Border collies are an insanely intelligent breed, and thrive off having a job to do.
From herding sheep and assisting their owners around the house, to collecting sticks and making music, some of these dogs have more important jobs than others - but they're no less adorable for doing so.
The athletic working breed is also one of the healthiest, thanks to DNA testing.
The American Kennel Club said: “A remarkably bright workaholic, the border collie is an amazing dog - maybe a bit too amazing for owners without the time, energy, or means to keep it occupied. These energetic dogs will settle down for cuddle time when the workday is done.
“Having a job to perform, like agility, or herding, or obedience work is key to border happiness.”
Here are seven happy border collies who love their jobs - even if that job is to take the bins out.
Ruby the assistance dog
Ruby the border collie cross is an intelligent assistance dog who is trained to help her owner with everyday tasks.
Megan Taylor was at a Remembrance Sunday service almost 10 years ago, when she collapsed and was left with a fractured skull and permanent damage to her vision, hearing and balance.
Now suffering from regular fainting episodes and struggling with some daily tasks, she thought her pup, Ruby, would be able to help her.
Meghan signed Ruby up with the charity Dog A.I.D, which helps people with disabilities to train their own dogs to become fully qualified Assistance Dogs.
Now Ruby can pick up dropped items, take socks and trainers off, empty the washing machine, untie shoelaces, and most importantly – she's able to push an emergency button to get help whenever Megan faints.
Call the London Opera House
Nicolas went viral on TikTok after stunning users with his harmonious singing performance.
The border collie - nicknamed Nico - likes to perform powerful opera renditions as he sits high up on a windowsill, hitting a range of high and low notes.
His owner Julia Szypulska, who lives in Warsaw, Poland, uploaded the operatic video and the clip soon began racking up millions of views and comments full of admiration for the opera star.
The retail assistant says Nico has been singing ever since he was a puppy and now he sings every day.
A sheepdog in sheep's clothing
One border collie who has their own flock of sheep wanted to become one to better understand them.
And to do so, Lucy Jones’ short-coated sheepdog donned sheared sheep wool and attempted to blend in with his woolly workmates.
The herding dog, with just his head poking out, hoped no-one would notice he was an imposter.
The sheep looked pretty suspicious, but the pup managed to pull the wool over their eyes for a short while.
Pogo’s stick
Pogo lived up to his leaping name when he tried to bring home a giant stick he’d found on a walk.
The one-year-old pup made a valiant attempt to drag the stick - which was twice his size - back to his owner using a range of unusual techniques.
But the weight of the stick twisted Pogo’s head around, leading him to try and pull the branch along, but he knew it wasn’t the most efficient method.
Instead, he did a jump flip over the stick in a final effort to get it home to play with.
Despite his unconventional stick harvesting methods, Pogo is an incredibly smart dog, and has learned 52 words in just one year.
Wind chime playing pup
Nico isn’t the only musical border collie - in fact, Koira has learned to play an instrument of sorts.
The musical pup loves nothing more than serenading her family and TikTok fans by playing her wind chimes.
The collie cross kelpie fell in love with the sound of the chimes after her owner brought a set home from the thrift store and played them for her.
The pup quickly worked out that she could play the wind chimes herself by nudging her nose against them, and now has her very own set which she plays with.
Just herding up the football
When Marshall was training to be a sheepdog, his owner used a football in place of the woolly livestock.
But now Marshall thinks it’s a game, which he likes to decide the rules to and dictate himself.
The five-year-old dog, from Ham Green, Redditch, will wait patiently for an instruction from his owner Lisa, and if it’s not the one he wanted, he’ll ignore her ‘away’ and ‘come by’ commands until he hears one he was waiting for.
In a video clip, Lisa instructed Marshall from the doorway, and she showed his TikTok followers just how smart he really is.
Finally, he decided the game was up when Lisa called ‘OK’ and he grabbed his ball victoriously.
Rollo’s bin raid
Rollo got himself in a spot of bother after attempting to raid the kitchen bin.
The mischievous dog knew he was in for a telling off when his owner spotted the mess
As Rollo looks up at his owner with his best pleading eyes, ears pinned flat against his head, the clip reveals the extent of the dog’s mischief.
It appears that the naughty pup has found his way into the kitchen bin - and emptied its contents all over the floor, including an old can of beans and scraps of food containers where Rollo has clearly indulged himself in an evening snack.
As his owner turns back to Rollo, surrounded by the evidence of his misbehaviour, the guilty look plastered on the collie’s face is priceless.
