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A grandpa in glasses fits pieces into a mountain jigsaw puzzle while a merle Border Collie sits on a kitchen chair watching. 11 / 22

Grandpa Thought He Was Doing This Puzzle Alone Until He Looked at the Next Chair

AI imageborder colliejigsaw puzzlekitchen

The kitchen counters behind them are lined with mugs and a dish rack, a houseplant soaks up light by the window, and a towel hangs from the oven door. Front and center, on a sturdy wooden table, a jigsaw puzzle of snowy mountains and a blue lake is about half finished. Earl hunches over it in his gray shirt and vest, glasses low on his nose, carefully pressing one piece into the sky. On the chair beside him sits Skye, upright and attentive, her merle face with its copper markings tipped toward the puzzle as if she has spotted exactly where that piece belongs and is waiting for him to catch up.

Border Collies are often happiest when they have something to think about, and many owners find that brain games tire them out as well as a long run. Food puzzle toys, snuffle mats, and hide-and-seek with treats around the house are easy ways to give a clever dog a mental workout indoors, especially on rainy days. Teaching names for different toys and asking the dog to fetch a specific one is another favorite challenge for this breed. Just keep real jigsaw pieces up on the table, since cardboard can be tempting to chew and swallowing pieces is never a good idea.

Earl may finish the mountain range tonight or it may take all week. Either way, he will not be working alone. Skye has claimed her chair, and she seems prepared to supervise right up to the very last piece.

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A rain-dampened grandpa wraps a wet merle Border Collie in a thick knit blanket by the door, with boots and leashes nearby.The Rain Caught Them Halfway Home. Grandpa Took Care of Skye First.A grandpa at the wheel of an old pickup grins at a merle Border Collie sitting upright in the passenger seat.Grandpa Earl Has Driven This Old Truck for Decades. His Co-Pilot Is Newer.A grandpa sits on wooden back steps brushing the head of a blue merle Border Collie with a wooden-handled brush.Grandpa Brings the Same Focus to Brushing Skye That He Gives His Fishing FliesA grandpa scrubs a blue car with a sponge while a merle Border Collie holds the garden hose and bites at the spray.Grandpa Was in Charge of the Sponge. Skye Put Herself in Charge of the Hose.