Dog sniffs out grammar A border collie takes command of sentence rules

[LWolf]

14. My aussie,

with little to no formal training, responds to words, gestures, and tone of voice. She probably could have been taught to do some amazing things by someone with the time to do so.

Here, though, she just knows simple words and gestures, like "come," "sit," "down," "stay," "out," and "ah," which means no, or don't, or stop.

She responds just as well to a hand gesture for any of the above.

She's the only dog from a herding breed I've had. I've wondered if other "herding" dogs are as safe with cats and chickens, as loyal to home and to one person, as uninterested in chewing or digging or running off, as she is.