The “Collie Walk” is one of those things you take for granted as a Border Collie owner, but it’s always a big hit at the dog park. The other owners and usually several of their dogs really get a kick out of the slow motion intensity. I’ve seen some dogs just freak out and bark incessantly before running away, others decide that the Border Collie needs to be humped vigorously to get it walking normal again. Neither puts a dent in the focused stare of the Border Collie.
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To use Coppinger’s term, it is the “eye stalk.”
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I have a Kelpie and an English Shepherd that do the ‘collie walk’. Once in a while the two of them get locked onto stalking each other and my third dog (an English Shepherd who doesn’t show that kind of eye) breaks it up because he can’t stand it.
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My Celeste has Kelpie ancestry, it’s really a breed I am interested in knowing more about, especially their history.
I have a field bred Irish Setter that creeps precisely like that before pointing. Part of the same “stalking” origins I suppose.
Yes, this is a strong possibility. I’ve even collected some images and statues which show setting dogs moving or posing in positions very much like the Border Collie. I would love for future DNA studies to look at the possible origin of the BC walk being the same or a derivative of the behavior form Setter dogs.
Christopher, have you read Ray Coppinger on this? He posits that it’s part of the original prey (locate, watch, stalk, chase, grip, shake, kill, eat) assembly. His assertion is that most dogs have a truncated version of prey behavior. (With setters it stops after stalk — with borders it goes a bit further).
Did a mountain lion hump their mother? Cat-like stalking! Seriously creepy! They are literally creeping along, stalking. Sheep aren’t the only ones who’d back away from them – I would too – and i know that they aren’t being dangerous! It is just so much like a cougar on the prowl who is about to nab a mutton dinner.
Bet it affects the sheep too. Flee or freeze?
Half way between rushing at birds to put them into flight (like for falconry) , and freezing on point like a pointer. Is there Setter behind BCs, or Collies of some sort behind Setters? Or just a common glitch in the usual wolf ways? Cat like stalking! Bet these are true working dogs.
Did you ever watch vids of skidboot?
It’s facinating.