I should add that I've only seen my friend use the "here" command when walking out of the field with his dog or when leading her back to the truck again, so really she is working at a distance the rest of the time.

I agree with MerlinsMum in that herding breeds/working dogs are bred for their ability work at a distance and whilst yes trainability and the ability to call your dog to you and control it is incredibly important, what breeds like the border collie were bred for is their very high intelligence, ability to work at a distance, their ability to use initiative etc...

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