A GENUINE WONDER BREED

The Border collie’s unique abilities as a dog lie not just in its supreme physical athleticism – it can run at up to 48kph and easily jump 1.8 metres from a standing start – but also its outstanding intelligence and mental versatility. These dogs have proved themselves capable, for instance, of memorising and recognising over 1,000 different toys by name, on top of a wealth of other training commands. And as well as dominating and winning just about every form of canine competition around – from obedience and flyball to agility – they are now found in so many working roles other than livestock management. Worldwide, Border collies work in search and rescue teams, as assistance dogs, and perform scentwork, sniffing out anything from drugs, money or dead bodies for law enforcement agencies to dry rot in buildings before surveyors can detect it.