Play, play, play ...

Collies like to play ... actually collies love to play. But there are a couple of rules. Firstly, bigger is better. Why have a tennis ball when you can have a football!

The second is that playing is good ... but playing with people is better.

To that end Enya will bring you a ball. If she's in the garden and your inside, it'll first be brought to the back door. If that doesn't work, it'll be brought inside the door. Finally if you still ignore it, it'll be brought to your feet. Unfortunately this is very cute and the temptation to throw the ball out of the backdoor is almost irresistible and so the behaviour is rewarded ... for both of us :-)

The current favoured toy is a very dubious half tennis ball that was discovered on a walk and proudly carried home. It's a bit like kids - you buy the expensive toy and they want to play with the cardboard box it came in. You buy the expensive dog toy and they want to play with the half tennis ball found on a walk.

On the back door step ...

Getting closer ...

And finally by the feet ...

Oh well, time to throw a ball! :-)

Labradors and Collies

Eight weeks down the line and we're being to surface again. It's been a very busy time. Puppies are hard work! Fun & rewarding no doubt, but hard work. You hear stories of people getting rid of an old dog and replacing it with a puppy ... WHY???

Old dogs are like old shoes. They are comfortable, warm, moulded to you, and fit with your life-style. Puppies are chaos. Fun but you have no idea what will happen next, what will be chewed or pee'd on next :-)

Speaking of chewing, Enya will shortly be teething, so we have lots of chews around and this has highlighted a difference between Labradors and Collies.

Labradors regard chews as food. See a chew, eat it.

Collies regard chews as multi-functional, first you chew it, then you play with it, finally you place it at a human's feet in the hope that they will throw it for you to chase. Repeat ad infinitum.

Throw it, go on, throw it, you know you want to ....