Sky Smith, 7-year-old Border Collie

Visit Mike Smith and you'll see lots of great cars, Vespas and Indian motorcycles on the lot. But the one thing everyone wants to take home? Sky the Border Collie. Owner Dustin Smith shares her story:

The coolest thing about Sky?
Her chief characteristic is her extreme intelligence. I used to keep a list of all the words or phrases Sky knows. I quit counting somewhere in the 300s.

Sky literally has a basic grasp of the English language. An example: Sky recognizes the word "back" differently, depending on the context. Tell Sky to "back up," and she'll take several steps backwards. In the car, saying "get in the back" causes Sky to move to the back seat. If I tell Sky to "get on my back," she'll jump up and crouch on my back (part of several tricks she does). And telling Sky that "I'll be right back," lets her know I'm going somewhere for just a few minutes and she should stay in place.

How Dustin got her:
Sky came from a sheep farm in Guthrie, Ky. Her parents were both imported from England to work sheep every day. I wanted a dog I could play Frisbee with and, after much study, decided on a border collie.

Her typical day:
Sky comes to work with me every day, so she has lots of unusual stories. Her favorite thing to do is entertain children at the dealership with tricks, so she has tons of friends. People frequently come by the dealership just to see Sky!

Mom likes to tell a story about seeing Sky take clothes out of the dryer and putting them in the basket after seeing Mom do the same. I remember one time a few years ago when Sky found the wallet I lost in a large field at night, and brought it to me.

OMG. What else?
Sky can open the refrigerator door and retrieve a drink. She loves to watch TV, especially sports. Sky can go to my office and close the door. The list goes on and on. Sky really is a dog that has to be seen to be believed.

What Dustin loves best about her:
People are blown away by the tricks Sky can do, which is neat, but I love my everyday relationship with Sky. Just being at my house with her is rewarding. We communicate like an old married couple now — not much needs to be said to be understood between us. There is rarely a day when she doesn't surprise me, and never a day that she doesn't delight me.

How Sky has changed Dustin's life:
She is a source of peace and stress relief for me at work many days. Just going outside and pitching the ball for a few minutes does wonders for my mood. My mother has also become quite attached to Sky (and Sky to her), so I have to share Sky now — at least a day or two a week!

Sky is truly my constant companion, and the definition of unconditional love. No man ever had a better dog.

Dustin's best pet advice?
A lot of people see Sky perform and instantly decide they need a Border Collie. Most people don't. Border Collies are not the ideal breed for small children, for example. And you don't get a dog like Sky from the toy store and just install batteries to make it work. It takes a lot of work.

Border Collies require a lot of time. They have to have a job, and if you don't give them one, they'll come up with one of their own — like redecorate your house.

Carefully and thoughtfully choose the breed that is best for you, your family and your lifestyle. Almost any dog can be a great dog, and any dog can be trained to at least some degree. How great they are, or how well-trained, is mainly a function of the owner and their effort — not the dog, itself.

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