Border Collies are very quick learners, their keen intellect sets them apart in the canine world and makes them the peerless masters of almost every canine occupation, sport and hobby including shepherding, stock work, search and rescue work, agility, working trials, obedience and flyball, they even excel as gundogs, perhaps the only remaining arena in which they have not achieved mastery is waterwork - they are not natural water dogs. The down side of this intellectual superiority is that "quick to learn" also means that some border collies can quickly learn to take advantage of novice owners or inexperienced handlers and that as a breed they can be manipulative and domineering if their owner is half-hearted or weak.

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The Border Collie can master almost anything!

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Guide Dogs for the Blind seldom use border collies (although a few are used) because they are inclined to take matters into their own hands and join in the decision making process, whereas Guide Dogs generally need to to be very methodical and "simply carry our orders" without question. That gives some indication of the attention needed by an handler to train a border collie in appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. That said most border collies live only to please and give their all to their adored master or mistress.

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