"Away to me," he says," and the black and white dog streaks away from his right side, casting out without a glance back at his owner. It speeds over a small rise and dips out of sight, then reappears even farther to the right. About 300 yards away from the handler, five sheep stand in a little knot, grazing without knowing that they are about to be met with disciplined fang and unshakeable determination.
The dog arcs out around and past them, circling now so that it comes up directly behind the sheep. It slows to a trot, then a walk. It hears the owners faint whistle and drops to its belly, then rises to its feet again.
One sheep turns to face the dog and stamps its foot. The dog lifts a corner of one lip in a soundless snarl, taking one step forward. The sheep changes its mind and turns back to the group.
The flock decides it would behoove them to leave that grazing spot. The dog stays just far enough away to keep them moving forward, glancing left or right from time to time as one or another sheep tries to make a break away from the group. Onward they come at a fast trot, moving straight back to the man, a small, tight group like a fluffy cloud scudding along the ground.
As the sheep near him, the man gives a few more quiet commands. The dog responds immediately, sometimes taking only a few steps to one side or another. The man moves to a trailer and opens the gate, standing by its side. Quietly, the dog pushes the reluctant sheep closer and closer, covering every attempt at escape until at last one ewe puts one hoof on the floorboards, then two hooves, then heaves its whole body inside. Suddenly, the rest of the group decides they are safer inside than out, and they rush to follow the leader into the trailer. The dog holds his ground while the man closes the gate.
"That'll do, Lad," he says, and Lad, with his tongue hanging sideways out of his mouth and his sides heaving, whirls around and heads for a nearby stock tank. With an agile jump and splash he lands in the cool water up to his chest, standing there panting
It was an ordinary day and an ordinary task for Lad, a working border collie. Without the help of this dog, the sheep could never have been turned loose to graze. It would have taken a half dozen people on foot or horseback to bring the sheep back to the trailer, and hours of patient maneuvering trying to outsmart the wily sheep in order to get them loaded. Let sheep hear the sound of some grain rattling in a pan, and they might come running. As soon as they smell a trap, though, no grain or treat in the world can get them to go where they don't want to go. Yet the single Border Collie, with his fast reflexes and ability to read and anticipate the stock's every movement, was able to bring them back and persuade them to enter the trailer without stress or injury.
At an average height of 20 inches and an average weight of 40 pounds, the Border Collie is built for the ability to skim low over uneven terrain, make sharp turns at fast speeds, drop to its belly as if shot, leap up from a down to bite a nose, creep up on the stock or scuttle under a fence panel to escape a charging ram. Although its back is considered level (compared to a greyhound, for instance, which has a curved or roach back), the rear end may be a wee bit higher than the front.
The rear legs may be straight when viewed from behind, or even slightly turned in (cow-hocked), which gives it better ability to make those quick turns. The front feet might even point very slightly to the outsides, giving it even more ability to spin and dodge. That's pretty important when there's a hoof aimed like a five-hundred-pound sledge hammer at its head.
Lad has one of the most common Border Collie names. Some other frequently used names are Lass, Nell, and Tess (for females), Ben, Glen, and Roy (for males), and for either males or females, Cap, Fly, Mist, Moss, Soot, Sweep, Twig, and Wisp.
Black with white markings, like Lad, is a typical coat color. He has the traditional blaze and collar, four white paws, and a white tip on his tail. Red and white dogs are possible too, but less common. Because red is a recessive gene (black is dominant in Border Collies), both parents must have red in their background in order for any of the puppies to be red. Merle colors are possible, too, and although sable (marked like Lassie) is less common, it is also a permissible color. Some of the white markings may be freckled or ticked, which does not mean they are crossed with an English Setter.
Some Border Collies are marked with tan spots, which appear in the same places as they do on Rottweilers, Dobermans, Dachshunds, and several other breeds. There should be a spot over each eye, tan on the cheeks and muzzle, inside the ears, on the inside of each leg, and underneath the tail.
Many people think Border Collies are smarter than other breeds. A very famous Scottish herding competitor was giving a training lesson to a group of Californians. They asked him what he thought of the Kelpie.
"Aye," he said, "The Kelpie is a grand dog."
"So why don't you train and trial a Kelpie?" his students asked.
"Because I can train three Border Collies in the time it takes me to train one Kelpie," he replied.
The owner whistles a different signal, and Lad bounds out of the water and runs to him. He carries his dripping tail low. A long tail, with the bone reaching to the point of the hock, is most desirable. The Border Collie uses its tail for a rudder when working. The white tip may be the only way the handler can keep track of the dog at a distance.
"Load up, Lad," his owner says, opening the door of the pickup cab. Although Lad would have preferred to ride in the open bed of the truck where he could keep an eye on the sheep, he is too valuable to risk an injury. A trained working dog might sell for $3,000 and up, but more important is the teamwork built up between Lad and his owner. Lad cannot be easily replaced.
So Lad has his own waterproof and dirt-proof blanket covering the seat, and he bounds inside and settles down for the ride. It's only late afternoon, and Lad still has to pen these sheep in a coyote-proof enclosure closer to home, as well as relocate some goats so they will be easier to load up to take to the sale barn in the morning. There is a group of 20 ducks, too, that needs to be brought in and penned up for the night.
The pay for this hired hand is a bowl of kibble and a warm place to sleep. He'll snooze in front of the television in the evening, then follow his owner to bed. He's lucky to be employed, and happy with his job.