind.

[stockdogranch]

OK, I'll play:

 

Sabre (13): retired working chore dog, also retired from sheep and then cattle trialling. Quite deaf, but still moves the calves every now and then, and when I am going to be home after dark, the neighbor kid takes him out to the pasture to bring the ewes and lambs in.

 

Trucker B: (9): the sheep trial dog that never quite had the cajones for range ewes (let alone cattle!), so retired fairly early. Excellent lesson dog, however. Never tires of drilling and fetching school sheep to a new handler.

 

Riddle (will be 7 this week): My #1 chore dog, #1 Open cattle trial dog, #1 setout dog, and the Queen of all in this household.

 

Tikkle (will be 2 this week): Fast closing in on her mother (Riddle). As dependable as her mother as a chore dog, as a setout dog, and also trial dog. Will be competing at the Cattle Finals in Nursery in May, has already qualified for Nursery for next year, and is now running in Open.

 

Alli (also soon to be 2): The littermate to Tikkle who was sold as pup, started elsewhere, then, when the owner passed away, I bought her back. She is currently in training, and is almost there; will make an extremely awesome ranch dog (maybe trial dog--we'll see) for some cattle rancher one of these days (soon).

 

Other dogs in the household at the moment are here for training, but are not mine,

 

A

 

ETA: mine are also in the house...

[Samantha J]

Both my two are our family pets although they seem more than pets like someone else put on this thread earlier. They are an important part of our family. Holly is 2yrs and Zac has just turned 6 months. They don't have any real jobs except Holly is my intruder alerter, Zac has taken her lead on that one and now i have two of them letting me know someone is around. Holly being an adult though has much more of a deep bark. Very nice and comforting for me when dh is on nights and i am alone, i feel very protected. Although she wouldn't actually do anything or physically wouldn't hurt anyone, a burglar wouldn't know that and so i would say that is her main job i suppose.

 

Everything else they do is just fun things to do, like play, hikes, running, training, going out visiting or whatever we do together. They may do some flyball or agility someday but again that is just fun stuff to do.

[Pippin's person]

Renzo (7 years): Being the non-BC in the household, couch snuggler

Tansy (7 years): Grenzehund's right-hand dog, brought us to sheep in the first place, protector of the couch, fun police

Ness (9+): Her job is regaining her muscle tone and eating poop (not our preferred occupation for her, but we seem to have little say)

Pippin (4): Looking beautiful and having yummy fur, declining all other jobs except agility runs when the mood strikes

Hamish (2): Trying hard to learn to work sheep and teach me to work sheep at the same time, being earnest and worrying about:

Rafe (2): Grenzehund's dog to learn sheep work with, ball fiend

Kyzer (1): My second dog to work sheep with--likely to be the quickest learner (which means I need to get on the stick), frisbee fiend, agility hound and fun-loving dude.

 

All have the important job of being our companions as well, which they share with aplomb.

[Soda-pop]

Cash: 7+ y/o Malamute mix: Cheif fur shedder, kitten raiser extrodinaire, puppy lover extrodinaire, silly doofus galoofus.

 

LT: 4.5 y/o spaniely x: Making all the other dogs bark, snuggling with me in bed, making me earn her affection, brat and occasionally bully of the house.

 

Soda: 3 y/o border collie: Playing frisbee/ball/tug, my dogtivities partner which includes stock work lite, soon agility and I hope rally. Probably won't do much agility b/c I think her knee is wonky. Sad. Her main job is to introduce me into the world of dog sports and let me suck at being a stock dog handler without me having to worry that I'm screwing up a dog with a lot potential.

[INU]

Their jobs are to find missing people but most of the time, they are just training. They are also obedience demo dogs.

 

In the house, they do chores.

Jazzy remove our socks, then Cooper take them to the bedroom. I don't like it but Jazzy sometimes clean daddy's feet too.

Cooper gets the paper from the front yard. Jazzy then rips it apart.

Jazzy 'tells' me what to do next in the morning. She knows my every little routines. It's scary.

Cooper helps me carry some of the grocery bags. I think he just wants to see what's in it.

Cooper helps me water the yard. One time he was nice enough to bring the hose inside the house through the petdoor - with water still going.

Cooper brings me the remote control when I can't reach.

Jazzy also stops us arguing. She starts kissing both of us when we get angry.

They clean the kitchen floor everynight.

They both pick up their toys and put in the box at night.

Jazzy lets me spoon her at night, only till I fall asleep.

[airbear]

Bear's job is to hold down the carpet (which he does very well) and to interview any dogs who think that it's fun to chase border collies (while the border collies hide behind him, pretending not to notice the other dog). He is the leader of his dogwalking group too. He cleans up anything that might fall on the floor during meal prep. Lately, his job has been best friend to my niece. Oh, and he also was my "first dog" in all types of dog sports. Agility, flyball, disc, freestyle, obedience - he did anything I ever asked him to. Well, except lie down on stock.

 

Wick's job is to make me smile, to ensure that we don't miss an opportunity to play ball, and to alert me to the presence of any flies. She is my agility partner, and she is everything I have ever wanted in a teammate. She also dabbles in flyball, and is a world-class snuggler.

 

Lou's job is to let me know that every day is a good day, as he is an eternal optimist. He is my first sheepdog trial partner, putting a green-as-grass handler on his big shoulders and showing her the beauty of a working dog. He has taught me more about reading stock than all the books and videos in the world ever could. Oh, and in a pinch, he will work chickens too!

 

Mostly, though, they are beloved pets, and in this job, they are exceptional.

[Mona Howard]

Both of my dogs are pets and workers

Willy has two functions in life:

1) SHEEP!

2) Being Kelly's favorite chew toy

 

Kelly is only 6 mos. old.

1) Chew on poor Willy

2) Chew on Jim and I

3) Chew on anything within reach

4) Dispense kisses when ever a human touches her.

[Bo Peep]

I didn't know we were getting so explicit when I first answered.

Last night Usher had a new job. He was my Kleenex and sole comforter. I found out a friend of mine I had known since the 80's died. She went peacefully in her sleep having a heart attack. He licked my tears away and did his best job at hugging me as he could. He is always there for me. He is also my comedian, my "little Jerry Seinfeld". He makes me laugh. I don't need a TV when I have him and Bailey to watch play. He keeps me out of the padded cells. I would go crazy without his unconditional love and understanding. He also decorates my window by sitting on the window seat and watching for strangers. My home alarm system, my friend. He reminds me when it's bedtime and when it's time to eat. He is a joy to have in my life.