Let us introduce Tamar
Border Collie, 8 Months old
My favourite thing about Tamar is...
He has the typical Collie trait of following me wherever I go and loves to be right next me so he's within reach of a stroke or an ear tickle. He's a busy pup though and will play for hours whether it's with me, our other dog or on his own but his absolute favourite game is training. Teaching him new things switches the lights on in his eyes, he's quick, he's keen and he's a total joy. Love him!
The biggest challenge with Tamar is...
He loves gardening. That is, he loves digging huge craters in the lawn and trotting back into the house with clumps of earth on his paws and a big muddy grin on his face. He's very helpful when he gardens though, he brings me whatever he's found - twigs, flower bulbs he's dug up and thoughtful gifts such as beautiful flowers he's 'dead-headed' especially for me!
The most surprising thing about owning a Border Collie is...
They are such obsessive dogs. I've had dogs all my life of various breeds and crosses but although the three Collies I owned had different personalities they were all obsessive about certain things. With Tamar it's one of his toys. His manner changes completely. His eyes take on a possessive glint and it doesn't fade until the toy goes away. A really useful tool for training.
What I wish I’d known about Border Collies is...
With Collies you really need to find their 'off' switch. Just like my others Tamar doesn't naturally stop for a rest. You need to help them to settle down.
Did you know?
There are many theories on how Collies got their names but as ‘collie’ is Gaelic for ‘useful’ perhaps it’s as simple as Scottish farmers recognising one of the key traits of their dogs.
