North Cornwall

I am on the North coast of Cornwall at the moment with my family and that includes my Border Collie, Belle. I wonder if she likes it here as much as we humans do. She hates the 850 kms journey from Brussels. Yes, we have regular stops so that she can strech her paws. We have a walled garden and the neighbour's cats use the wall as a shortcut to the other neighbour's pond.
Belle is on permanent cat patrol and stares at the wall for hours. The beaches are stunning and huge and ideal for letting her run freely off the lead. She is happy as long as we stay together. She runs around us in circles so that we have to stay in a group. She runs furiously from one end of the beach to the other trying to round up the seagulls and does not understand why they are not at her height. I really do wonder if she is happy. The sea is not a Border Collie's natural habitat but I think a dog is always happy to be with his masters. I see collies in the local farms. They are filthy, their fur matted and thick from living outdoors. They are not pets; they are working dogs and get their stimulation from herding. I do think collies are not ideal pets but I love Belle. I rescued her from certain death. As a puppy she had been tied up in a farm. Her mother also tied up was electricuted and it took three days before the farmer found her. When the time came for Belle to herd the cows, the farmer discovered that she was going to be useless as a working dog. She had not been trained not by him and not by her mother. Yes, the instinct is there and is very strong but you need to work at it and exploit it. Off to the beach...