Each shepherd has at least two dogs, and probably four or five, to allow for injuries, bitches on heat or nursing pups, or partly trained youngsters. Often the shepherd has kept the same strain for years, even though he may have changed his job several times. Inherited traits are brought out by the hill shepherd, who likes to train his own dog from puppyhood. Sensible strains of sheep dog breed a high proportion of pups with an eye for sheep. An example of this is the famous Mindrum strain bred by...Northumbrian shepherd Bob Fraser. Any Border collie bearing the Mindrum prefix is expected to use its brains and work hard; it does not give in to an ill-tempered ewe, or turn tail when herding a really big mob...

The main difference between trials dogs and the rest is often just a question of extra polish...

The most fashionable Border collie colours are black-and-white and tricolour. The tricolour is generally black, white and tan, but brown, white and tan is becoming more in evidence. Brown and white collies can be very handsome...Another colour making more impact is the merle...Though most collies have dark brown eyes, the merle's are often bright blue, although some have eyes of different colours; many blue merles have one brown and one blue eye. A merle's blue eye may be mistakenly associated with blindness; this is not so, as the many excellent working merles prove. Shepherds do not always favour light colours for qhite another reason; they know that a dog with too much white on its body is not easily seen by the sheep. Yet another colour variation is the mottle, which is spotting of the legs and face and does not appear until the pup is three or four months old.

The word 'eye' has a distinct meaning in the sheep dog world. It refers to the amount of concentration on the sheep that the dog shows. Sheep are 'held' by the power of the dog's eye, and a dog in which this trait is well developed is termed 'strong-eyed'. In extreme cases it simply stares at the sheep without moving, becomes impervious to commands and is in general a great time-waster. However, the characteristic has been improved by selective breeding. A dog with little 'eye' is easier to break and to control. In close work, such as shedding, it induces less fear in the sheep, which tend to pack closely together for mutual safety against the 'strong eye'. Also, the relaxed dog is kinder to itself, using less nervous energy than the type that must watch every movement.

Though the young Border collie may evince its inborn herding instinct at an early age by rounding up ducks, poultry, or other dogs, it should not be introduced to sheep until it has speed to outpace them. A pup that cannot keep up with galloping sheep tends to develop bad habits, barking or becoming over-excited in its frustration. The ideal training area is a small paddock, with seven or eight quiet sheep. Initial reaction from the young dog may be to chase the sheep or even bite them, but the skilled shepherd channels these actions into the desired course. If the pup makes no reaction at all, even the most skilled handler cannot improve it.

When Moss was twelve years old, he was retired, and became fat, heavy and deaf. One morning as his shepherd was setting off with tractor and trailer, Moss came up, looked at him and begged to be allowed to accompany him. Stopping near a large stretch of fell, the shepherd found a few ewes that needed driving away, and though Moss would love to do his old job, so he set the dog behind them, a fifty yards' drive being planned. Moss thought differently. Right round the boundary of 600 acres he went, and being deaf couldn't hear anything of his handler's shouts and whistles. Because of his weight the old dog could only paddle slowly round, and the shepherd's exasperation grew as time passed. Eventually Moss arrived with a large packet of ewes, and never did a dog look so happy, smiling and pleased with himself.