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By Liz O'Connell
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A working farm dog has captivated viewers of a video showing how he tried to manipulate another dog into playing a certain way, proving that this breed can be more clever than others.
In a December 15 TikTok clip posted to the account @wellyandtails, Solo the border collie is trying to outsmart the cocker spaniel. The sheepdog, who lives in the English county of Cumbria, didn't want to chase the ball. Instead, he wanted the cocker spaniel to chase it and then he would chase the dog.
Solo would bring the toy ball to the owner, hoping it would entice the other dog to play as well. But, of course, the other dog wanted nothing to do with the ball. Solo would follow around the other dog, ever so hopeful that it would fall into his trap.
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The owner told Newsweek via TikTok that this isn't the first time Solo has tried to get others to play his way.
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"His preference is sheep," the owner said. "If they aren't available then he herds the cat, and last choice is the spaniel."
Some viewers of the video are crediting Solo's cleverness to the fact that he is a breeding dog.
Border collies are known to be one of the smartest dog breeds, with experts agreeing they are "intelligent workaholics," according to the American Kennel Club. The breed originated in Scotland and was put to use herding sheep, which they would excel at because of their strength, stamina, intelligence and work ethic.
Solo's owner acknowledges his herding instinct, which might be why the dog is manipulating the cocker spaniel to play with the ball. Plus, he "will herd everything in sight." But she also credits his intelligence to his "setting up the chain of events" to play the game.
Users were in awe at Solo as he tried desperately to play a certain way. Others noted their similar experiences with border collies.
"My collie also does this, won't chase a ball, LOVES to chase the dog that's chasing the ball" commented one.
Another wrote: "My mum has one ball-obsessed collie and one dog-obsessed collie so the dog-obsessed one runs with the ball in his mouth to get a chase." A win-win situation!
A third wrote: "My collie loves her frisbee but if there are other dogs around her playing fetch she'll always prefer running around them."
The herding instinct runs deep through this breed's blood.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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