“Intelligent” sheep dogs

Anymulewilldo

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cheshire
Just had all 3 of my collies out gathering store lambs. The old girl, main bitch & the pup. Now I’ve always been told that collies are very intelligent. Despite the evidence I’ve seen I still believe it! This morning the main bitch spotted a grey squirrel just as we got into the right field. After 2 minutes of frantic chasing (while the old girl and pup are sat next too me as we all watch) she caught it and crunched it. She came back proud as punch and worked like a trooper.
Got me thinking, what foibles do other peoples “intelligent” sheep dogs have?? My first collie hated foxes and would hunt them as hard as she worked sheep!
 

Mc115reed

Member
Livestock Farmer
Just had all 3 of my collies out gathering store lambs. The old girl, main bitch & the pup. Now I’ve always been told that collies are very intelligent. Despite the evidence I’ve seen I still believe it! This morning the main bitch spotted a grey squirrel just as we got into the right field. After 2 minutes of frantic chasing (while the old girl and pup are sat next too me as we all watch) she caught it and crunched it. She came back proud as punch and worked like a trooper.
Got me thinking, what foibles do other peoples “intelligent” sheep dogs have?? My first collie hated foxes and would hunt them as hard as she worked sheep!
f**king pheasants 🤦‍♂️ If one pops out the hedge when my dogs in the zone Iv no hope… tools down it’s play time 🤦‍♂️
 

Celt83

Member
Livestock Farmer
Our Collie bitch goes bananas when the Pressure washer fires up!

Military helicopters.
They do a lot of maneuvers over us and I think in a previous life she was storming the beaches at Normandy!

She'll clear a 7 bar gate to chase it away and will come back with her tail wagging and a look of "mission completed" on her face!
 
Talking of intelligence in collies, they vary a lot. I have a beautiful dog now, and very stylish with it, but she is thick as pig muck. Looks great when working in hand but as soon as she needs to really think for herself she struggles.

My old dog is by far the most intelligent dog I’ve ever worked and probably the best all round collie I’ve ever seen. I am currently trying to find a replacement for her, and having no luck. It’s made me realise that there are a hell of a lot of average dogs out there that folk think are great and a lot of dogs bred for trialling which don’t have the head for what I want the dog to be able to do. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by the old bitch!

Anyway, if anyone has anything really special for sale, let me know!
 

TEB87

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
My old bitch now lives in the house, she’s always been a fairly no nonsense dog but the moment the fan oven is turned on she turns to a trembling wreck and will desperately try and sit on anyone’s lap or get out the house. As soon as it goes off she’s back to her old self
 

MCook

Member
Trade
Location
Kent
My parents have 5 collies, only a few have shown enough intelligence to make it as 'working' collies...

I've always been of the opinion that the most intelligent dogs are the naughtiest ones!
 
We were pestered with geese landing on our fields and eating my saved grass a couple of years ago. My young bitch and the kids were despatched to move them on. Now I only need to utter, 'Get the geese' and she motors off full pelt towards anything with wings on the field. She has even started harassing crows that have the cheek to perch on our phone wires etc. Same bitch was gaining on a roe deer after a chase of several hundred yards. It got lucky by clearing an electric fence, which she didn't fancy.
 
I'm saying nothing
IMG_20161027_161851809.jpg
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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