In Chile three border collies are planting seeds (2017)(ibtimes.co.uk)
ibtimes.co.uk
In Chile three border collies are planting seeds (2017)
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chile-three-border-collies-are-planting-seeds-bringing-life-back-forests-destroyed-by-fire-1628737
42 comments
It always saddens me when people get working dogs like border collies as pets without understanding their needs. Without constant stimulation they get bored and basically lose their minds. It’s really important to know what you are getting into.
I guess the same is true for intelligent birds like parrots or ravens . Most people don’t understand the level of commitment these animals need.
I guess the same is true for intelligent birds like parrots or ravens . Most people don’t understand the level of commitment these animals need.
We've got a rescue Border Collie, and our theory is that she was abandoned because she's the laziest collie in existence.
She was trained to some degree, probably reasonable harshly, but just doesn't show the signs of wanting to be active and do things. (other than walkies). Running - a bit, like 10 meters, and then it's back to the trot. Balls, no. Sticks, no. General Dog play, no. Couch? yes.
We've fostered other collies, and they've been far more active. Even little pups will try to herd the cat (and sometimes succeed).
She was trained to some degree, probably reasonable harshly, but just doesn't show the signs of wanting to be active and do things. (other than walkies). Running - a bit, like 10 meters, and then it's back to the trot. Balls, no. Sticks, no. General Dog play, no. Couch? yes.
We've fostered other collies, and they've been far more active. Even little pups will try to herd the cat (and sometimes succeed).
I can't wait for more button mashing "talking dog" examples, especially if done by professionals like Cesar Milan. Being able to actively communicate could lead to all sorts of improved physical and mental health practices for dogs.
Bunny, of YouTube and tiktok fame, has demonstrated remarkably abstract thoughts, and the fart/poop humor [1] was a revelation to me. Dogs are treated like automata or mindless things, but they are intelligent and emotional on a very human level.
Giving them voices and making such systems common and easy would radically change humanity's relationship with canines for the better.
https://youtu.be/9iW1CY7mlOI
Bunny, of YouTube and tiktok fame, has demonstrated remarkably abstract thoughts, and the fart/poop humor [1] was a revelation to me. Dogs are treated like automata or mindless things, but they are intelligent and emotional on a very human level.
Giving them voices and making such systems common and easy would radically change humanity's relationship with canines for the better.
https://youtu.be/9iW1CY7mlOI
> professionals like Cesar Milan
The man is simply harmful, tho [1]. His methods promote aggressive approach where you take control by threatening your dog with your body language.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppLnTlF8s0k (huge number of dislikes, but talk to anybody who works with dogs professionally)
The man is simply harmful, tho [1]. His methods promote aggressive approach where you take control by threatening your dog with your body language.
[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppLnTlF8s0k (huge number of dislikes, but talk to anybody who works with dogs professionally)
Well you can always be bitten by a dog, they are not perfect engines but animals. However i do too think that his "technique" is far from good.
Someone i really look up to is Vanessa Bokr owner of the https://www.hellhound-foundation.com:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQijH4vvDMo
Sorry for being just in german.
Someone i really look up to is Vanessa Bokr owner of the https://www.hellhound-foundation.com:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQijH4vvDMo
Sorry for being just in german.
We were very surprised that my (reluctant first time dog-owner) parents were told to physically pin their dog down as a way of asserting dominance. It’s weird to see that this might be “a thing”.
It just seems like it is likely to make the dog see that as a way of trying to assert dominance, whereas in almost all other cases positive reinforcement (and negative attention from undesired attention) seems to be perfectly adequate.
Perhaps it’s only supposed to be something for the worst-case untrained dogs and has spread out from there?
It just seems like it is likely to make the dog see that as a way of trying to assert dominance, whereas in almost all other cases positive reinforcement (and negative attention from undesired attention) seems to be perfectly adequate.
Perhaps it’s only supposed to be something for the worst-case untrained dogs and has spread out from there?
The pinning is something dogs sometimes do. We have fostered dog moms with puppies and sometimes the mom would put an unruly puppy on its back and grab it by the throat. It seems to be last resort when the usual communication like growling doesn’t work.
>They love to work
and that is what puzzles me - the ranchers kill and don't allow wolves reintroduction because it is supposedly hurting their herds when instead they could have just got herding dogs.
and that is what puzzles me - the ranchers kill and don't allow wolves reintroduction because it is supposedly hurting their herds when instead they could have just got herding dogs.
