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Border Collies have been bred for many hundreds of years to herd sheep, but Mercy didn't meet any sheep for several years. In the mean time, her favorite things in the world were Frisbees in flight. To my knowledge, she never needed to be taught to play fetch, to chase after toys or leap and catch them, or bring them back, or willingly deposite them at the feet of the nearest human being. My only improvement on this routine, which she seemed to have always known and love, was to teach her to hold her toy up at hand level when she returned it to us, for the sake of sparing our backs as we took it and threw it across the yard again and again and again. She seemed to know when she'd made an exceptionally good mid-air catch, and would run and extra loop or two across the yard, tail held high, before returning for her next round. Mercy has always been a creature of seemingly boundless energy.
My mother eventually did some sheep herding with Mercy. I briefly attempted to teach her to herd the chickens, and I'm certain she could have learned, but I quickly decided that it was simply too traumatic for the chickens. She can speak and roll over and carry things. On days when we had to stay inside we would play "Find it!" where I would let her sniff an object, have her stay, and hide it somewhere in the house. I'd release her and she'd tear down the hall and seek it out and bring it back. Often she slept on my bed. We'd take long walks and runs.
As of this writing (Jan 2003) Mercy is alive and well, but definitely showing signs of age. Both of her back knees are weak, and have had surgery. She can no longer play fetch, but my family still takes her for frequent walks. We are always delighted to see each other when I visit at home.
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