Thursday 15 August 2019

Billy again.



This is how Billy arrived in mid-January, a tiny mess of black and white fur in a straw-lined box. As you might imagine, I was rather taken aback. I hadn't anticipated having another dog after the death of Bok.


This is Billy today, nearing his final size; he's not a big dog, not all Border Collies are. He has a beautiful soft coat, endless energy, and a great sense of fun. I recently went out mushrooming whilst he was absent up at the barn, but 30 minutes later he managed to find me in the thick of the woods. My first dog 'Hamlet' used to do the same; 'find daddy' became his favourite game.

He still has a few 'faults'. He jumps up on us and play bites, he barks at strangers (but I don't mind this), and he has selective hearing when being called.

When we had our beautiful Labrador, Monty, it seemed as if every advertisement for dog food, sofas, or house insurance, featured a Monty doppelganger; now it seems as if Border Collies have replaced Labs, and suddenly they are everywhere.

We have six boys, from two to thirteen, in the house for a while; I'm hoping he rounds them up, and keeps them under control.


34 comments:

  1. He has such a happy face. He's a good dog! I'm sure he will keep the flock in line. :)

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    1. He's been in heaven with all the boys here.

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  2. Billy has grown so big from the wee puppy. He is beautiful.
    Sheep or boys to chase and herd, Billy will have a great time.
    parsnip

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    1. He certainly has grown. He's a big 'adult' dog now, even though he's still only 8 months old.

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  3. Young dogs love company. Rick has been enjoying the various workmen coming through the house recently.

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    1. Billy just wants to play all day long. He also gets very tired!

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  4. Life without a dog is different, I miss the dogs I had.

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    1. I would find it very difficult to live without one. Billy is very friendly.

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  5. Pirate misses his dogs deeply (a Black Lab and a Patterdale)...but other peoples' dogs like him, so he gets his dose of doggy company. Billy looks a happy dog, well done you

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    1. Black Labs are beautiful. There's a pair of them who live nearby.... we always say hello.

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  6. Billy is great .... I bet the boys love him and vice versa. My Aunt and Uncle had a border collie called Harry ....... he was a failed sheepdog !!!! He was the loveliest dog ..... when they moved from Camberley to North London he kept running away and was found back in Camberley !!!
    Have a great time with your grandsons Cro. XXXX

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    1. They are such friendly and faithful dogs. They try to please at every moment.

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  7. He looks like a dog now, not a puppy. He seems to have grown up all of a sudden.

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    1. We kept on saying every morning "He's grown again!". I think he's almost full size now.

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  8. He has grown into a lovely dog. I am sure the boys all love him.

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    1. He gets a lot of attention, that's for sure.

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  9. Seven boys. From two to seventy something.

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  10. Have you noticed any of his herding instincts coming out? My uncle (a farmer) had various dogs over the years - collies and border collies. The border collies were all named Pal. -Jenn

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    1. He has the mannerisms of suddenly lying down and staring at other animals, but I haven't yet seen him trying to herd them. It'll happen soon, I'm sure.

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  11. Border Collies seem to be the dog breed of the moment. They are beauties and their face and demeanor are wonderful. It is good for him to be around all those boys and they will all have great fun together.

    You might not have expected that gift but he came along at the right time for you. They are work, but they give back in so many ways.

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    1. They do seem to be very popular at the moment. They've taken over from Labs.

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  12. Billy has the happiest face I have ever seen on a dog. Isn't it wonderful that you both adore each other! He so wanted your company, that he went looking for you and found you. I think you have the best friend in the world!

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    1. He has the most beautiful brown eyes too; almost human.

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  13. I was once outwitted by a Border Collie. I have a great respect for them. Note to self: blog about being outwitted.

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  14. He's a smasher... I have pictures in my head of young boys being rounded up in your house and lots of laughter.

    Jo in Auckland

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    1. The two smaller boys are having the most fun; they are as tireless as Billy.

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  15. We had a border collie Cindy and she could her our hogs as if there were a dozen humans doing it. Billy is a beauty.
    And it sounds like those boys know that as well.

    Note: the spam comment above can be dealt with by going to your settings and finding "comments" to delete and report them. I had to do the same several times.

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    1. Thanks Susan. If I have several unwanted comments, I do them all at once through the 'comments' setting. Otherwise (as now) I just delete from here. I had the 'Escorts from Mumbai' for ages, but they seem to have gone elsewhere.

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  16. It's a lovely breed. They always seem to have a smile on their faces.

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    1. It's that very deep mouth, and hanging tongue, that makes them look so happy.

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  17. Please don’t let collies be the next ‘must have’ dog of the moment. We get our one year old collie tomorrow, Saturday, great excitement. Having had a much loved rescue collie and knowing all their attendant problems, the thing that worries me is the fact give it a couple of months and the rescue centres will be full of them. I get so cross at peoples’ attitude to not knowing exactly what dog ownership entails.

    LX

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