>just got herding dogs.
Yeah it's not a "just" they are not for free. But in north-Italy and Switzerland they are payed by the government and leased (the dogs have no problem with it since the family are the sheep's and not the human)
Yeah it's not a "just" they are not for free. But in north-Italy and Switzerland they are payed by the government and leased (the dogs have no problem with it since the family are the sheep's and not the human)
ya for sure. I ran a dog rescue for 5 years and had a long term older Border Collie and he would go crazy if I picked up his backpack to put on because that means we were going for a hike.
I'd put some weights in it for walks and it made him feel like he was doing something
I'd put some weights in it for walks and it made him feel like he was doing something
I got mine when I was 25. I couldn’t imagine doing it now in my 40s with a family in tow. They will wear you out. He owned my back seat and went everywhere. It was just prior to leash laws so he just walked freely but never left me/caused any issues. They’re brilliant but please be ready for the energy levels as it’s a lifestyle.
I have to disagree with part of the subtitle: "Border collies Summer, Olivia and Das spend their days bounding through charred forests, unaware they're leaving a trail of seeds that could transform the landscape." [emphasis added]
Border collies are not simple dogs who can learn tricks.
Border collies want task lists.
And as border collies often do, these three are accomplishing their task list better than I sometimes accomplish mine.
Border collies are not simple dogs who can learn tricks.
Border collies want task lists.
And as border collies often do, these three are accomplishing their task list better than I sometimes accomplish mine.
Yeah, these border collies are aware they have a job, and probably think wandering through forest and field is the best job ever.
Seriously, as if they couldn’t smell the seeds in their backpacks.
Seriously, as if they couldn’t smell the seeds in their backpacks.
Who wouldn't think that wandering through the forest all day is the best job ever?
When I was a kid I sure thought it was!
We had one of the first houses in the Eugene (OR) subdivision where I grew up. The next lot up the hill had just had the trees cut down, so us neighborhood kids made tunnels through the fallen trees. We called it "the rough country" and had picnics under the branches.
If we walked another block or two up the hill, we were out in the uncut forest where we could explore everywhere, collect wild mushrooms and pine cones and what have you.
The lot just down the hill from ours had a house under construction, complete with a bomb shelter! Of course, this being the late 1950s, we had two main worries: getting blown up in a nuclear war, or polio.
But we'd gotten vaccinated, so the nuclear bomb was our biggest concern. We spent a lot of time in the bomb shelter, brought cookies and snacks, and conducted our neighborhood business meetings there.
We had one of the first houses in the Eugene (OR) subdivision where I grew up. The next lot up the hill had just had the trees cut down, so us neighborhood kids made tunnels through the fallen trees. We called it "the rough country" and had picnics under the branches.
If we walked another block or two up the hill, we were out in the uncut forest where we could explore everywhere, collect wild mushrooms and pine cones and what have you.
The lot just down the hill from ours had a house under construction, complete with a bomb shelter! Of course, this being the late 1950s, we had two main worries: getting blown up in a nuclear war, or polio.
But we'd gotten vaccinated, so the nuclear bomb was our biggest concern. We spent a lot of time in the bomb shelter, brought cookies and snacks, and conducted our neighborhood business meetings there.
I choose to believe these border collies are fully aware of what they're doing, and I'll die on that irrational hill.
[deleted]
> "they receive treats whenever their backpacks become empty. Then their satchels are filled up with more seeds and off they go again."
They know exactly what they are doing.
Edit: I really don't know why you are getting downvotes.
They know exactly what they are doing.
Edit: I really don't know why you are getting downvotes.
I've heard border collies are super smart. Glad they're taking the initiative to do something about the environment that humans have largely ignored.
As if border collies took the decision to do that by themselves.
...I'm confident the suggestion was very dry humor
I can’t believe this even had to be said
The article says the people doing the re-planting in the area found a cool way for working-breed dogs to do what they enjoy while helping us help the environment recover.
The dogs, unfortunately, did not undertake this task on their own, but I thought that when I read the title- thinking maybe they were catching some in their fur or pooping them out while playing or something.
As an aside I love all dogs, but especially Border Collies. Never been lucky enough to have one. They are indeed super smart, and agile! They are often featured in working-dog competitions and obstacle course competitions! Oh and frisbee catching, I always see border collies doing that. I've always dreamed of having a dog that could catch a frisbee but of all the dogs I've had- while all amazing in their own ways, most could barely bring back a ball. I blame my poor training skills :( Lol.
