Collies are said to be known for their stealth, speed and herding instinct - but one sheepdog has taken their sneakiness to a whole new level.
Lucy Jones’ short-coated border collie is a talented herding dog, but he’s been under the impression that to understand the sheep, he must ‘become one’.
In a TikTok video viewed nearly a million times, the collie sits perfectly still in the sheep barn, surrounded by his woolly workmates.
But the dog is wrapped up in sheared sheep wool with just his little head poking out, hoping that no-one will notice that he’s an imposter.
In the background, the audio says: “Nobody’s gonna know. How would they know?”
The camera zooms in on the collie's face, the dog looks back at the sheep who are staring at him, trying to work out if it really is a sheep, or if they’re having the wool pulled over their eyes by a canine con-artist.
One commenter wrote on the clip: “Day 105. I’ve gained their trust and now I’m their leader.”
Another added: “Wolf in sheep’s clothing, literally.”
“Don’t be suspicious, don’t be suspicious,” another wrote, referencing another popular TikTok audio that would be rather fitting for the clip.
Another joked: “Dog’s like ‘you’re embarrassing me! The sheep ain’t buying it and I look like an old lady that’s never had a hair cut.”
The American Kennel Club describe collies as a ‘remarkably bright workaholic’, as they are able to learn dozens of words, tricks and tasks.
The club adds: “The intelligence, athleticism, and trainability of Borders have a perfect outlet in agility training. Having a job to perform, like agility or herding work is key to Border happiness.”
One Border, named Chaser, became the world’s smartest dog, for her ability to remember more than 1,000 proper nouns - including 30 different balls by name and category. The clever canine passed away in 2019, at the age of 15.
Not only are they one of the smartest breeds, but also one of the healthiest and most loyal, too.
And their intelligence sees them quick to pick up on things that make their owners laugh, like TikTok star Nicolas - an operatic collie who sings every day.
They left social media users stunned with his amazingly harmonious singing performance.
Nico likes to perform powerful renditions as he sits high up on a windowsill, hitting a range of high and low notes.
The dramatic performance was such a hit, the video soon began racking up millions of views and comments full of admiration for the opera star.
