We got our first dog Sam, a Border Collie, whilst on holiday in Devon in Easter 2004. We met Sam at a fun animal farm called The Big Sheep, where she was one of six puppies born to a working sheep dog there. When we first saw Sam we fell in love with her immediately.
After a few days of negotiating and haggling with the farmer we managed to persuade him to let us have her. They had been reluctant to let her go, as she stood out as being the most promising of the litter to make the grade as a working sheep dog.
We are privileged in having Sam as our first and oldest pet at Animal Lovers Web.com and, as such, she holds a very special place in all our hearts! She has witnessed many other animals come (and some, sadly go) and must wonder what strange species she is going to be faced with next. We suspect that Sam would probably feel that buying Molly, our labrador, was the biggest change (shock!) in her life.
Most people assume that, because of her name, Sam must be a boy and we always have to correct this assumption. In fact, the naming of Sam was not our choice but had already been done by the farmer that we bought her from at The Big Sheep and although she was only 8 weeks old at the time, we felt that the name really suited her. She gets her full Sunday name, Samantha, only when she has been naughty!
Born: February 2004
Gender: Female
Breed: Border Collie
Appearance: Sam is a long haired border collie and her coat is mainly black but with some white. Her white markings are very distinctive with half of her face black and half white! On the white side even her eye lashes and whiskers are white. She reminds us of a badger and we have yet to ever see a border collie with similar facial features. Her feet are also white which makes it look like she is wearing four white socks.
Personality: She is a very energetic dog and will work (or play) all day long, usually chasing a ball, stick or rope. She is also very affectionate and friendly and likes to play with children, especially if a tummy tickle is included! Sam isn't quite as tolerant with other animals, however and will put Molly in her place if she is pestering her too much, or have a quick lunge towards the chickens if they are getting a little too close for comfort.
Sam is an extremely loyal dog who will follow you around, whatever you are doing. She is very bright, like most border collies and very obedient. The only time that she seems to “loose the plot” is when she encounters a horse. For some reason all sense goes out the window and she thinks that she can give them a run for their money (see naughtiest moment section)!
Displaying typically border collie obsessive tendencies, Sam’s ball fixation can drive you a little crazy at times although she really is a marvel to watch when chasing and catching. The speeds she can go and the dexterity and ball skills she displays would make her a great candidate for any football team!
Favourite Food: Sam is more a more unusual dog in that she really is not that interested in food. She does eat her dried dog food for breakfast and dinner and occasional dog treats but would much rather play with a ball given the choice! This phenomenon did make it a little more difficult to train Sam. As a puppy, she attended socialisation training which was, for most dogs, facilitated through treat-based reward systems. We had to be more inventive in our approach with Sam, although her inherent intelligence was hugely beneficial in her training.
Habits: Sam likes to curls up behind the door next to the radiator where it is nice and warm and she constantly watches the family. Every time you look towards her she pricks her ears up and gives a look of hope and expectation to get outside …….. to have another play.
Naughtiest Moments: When we first moved to our small holding, the fencing wasn't dog-proofed. Sam managed to escape into the neighbour’s field, which had four horses in. Needless to say, Sam went completely off the rails, chasing the horses, trying to bite them and becoming completely deaf to our attempts to get her to come home.
It took us over an hour to catch her, by which time she had been kicked in her face by one of the horses and cut her mouth, requiring an urgent trip to the vets. Fortunately, both Sam and the horses, made full recoveries!
Sam clearly is not aware that as a sheepdog, she should be able to exert some authority over sheep! Our sheep are seemingly oblivious to this fact also and don’t think twice about trying to give Sam a gentle head butt, especially when she has the cheek to put her ball on one of their backs!
Most people assume that, because of her name, Sam must be a boy and we always have to correct this assumption. In fact, the naming of Sam was not our choice but had already been done by the farmer that we bought her from at 
Born: 
Personality:
Displaying typically border collie obsessive tendencies, Sam’s ball fixation can drive you a little crazy at times although she really is a marvel to watch when chasing and catching. The speeds she can go and the dexterity and ball skills she displays would make her a great candidate for any football team! 
Habits:
It took us over an hour to catch her, by which time she had been kicked in her face by one of the horses and cut her mouth, requiring an urgent trip to the vets. Fortunately, both Sam and the horses, made full recoveries!