The dogs, unfortunately, did not undertake this task on their own, but I thought that when I read the title- thinking maybe they were catching some in their fur or pooping them out while playing or something.
As an aside I love all dogs, but especially Border Collies. Never been lucky enough to have one. They are indeed super smart, and agile! They are often featured in working-dog competitions and obstacle course competitions! Oh and frisbee catching, I always see border collies doing that. I've always dreamed of having a dog that could catch a frisbee but of all the dogs I've had- while all amazing in their own ways, most could barely bring back a ball. I blame my poor training skills :( Lol.
My dog (Aussie) is more than happy to catch a frisbee (backflipping along the way if need be), but still refuses to bring back a ball. I think simple retrieval can be too boring for such breeds, even with high value treats it's much more exciting for her to dash around the dog park herding the other dogs and leading parades than to just bring a ball back and forth.
I do see some collies who do simple retrieval at the park, but it requires their owners to be strict about the dog not playing with any other dogs and coming back immediately. Not a way I want to raise my pup.
I do see some collies who do simple retrieval at the park, but it requires their owners to be strict about the dog not playing with any other dogs and coming back immediately. Not a way I want to raise my pup.
Yea I always went with 'If the dog is into it let's go' and none were really too interested in fetching. I could throw them a ball and most of the time I'd end up fetching it myself.
My last dog loved chasing stuff so a powerful-enough-for-daylight laser pointer was her favorite toy. If she heard the click she got so happy. As a bonus she could run as fast, far, and hard as she wanted, and I could relax a bit!
My last dog loved chasing stuff so a powerful-enough-for-daylight laser pointer was her favorite toy. If she heard the click she got so happy. As a bonus she could run as fast, far, and hard as she wanted, and I could relax a bit!
I’ll be curious to see how this project turns out in the long term. In the US, old growth forests previously had a tree distribution that is very different from young growth and newer managed forests. The pattern used to be less dense, with taller bigger trees whose shade kept the nearest tree was further away. This has benefits in terms of fire resistance, limited spread of pestilence, etc. The healthiest young forests are actually manually thinned to achieve a desirable density where each individual tree can thrive rather than get crowded in. Depending on the environment young growth may also need regular assistance to fight invasive species and weeds until the tree is established, since the ecosystem would be out of natural balance (lacking trees, shrubs, animals, insect populations, etc).
How are the seeds collected? I just read about how afforestation efforts in India use non native saplings from the lowest bidder.
I was also curious about the seeds; I googled and read about eight different articles about this project, several mentioned that they were native, but I couldn’t find anything more specific than “grasses and flowers.”
I have no idea what kind of tree can grow from seeds that are simply scattered, although I suppose I have seen some willows that grew from discarded branches(!).
I have no idea what kind of tree can grow from seeds that are simply scattered, although I suppose I have seen some willows that grew from discarded branches(!).
Why not put the seeds in the Water that is being used by the planes to extinguish the fires?
Maybe not in the first run/flight, but in the later ones, when a fire has been taken out almost completely.
And even when not using the fire fighting planes I think spreading the seeds with a helicopter would be much faster and more efficient.
Maybe not in the first run/flight, but in the later ones, when a fire has been taken out almost completely.
And even when not using the fire fighting planes I think spreading the seeds with a helicopter would be much faster and more efficient.
Planting new trees where the old ones were intentionally burned, both for real estate projects and/or the new batch of fresh pines grown for fast manufacturing.
Animals are the center of the article, but there's a reason why Chile is loosing every year more and more its resources.
Animals are the center of the article, but there's a reason why Chile is loosing every year more and more its resources.
Past thread:
In Chile, border collies are sowing seeds, bringing life back to forests (2017) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17435000 - July 2018 (25 comments)
In Chile, border collies are sowing seeds, bringing life back to forests (2017) - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17435000 - July 2018 (25 comments)
One thing not discussed is how long it takes for the back packs to empty. From the picture they look like just simple backbacks without significant modification (wich is fine), but how could they not need to be refilled a zillion times a day.
Is it any efficient compared to aerially seeding? https://youtu.be/7U7oGXycJGM?t=70
No matter how far I get in my career, I don't think it's even remotely possible to have that much fun at work on a regular basis. These dogs have dream jobs!
The article is from 2017, by the way.
This is just fantastic on a lot of levels.