I have four dogs living on the smallholding. Two border terriers, Basil and Barney, and two border collies, Watson and Holmes. Watson and Holmes are brothers, and at seven years old, they are set in their ways and enjoy life with the animals.

When we first got Watson and Holmes, at just eight weeks old, we didn’t have any animals other than dogs, although we did live on a smallholding with twelve acres of land and a wood. The puppies enjoyed an idyllic life running in the fields and enjoying their freedom. As they got a little older, we began to notice that Holmes was much harder to train than Watson. To be fair, Watson is incredibly greedy, so he would have stood on his head and spun around in exchange for a treat had we asked him to, but Holmes just didn’t seem to be interested.

Joking aside, over the first few months of having Holmes, we did notice that he did some strange things. For instance, every single time we took him into the field, he would run up and down the barrier fence, barking at the sky. He started doing this from the very first day we got him, and he still does, seven years down the line.

Eventually, we began to realise that Holmes had a few issues, and we subsequently discovered that he is deaf and partially sighted. He is a merle, which, unbeknownst to us at the time, means he is more prone to health problems than the ‘traditional’ border collie like Watson. Holmes’s striking appearance, his beautiful patchwork coat and piercing blue eyes have attracted wonderful comments from admirers; however, he does have to contend with not having all his faculties.

Not being able to hear and being partially sighted has not, however, prevented Holmes from enjoying life to the fullest, so sympathy is certainly not needed. He absolutely loves living on the smallholding, and, despite his sensory difficulties, he has all the natural instincts of a sheepdog. He will spend hours watching his little flock and, when needed, will round them up much more deftly than his brother.

Holmes loves company. He is needy, and at times, he drives me insane, but I absolutely wouldn’t be without him. If I am not tripping up over him or flinging my arms around like a banshee to try to get his attention, then I am kissing and cuddling him in front of the fire after a long day in the paddocks. Holmes would stay outside all day, every day, if he could, and he was always the last to come inside, although he did have a favourite spot on the rug by the fire!

As Holmes has problems with two of his senses, it is very important to him that he knows where we are at all times. He is frightened of sudden movements and absolutely hates to have anything move over his head, so we have to be careful when drying him with a towel or putting his coat on to make sure he sees what we are doing and that he isn’t fearful. He also likes reassurance, so loves to be cuddled, and he will sit with you for hours if you stroke him.

At times he likes to take himself off for some peace and quiet – not something he gets often when surrounded by three other dogs and a smallholding full of animals – and he will find a quiet place behind a chair or under my desk when I am writing and curl up for a couple of hours.

Despite not being able to see out of one eye and being deaf, Holmes has come a long way with regard to training. He understands important hand signals such as ‘sit’, ‘stay’ and ‘down’, and once he knows the lie of the land, he is happy to explore off the lead. He does like to know where we are and checks in constantly for reassurance, but that is as much for our benefit as his.

Holmes is the most beautiful dog. He is gentle and loyal and loves everything and everyone. He lives his life to the full and enjoys adventures and excitement. Despite his sensory problems, nothing holds him back, and I can’t help but smile when I see him run up and down the length of the fence on our smallholding, churning up the mud as he goes! He might not be the world’s best sheepdog, but he is certainly one of the world’s best pets!



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