Strictly speaking, border collies are those registered with the Kennel Club and have the papers, the rest are working sheepdogs, but we tend to call them all border collies," Alexa Gordon explained.

Alexa runs one of the foster homes for Wiccaweys, a rescue and rehoming organisation for border collies and working sheepdogs, based just over the border in Northhamptonshire, a task far removed from her day job in customer services.

She tells me that these dogs are very different to most other dogs, exceptionally bright and intelligent and need to exercise their brains just as much as their bodies. If confined and left to sit and vegetate, they can start climbing the walls and frighten off prospective new owners.

"Some dogs have worked with animals or have the herding instinct," Alexa said. "You can tell instantly the herding ones. They are alert and watch any other animals with keen interest. Others don't have that instinct and are content to be normal pets. If the herding ones get bored, they start nipping the ankles of children or cyclists - even cats! People can think they are snappy. They are not - they are just doing what has been bred into them over centuries."

The answer is mental stimulation. The collies can be taught all manner of things, such as tidying away their toys - part of the training is to teach the dogs the names of their toys.

They can also learn tricks or be given agility training, complete with the names of the equipment. There are classes in agility training and regular competitions up and down the country. For some owners, these events are a way of life.

"But for agility training, the dog must be more than 18 months old, so that its bones have matured," Alexa warned.

The collies come to Wiccaweys for all kinds of reasons. As is often the case nowadays, it can be the result of family break-up.

Sometimes there is a baby on the way and the parents are concerned that dog and small child will not mix; some are strays. Ireland has many collies and through links with Irish animal rescue centres, some of the dogs are sent to Wiccaweys for rehoming.

Although there is no set age pattern for dogs sent to Wiccaweys, they often have dogs between six and 18 months and those over eight.

The young ones are dog teenagers, with all that implies. The plus-eights are seen by some as old, although a well-cared for collie will live to between 13 and 22 or 23. The oldest dog rehomed by Wiccaweys was 22.

"Collies are no more susceptible to complaints like hip displasia than any other dog," said Alexa. "It is genetic, but there are things like hydrotherapy to counteract these kind of problems."

Any collie sent to Wiccaweys will be assessed and monitored. Any - and there are very few - that exhibit behavioural problems will stay with the rescue centre for as long as it takes to cure undesirable traits.

All the foster carers are animal behaviourists, albeit untrained, but who empathise with their charges. The dogs live en famille, frequently with others of the breed that are the foster parents' own pets.

The process of matching dog to prospective new owner is exacting. Before even getting near a dog, the would-be adopter has a home check. If that is satisfactory, then the matching process commences.

An active dog will go to an active home, where regular exercise is the order of the day. Dogs that like the companionship of their fellow canines will be matched with a multi-pet environment; quieter dogs that prefer to be the only pet will be just that. Older collies can actually fit well in an urban environment, despite their herding genes.

When I ask if any collies end up back on the farm, Alexa shakes her head.

"Occasionally, we have dogs that owners use with hobby herds, but I think only one dog has ever gone to a real working farm. Farmers have their own breeds and sources of working dogs, ones that they know are good with sheep and animals."

Dogs cannot be passed on, and part of the rehoming agreement insists that pets are returned to Wiccaweys if the new owners can no longer care for the dog.

The organisation works with a number of animal rescue centres and is in discussions with Blue Cross to train any collies brought in.

Wiccaweys began some five years ago, when co-founder Sarah Carey was asked to rehome a collie. Now Sarah and partner Paul Gill are fully committed to Wiccaweys, 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. Run as a not-for-profit organisation, it relies solely on donations to survive. Each dog rehomed costs its new owner £130 for vaccination, chipping, worming and spaying and that barely covers the costs.

Some vets will charge rescue fees, others the full whack, so it is not cheap. Volunteers take stands at shows or make doggy treats to sell, all in the cause of fundraising. Money is tight. An online shop sells Wiccaweys t-shirts and other items that contribute to the Wiccaweys pot.

Wiccaweys is laughingly referred to as the border collie holiday camp, as it takes dogs that will not settle in kennels during the owners' holidays. The organisation averages 100 calls a day and 10,000 calls a year about border collies and sheepdogs. And all of them answered free.

"Collies are lovely dogs, good-tempered and affectionate. They reward you for the effort you put in."

As someone who owns four of the breed, Alexa is well-qualified to comment. And the last word comes from Carol, who is not part of Wiccaweys, but who devotes part of her time to helping Alexa.

"Never have I seen such dedicated people, who give their love, their time and their money. They all deserve medals."

n For more information, visit: the website: www.wiccaweys.com