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"Mum, mum!! I herded a sheep for ya!"
"Erm..."
Look, 'ere 'e is! I got 'im for ya. Brought him down off the hills and herded him right into the house! He gave me a bit of trouble at first but I didn't back down and 'e does just what I ask now. Aren't I a good dog?"
"Erm..."
"Wha'?"
"We-ell. That isn't a real sheep, now is it Barney?"
"Ah, well. No. But who said it has to be real to be herded off a hill?"
"But it didn't come from out on the hill did it?"
"No but I did move it all the way from the other side of the room to over 'ere"
"You didn't exactly herd the sheep did you? I know sheepdogs "grip" sheep now and again but picking it up and carrying it is taking it a bit far!"
"Hmph!"
"Anyway, now we've established you actually just picked up a stuffed toy rather herded a real sheep from the hills, can you get your teefies off it, please and give it back to me?"
"Erm... NO!! It's MY sheep now!"
"Shawn the Sheep" escaped unharmed - Barney graciously returned him to my care after a moment or two! For all Barn likes to shred his own stuff up, when he's holding an object that doesn't belong to him, he is very gentle... Barney may destroy Kongs and solid rubber balls but he left no marks on sheepie :)

Now, a bit of a (late!) introduction for those in the "52 Weeks for Dogs" group that don't know him, Barney is my 5 year old second hand border collie. He's very clever (too clever?), playful, obsessive, loyal, has an evil sense of humour and can be a wimp at times - so typical collie really :) Barney was a bit of a nightmare when I got him in 2008 but he's come a long way since then and in the past few months especially has been incredible. Day after day while I've been going through some pretty rough times, he's been there to cuddle, to talk to, to play with and to make me laugh, I don't where I'd be without him :)

You may remember last year, I did a "52 Weeks" project with Miss Delilah but couldn't complete it due to unexpectedly having to have a fight with cancer (not something you expect when you're 22!!). Fingers crossed treatment's been successful but I didn't start a new project in Jan because I was just so tired from radiotherapy and worried it would be too much to commit to. However, I had a kind message today asking me if I might like to give the project another go... Apparently, all I needed was that bit of a nudge because I've decided to give it a try :) I think it'll do me good having something unrelated to cancer/health etc to focus on and will be a bit of fun! Besides, I missed the group :) Hoping I'll make it to the end of the year with this project - I'm not planning any more medical emergencies which will prevent me taking photos, so we'll give it our best shot!!

Please? Oh, please, please, pleeeeeeease?!!!
Go on, go on, go on!! You know you want to! Pleeeeezzzzeeee!!!
PLAY WITH ME!!!!
Please! If you play with me now I'll... I'll... I'll... never pee in the cat litter tray again, steal the cats' dinners, chew up soft toys, thwack labradors round the head for daring to say hello to me, beg food off the kids, nearly trip people up on the stairs, hit you in the face when you're trying to sleep, or rip branches off the trees in the garden ever again. Ever. (Crosses his fingers paws!)
I'll be the bestest, most perfectist doggie in the world - better than Lassie or Rin Tin Tin!
Just play with me!

I'm sure that's roughly what Barney hears in his head when he's prancing about in front of me and squishing his ball, waiting for me to respond and play!!! Unfortunately, the ball is a squeaky one, so all I hear is squeak, squeak, squeak, squeeee, squeak, squ-squ-squeeeakkkk for what feels like an eternity!! Fortunately (for him!) the noise is both deafening and annoying, so I tend to respond quite rapidly by holding my hand out for the ball. Still squeaking away merrily, Barney eyes my outstretched hand and pauses in his prancing dance. Then, he flicks the ball at me. Inevitably, it misses my hand and lands near my feet... When I refuse to pick it up from the floor Barney lets out a frustrated whine and pounces forwards, grabbing the ball with a grrrrr!! (and a squeak) and prancing back again. He steps back, shakes the wildly protesting ball silly, making it squeak it's submission again and again before attempting to chuck it once more. Eventually, after a minute or more of throwing it, he walks right up to me and gently places the ball right into my palm.

Barney knows full well that all he has to do to get me to play is put the ball INTO my hand but he insists on going through the toss, miss, pounce, grab, growl, shake, squeak, toss process several times first because he finds it vastly entertaining both to tease me and pretend to be cross about the ball's lack of cooperation in getting into my hand. When I finally get given the toy, I sometimes try to give myself a moment's peace by withholding it (hiding it in a pocket, or behind my back). However, this course of action has Barney nearly exploding with outrage - that I'd dare pretend to want to play and then hide the ball from him is just beyond his understanding. With shocked eyes, Barney skitters backwards and barks and barks and barks, shouting hideous insults... This noise is far, far more upsetting than the squeaking so it usually persuades me to chuck the ball for him in a matter of moments! I do sometimes wonder why, when the squeak finally dies I go out and buy another batch of the these human torture instruments... Clearly Barney's exerting some kind of mind control over me.

Just one, if he can bounce high enough! And Barney can...

Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to scratch!
Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us and you're inside worrying about a stupid bulb?
Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp.
Rottweiler: Go ahead. Make me.
Labrador: Light bulb? Light bulb? That thing I just ate was a light bulb?
German Shepherd: Who turned out the lights?! Nobody move! You're all under arrest!
Springer Spaniel: Oh, me, me!!! Pick me!! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!
Jack Russell Terrier I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls!
Old English Sheepdog: I thought it got dark out there, but you know, from under here, it's so hard to tell.
Pointer: I see it! There it is!! There it is!! Right there!! Can you see it yet? Can ya? Look!
Greyhound: If it isn't moving, who cares?
Poodle: I'll just blow in the border collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry...

