Browse ›
A grandpa in a knit cap hammers a broken wooden fence while a blue merle Border Collie holds a stick in her mouth. 3 / 22

Grandpa Earl Was Fixing the Fence Alone. Skye Disagreed About the Alone Part.

AI imageborder colliefence repairbackyard

The backyard looks like a workshop exploded: buckets, rubber boots, tangled cords, a basket of rags, and tools scattered across the grass in front of a cluttered porch. In the middle of it all, Earl has his knit cap pulled down against the chill and his glasses on his nose, swinging a hammer at a splintered fence panel that has seen far too many winters. His vest pockets are jammed with screwdrivers and pencils. At his side, Skye sits with a long, crooked stick clamped sideways in her jaws, her blue merle coat fluffed out and her eyes bright. She is not playing. She is clearly on the job, holding the important part.

Many herding breeds love having a task, and Border Collies in particular can be very satisfied by simple jobs: carrying an item, putting toys in a basket, or fetching the newspaper. Giving a working dog purposeful activities like these can reduce boredom-driven mischief. When projects are underway, though, a busy yard holds hazards. Nails, screws, splinters, and dropped tools can injure paws or be swallowed, and treated lumber scraps should not be chewed. A quick sweep of the area before letting a dog roam, and a designated safe spot nearby for them to supervise, keeps everyone happy. Sturdy toys make a safer stand-in for sticks, which can splinter in the mouth.

Earl will probably need another hour and a few choice words for this fence. Skye, meanwhile, has already decided her contribution is the most important one, and frankly, nobody is going to argue with her.

More from this collection

All 22 →
A grandpa pins white sheets on a clothesline while a merle Border Collie trots out from between the hanging sheets.Grandpa Hung Up a Row of Clean White Sheets. Skye Saw a Tunnel.A grandpa in a fishing vest sits in a wooden rocking chair while a blue merle Border Collie sleeps curled at his feet.Grandpa Earl Has Rocked in That Chair for Years. Tonight He's Keeping It Still.
A grandpa in a green knit cap scatters seed for mallards at a misty pond while a merle Border Collie sits beside him.A Herding Dog, a Pond Full of Ducks, and One Handful of SeedA grandpa with a white mustache sits at a lace-covered table with tea and cookies, smiling at a blue merle Border Collie.Grandpa Earl Never Misses Afternoon Tea, and Neither Does His Border CollieA grandpa in a cap and vest tosses a tennis ball across a backyard as a blue merle Border Collie dashes after it.Grandpa Has Thrown This Tennis Ball a Thousand Times. Skye Is Still Faster.A smiling grandpa with a white mustache leans in beside a happy blue merle Border Collie on a wooden porch at dusk.Grandpa Earl Just Learned How to Take a Selfie. Skye Made Sure She Was In It.