Everyday rituals - treat training Kiku the fierce // @photogames submission

Having a border collie is a full time job. Fact. They're the best dog in the world but if you don't have the time, don't get a border collie.

In return for having the smartest, most loyal companion you could possibly have, you have to keep them entertained and working. A working dog that's not working is unfair on both the owner and the pet.

Our everyday ritual is treat training her to keep her brain active and occupied. Every evening I take a part of her food and train her to do various tricks. So far I've managed to get her to:

1. Sit
2. Laydown
3. Shake both paws independently
4. Speak
5. Ring the bell to go outside (we have a bike bell hanging from the back door)
6. Roll over
7. Turn around (only one direction so far, she resists the other)
8. Be shy
9. Jump up on my back
10. Put things right in my hand
11. Pretty (she stands up on her hind legs, as you can see by the picture above)
12. Hide (she'll bury her head in the pillows)
13. Find (she'll find each toy individually by name)
14. Stay for really long periods of time. I can pretty much leave her on a rock and walk to the otherside of the park, and she'll stay perched there until I tell her to come.
15. Leave it/Take it. (we could put a full steak in front of her and she won't take it until told to)
16. Kiss (she bumps my nose with her nose)

I'm still working on more. For example, playing dead is a hard one for her and she gets frustrated.

And of course as with any animal image I have to provide the @papa-pepper proof. She likes to lick my bald head for some reason.