Taj - very clever Border Collie puppy

Taj_9848, originally uploaded by Art By Michelle.

Taj has just learnt how to move away from me (5-6metres), turn around and do a down stay when instructed to, so we are practicing this new trick all the time.

He learnt this trick very quickly, using his tennis ball as the lure and also as the reward. He already knows that he cannot retrieve the ball unless he has been released - I use the release work "ok" for most things, but he understands the meaning of a huge number of words, something that I am really amazed about seeing as he is only 4.5 months old. He even understands different commands can mean the same thing (especially from other people).

Some of the words/tricks he understands are: sit, stay, com, wait, ok, down, shake hands/other paw, get the mail, ball, dinner, lunch, breakfast, kids, cat, each family members name, nan and pop (both sides of the family), drink, go to bed, get lambie (toy), wheres your ball, behind you, not that way, this way, no, yes, wrong, heel, high five, wave, spin, Tia, gentle, drop it, leave it, wanna tug?, bedtime, do wees (on command), do business (poop on command), in your crate, that'll do, that's enough, who's there?, speak and quiet.

There are probably more words, but I can't remember them all! He also knows that on the count of "three" he is released to get the ball, even if you count out of order like, 1, 2, 6, 9, 14, 27, 3 and that "ready, set, catch" is his cue to catch the ball before it lands on the ground.

Yup, I'm a proud mum, but he IS a very clever puppy!

TM
(Michelle - Taj's mum)