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In reply to the discussion: Why there are so many border collies at animal shelters [View all]My aussie, my first, was considered a "low energy" aussie, relatively speaking. In her younger years she did 15-20 mile trail rides with me. I worried about her foot pads, but they were okay. When I lived near other people, and used to ride with them, she would supervise the entire group, large or small. She'd be the tail guard, making sure nobody got lost along the way. Periodically, she would shift around to the front, sit at the side of the trail as we passed, and then take up tail guard again. I swear she was counting every horse and rider that went by. These days, at 10, she'll still do several miles out on a ride or hike, if not that many. Her "jobs" include supervising all barn chores, and if I'm not right on schedule for morning and evening feedings, she rounds me up. That's not enough, though; she has always vented some of her energy barking at "intruders." Of course, we don't have many, living at the dead end of a private dirt road, so she barks at the neighbor's dogs. And at the birds. And at the phone. And at the 'puter when it beeps to say a message has come in.