Cat: You need light to see?

There are sooo many versions of that around on the internet :) They all agree though that border collies will not only change the light bulb but rewire your house. I'm sure they'd do it in double quick time as well. Then obsessively keep all the old wiring and bulbs, just in case they were needed in the future - storing them carefully in colour co-ordinated piles.

So, anyone like to hazard a guess as to why my crazy ol' mutt is jumping for the ceiling. No biscuits or balls were involved... so what's he trying to do? Other than change the light bulb of course!!

Sorry for my absence the last week and a bit... I just felt I needed a break from the internet and computers in general, so spent some time reading and painting instead :) I'll catch up with my contacts soon! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend :)
Reached Explore #249

Barney often likes to curl up out of the way for a while each day and observe the world quietly from a corner of the room, or if it's available, of course, on a comfy piece of furniture. If I'm around, Barney can usually be found resting directly opposite me, often on the other side of the room and if I swap chairs for some reason, he'll get up and reposition himself, so he's still facing me. Unless I'm actually giving him attention, Barney doesn't tend to lie at, or on my feet as many dogs do... no, Barn prefers to curl up in a position where he can clearly see my face and read my body language and therefore anticipate any movement or activity. I glance at him from time to time, meeting his gaze and he'll flick his ears back briefly and perhaps swish his tail in a slow wag, acknowledging the eye contact but unless I actually call him, or go to get up, he stays put, resting peacefully and thinking his own thoughts.

It's very important that Barney is given opportunity to lie down quietly and just think each day. For all his wild antics and mad invisible squirrel chases, he is, at heart, a thoughtful and sensitive dog who is easily worked up and easily overwhelmed by things. If he's kept wound up all the time - and it's possible to excite him into a frenzy for hrs at a time - his character and behaviour suffers. He'll start nipping, being antisocial with people and other dogs, jumping up at, barking, hurting himself and getting increasingly nervy. Given a few hours each day though, to settle down and be calm, not worry or obsess and Barney is much better at coping with a world that often seems to confuse or overexcite him and he's more able to handle excitement during the times when he's running around after toys, or me!

I think sometimes, in an effort to "prevent boredom", owners often keep their border collies in a near constant state of over-excited hyperactivity, with excessive exercise and stimulation. They accept - even encourage behaviour like obsessive pestering for toys, spinning, barking, or bouncing off the walls as "normal" for an active pet border collie (when it isn't!), then wonder why the dog is lunging and biting at people/dogs/cars and having hysterics every time anything within a half mile radius moves. It's like making a small kid hyper and wound up with continual excitement - sure the kid might think they're having fun but you can bet they'll be having tantrums later on. In my opinion at least, rest and quiet time everyday is as important for a BC as adequate exercise, playtime or training. I know Barney is much nicer to be around, if, in between playing and going for walks, I give him some space and time to just curl up opposite me for a while and rest...

Barney giving me a slightly quizzical look last night, while I sat on the kitchen floor, getting in everyone's way and messing about with my new camera, taking pictures of any pets silly enough to stray into range :) I'd been planning on buying the camera on-line as it was a bit cheaper but changed my mind after a rather frustrating hospital visit yesterday morning! Nothing dreadful happened, I'd just been expecting to get info on what's happening next with scans and check-ups etc but wasn't told anything more... Also, was told I could see a dentist as I've been having some problems related to radiotherapy, that have been causing quite a lot of pain and making me bleed on and off for a week, but after waiting over an hour, was told the dentist was fully booked and I'd have to see him next week... Grr!!

Anyways, I left feeling a bit stressed and down in the dumps, so decided it was worth paying a bit extra to get my camera right NOW and stopped off at a camera shop on the way home :) So glad I did!! I spent a lovely evening "tormenting" my poor hound, who has pretty much escaped being photographed since the end of August, then hunted down the cats and my hamster Pippin. Forgot all about hospitals, scans, pain and dentists - it's just so nice to be doing something I really enjoy again. I hadn't realised how much I'd missed photography actually... Barney made me laugh because he quite clearly remembers what the click of the shutter means - food and/or toys!! The moment I started snapping he got fantastically excited and was trying to do all his tricks at once - this shot was taken a bit later, once he'd calmed down but you can see how expectant he was :) The cats and hamster were less impressed...

I continued the tormenting today...although I'm pretty tired from yesterday's trip to hospital (if I do something one day, I have to rest the next atm but that's OK!), so was restricted to indoor "pet stalking". Barney wanted to be in ALL the shots, so nothings changed there then... Eventually I shut him out of the room! One of the cats has now come round to the idea of photography too - Elsie (some of you may remember her - she came to university with me) is very food motivated and I've basically been clicker training her with the camera shutter as the "clicker" this afternoon. I've been pleased with the shots I've got so far and am so happy to have my own camera, though I'm going to have to be a bit careful with how much I use it for now. My right arm (used in the reconstruction of my tongue, I had flesh removed from the arm, then a skin graft) was really starting to complain after a while - my tendons are a bit wrecked from surgery, they'll strengthen back up soon enough - they better had, anyway! ;-)