Katie (my visiting Border Collie) is, I think, the smartest dog I’ve ever known. And, I’ve known a lot of dogs. Her vocabulary (English, of course) seems to increase each time I see her. You know that I believe most dogs are far more sentient than we humans think they are. And, she is a great example of that.
I remember one time during a past visit that we were in the kitchen. Her mom called and said she would be over shortly to pick up Katie. So, I told Katie, “Katie, your mom is coming right away.” She looked at me with her tilted head and immediately turned and headed for the front door. That is where her mom meets her when she goes home.
This time, Katie was able to stay with me for a long time – I am happy to say. So, the topic of “Mom” had not come up at all during her stay. However, on the day that Mom and Dad arrived from their trip, I knew that Mom would be coming over about seven in the evening, shortly after their arrival from the airport. So, this time, I said, as always, “Kate, your mom will be here soon.” Her head tilted. One ear went up; the other down. She looked at me, intently. “Not right now, Kate,” I told her. “It will be this evening.” She continued to look at me for a little while. Then, she simply turned and found one of her bones to chew. She did not go to the front door. Did she understand that she would need to wait a while before her mom came? I believe so.
Kate is a working dog. She is never happier that when she is working. Sometimes, Tasha takes her for a walk for exercise. Sometimes, Kyle and his mom Robin take her. Sometimes, she plays in the backyard with a tennis ball or a frisbee. Since she has developed some tendonitis, we don’t want her jumping to catch the frisbee or the tennis ball and coming down on the hard ground.
Instead, her mom provided a very large ball for her to chase around the yard. It was the first time I’d ever heard of a herding ball. The ball was about twenty-four inches in diameter and made of a rubber-like substance. Somewhat like an innertube. Kate loved chasing that ball. Unfortunately, she pushed the ball into a bush that had a sharp branch. The ball punctured with a three-quarter inch hole. I thought, she MUST have another herding ball. Maybe, a stronger one.
On the internet, I found other herding balls. The one I chose is the Virtually Indestructible Ball. I chose a red one. I like red. The ball has a diameter of about 12-14 inches. It is a very hard plastic. No bush stick is going to puncture it. And, Katie loves it!
I originally thought that these balls were created to help herding dogs learn to herd. And, maybe, they are. But, according to information on the web, they are specific to allowing dogs with tendencies to herd the ability to blow off steam and get exercise.
When I pick up the ball to go outside with Kate (and, I keep the ball in a box so she won’t try to herd it inside), she immediately knows that fun is on its way. She runs to the gate that separates the dog run from the larger yard and waits rather impatiently for me to get to the gate and open it so we can go into the big yard. Then, she runs a ways away from me and crouches, ready to go after the ball when I throw it. I don’t really throw it. It’s more like heaving it away from me, on the ground.
Kate goes after the ball in a flash. She pushes and chases the ball around the yard until she brings it back to me. I never move to go after the ball. Never try to help her get it out of trouble when she gets it into a tight spot. At first, it appears that the ball may be stuck, but Kate worries it until it comes loose. Then, she brings it back to me. And, I pitch it out again.
The web also says that these balls can be left out for the dogs to have at will. They can chase the ball until they tire of it. Or, until they are exhausted.
Kate will have two herding balls. One for my house. One for home. To watch her herd this ball is a joy. She is happy – she is working!
Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are appreciated.
One reply on “Kate’s New Toy”
Herding dogs are usually smart. We had Mac the Sheltie who was not the usual.