Border Collie puppy eats problem solving for breakfast. 

Yes, they are indeed incredibly intelligent, and at that same time incredibly stubborn and daft as a brush. They get the balance just about right to be adorable and the best dog we could ever want to share our lives, sofa and bed with.

I’d agree it teaches her to open things, but she’s also been taught what she’s allowed to open and when. Before we got her as a puppy I put a baby lock on to the cupboard under the sink as that has cleaning products in. That was the only precaution we took. She’s never once tried to open it. Her food is in the pantry which she could easily go into, and her treats are in a cupboard in the kitchen similar to the cleaning cupboard which she could also easily open. Never once tried. She’ll go and lie next to it, but never opened it. We’ve got 8 IP cameras in the house we set up when she was a puppy to keep an eye on her, but we needn’t bother. If we ask her to open the cupboard or a box, she will do. But only if we tell her. We taught her to open presents people buy her, but only when told to. The Christmas presents sit under the tree for 2-3 weeks each year, including hers with antlers and treats inside, and she won’t touch them. It was something I was worried about, her getting at and into things she shouldn’t. Electronics and cables were the biggest issue. This house is like PC World, especially my office where I test and review products for Amazon. It really concerned me how I’d prevent her from chewing things or getting into places she shouldn’t be, but it has never interested her. In two and a half years the only thing she’s damaged that wasn’t something of hers was a pouch for some sunglasses when she was about four months old. She went through a phase of licking slippers for about a month but that stopped of its own accord. Also, while she doesn’t dig or chew things, she does eat long grass. Nothing we’ve tried has stopped her doing that. Daft dog thinks she’s a cow. I don’t know if her lack of desire get into places she shouldn’t be is a result of our stimulation games satisfying that urge to explore, or if she’s just not bothered, but she has a great deal of fun running around finding the things we hide for her. Don’t get me wrong, she can be a spectacular idiot at times, but either by luck or design she’s very trustworthy.

@@timvanloo6 yeah, there’s no guarantee a dog won’t revert to type and do what dogs do. You can only prepare them as well as you can, and prepare yourself. There are some things that we’ve never been able to get her to understand no matter how many times we’ve tried. But other behaviour characteristics that other dogs I’ve owned would always do she just hasn’t shown the slightest inclination towards doing. I would never trust her 100% to do the right thing, but I trust her a damn sight more o do the right thing than any human, put it that way. If I buy a chocolate bar and leave it somewhere in the house I know with absolute certainty whether my wife or the dog is responsible for stealing it.

P.s. smart dogs can learn to open things just by watching you do it. Doesn't matter.

Well, this video is three years old now. We still have these puzzles but we tend to use snaffle mats, hide food in Amazon boxes with the packing paper or simple scatter her kibble around the house and garden for her to find. She’s exceptionally good with food and not stealing it. She knows where all of her food and treats are and she could get at them anytime she wanted but never has. Likewise our food. She’s got an entire pantry she has full access to but never takes anything. I’m not saying she can’t be a total dick at times, but she’s great with food.

@@ToughMonkey69 lol

Hi, that particular puzzle is by Nina Ottosson. I don’t know where you’re based but they’re available on Amazon if you search for: nina ottosson dog puzzle toys They’re also available in Pets at Home if you’re in the UK.

Amazon

They were all from Amazon, although Pets at Homes sell some of them. The last one is the Trixie Dog Activity Memory Trainer.

Storm is a blue merle collie born here in Derbyshire. I wasn’t aware there was any Welsh connection to the pattern though….other than we spend a lot of our time in Wales of course. Her Instagram account of stormthebordercolliedog will testify to her Welsh connections.

@@ToughMonkey69 I always think that it is the same colour as Old English Sheepdogs and the Border Collie has only been a recognised breed since the 1970s - before that they were just farm dogs. Some have mottled legs and muzzles like Spaniels so their mongrel country pursuits ancestry is still evident. The blue coat is a recognised colour for Cardigan Corgies.

@@MsVanorak all of Storm’s siblings were pretty much every variation of standard and merle colouring imaginable. She was the only blue Merle. The rest were black, red, gold, lilac and tri. Her pedigree goes back a very, very long way as far as the KC are concerned, but as far as I’m concerned I don’t pay attention to very much the KC have to say. Especially with border collies. Storm isn’t a breeding dog, she’s family.

Her border collie mum, border collie dad, 9 border collie siblings and five generation pedigree certificate from the Kennel Club would argue otherwise.

According to the AKC, Border Collies have 21 different types of coat colors. I guess the Black and White ones are the main ones to get TV and ads. I too would have guessed Aussie because of the Merle coat.

@@chrissilkwood5439 black and white are by far the most common border collies, certainly, but merle numbers are on the rise in the UK. Storm’s mum is a black and white while her dad is a golden merle. From the litter of ten puppies there were two black and whites, two black tricolours, two brown merles, two merles, one brown and finally Storm as the only blue merle. Although we do quite often get people asking if she’s an Aussie (and just occasionally a Husky or even a wolf!) the Aussie is a very rare breed in the UK, to the point where it doesn’t appear on many lists of most popular breeds that I could find at all. Border Collies seem to be ranked around 9th most popular on most websites, but then it is a British breed so that’s going to be a big factor. The YouGov website lists them as the 4th most popular breed in the UK, which fits in more with my perception. Because of the type of breed she is we’re obviously going to be in locations where those types of dogs are going to be more common. Every other dog is either a cocker/springer spaniel or BC where we go. You’re not likely to see too many French Bulldogs or Chihuahuas traversing Crib Goch on a cold day in Snowdonia. And, as it happens, the couple that live directly across the road from us also have a blue Merle border collie called Sid. So, to us, merles are common as muck! I see from lists on the web that Aussies and Miniature American Shepherds are much more common than BCs in many places, especially the States so I can understand why non-UK residents could mistake her for an Aussie.