Border Collie puppies – two girls and one boy – are the new members of Feldman Ecopark’s Young Dog Handlers Club. The dogs of this breed are rated highly for their intellectual abilities – they are the perfect dogs for search and rescue service, farm work, canine-assisted therapy and performances for the audience. The great career advancement opportunities are open for these puppies from Kyiv’s eco-farm in the Social and Humanitarian Multi-Complex.
“The boy Simba is 3 months old, and the girls Lora and Nora are 3.5 and 2.5 months old. The puppies are still small, but the training will start soon. They will be trained to work with visually impaired people, to help in the rehabilitation of children with special needs, to take part in agility competitions, or to perform at the stage of the Theatre of Children and Animals,” Feldman Ecopark’s dog handler and horse-breaker Tetiana Ishina told. “We’ll consider their abilities and preferences. They have different characters. For example, Simba is a philosopher, who sometimes sinks in thoughts looking into the distance. Lora is the tenderest, while Nora likes different tricks. All of them are very smart and playful. Despite their young age, they quickly focus in various situations. They have recently learnt to open the door to the cabin with food by their own. They figured out that there was a reason why the favourite porridge with meat and different treats are taken out of that place.”
It should be noted that according to the research carried out by the University of British Columbia (Canada), Border Collie is the most intelligent breed of dogs. They were bred in the 16th century in the Anglo-Scottish border to herd sheep. It is a very graceful, well built and hardy friend of people, who needs constant intellectual and physical training.
It should be reminded that 8 adult dogs and 5 puppies – German Shepherds, Alaskan Malamutes, a Labrador, a collie, Golden Retrievers and Border Collies – are trained in the Young Dog Handlers Club of Feldman Ecopark. They are trained by the members of the Children’s Ecology and Nature Study Academy of Feldman Ecopark under the guidance of professional dog handlers. Moreover, nearly all of the dogs participate in the sessions of canine-assisted therapy that is a part of the programmes carried out by the Centre for Psychosocial Rehabilitation.
