The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: patchy1990 on February 27, 2011, 05:27:56 pm
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We have a two year old border collie, she is absolutely fine with all animals, horses, donkeys, chickens etc. However when it comes to the pigs, she is fascinated! Will sit outside their field, their stables, will constantly sniff them when we are moving them.
Anyone else found this?
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yep ours do the same
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There's some video on the main TAS site of our collies with the pigs. We thought Tess might move in with them.
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I think all border collies have OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) :D Skye will stare at sheep or goats all day. If not available, chickens will do ::) He doesn't have access to pigs, but no doubt he would obsess about them too :D
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Dan used to say Tess was watching Hen TV, as she lay by the run. Meg obsesses about sticks and balls.
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Mine's curious but terrified of the pigs!!
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Yup, all ours (three of) can stare at the pigs for HOURS. Mist once got caught in the 'bedroom' pen (the pigs come into the byre at night) and I had to go in and rescue her, she was so worried the pigs would take revenge for all the ear-nipping(*) - but of course they had no such intentions being altogether cooler characters than any border collie.
(*) She says what do I expect when we give them pigs' ears as treats ...
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it's a collie thing.
i have had a collie or collie cross since i got my first one at 12.
they have all had the same fascination for whatever was on offer.
sally, my current working collie, spends her whole waking hours organising the chickens, and when they go to bed she moves on to the ponies, who like the geese, think that they are the boss of her. they're wrong!
a collie needs a job, it's what they are bred for. if you don't give them one, they will invent one. this is the reason that in the wrong hands they don't always make good house dogs, they can be obsessive about children too. a collie has a different mind set to any other dog on the planet, and need an understanding trainer.
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Since 1982 I've had two collies, one was 14 when she died, and my current one is almost 15. Both haven't ever bothered with sheep or horses, or like now, pigs!
My current girl often accompanied me on my hacks, always keeping to the verges leading the way. Sadly she's deaf now and almost totally blind so can't come anymore.
They've both been the most loving gentlest of dogs (bitches both of them).
This is Tammy, now aged 14 years and 10 months!! I'm hoping she'll see her 15th birthday on June 10th!
(http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208690_10150145378265755_654925754_6910837_5761093_n.jpg)
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I have six. Four working bitches and 2 bone idle dogs! All are rescues but the boys don't notice livestock whatso ever, where as the girls can watch ducks & pigs forever but only work the sheep when asked to - very strange!
I've just been given a kelpie puppy so will be interesting to see how he turns out!