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Border Collie Rescue - On Line - Nice Work - Project Puppy
We now have a separate website dedicated to our videos. Over 50 of our films are available on
www.colliewoodfilms.com

Or you can watch some of our videos here and on the linked pages

To jump straight to the Nice Work video menu & watch the series - click here
 
 Filming Project Puppy 
Project Puppy  - 13 part series - Animal Planet - Daily (with repeats) next broadcast (UK) from March 2010 - Click for schedule
Action!
In 2006 we were contacted by Orion TV and invited to take part in a documentary series about rescued puppies being trained to work for man in a useful capacity. There were to be 8 pups in total, covering a range of working skills and could we help with the sheepdog aspect?
As it happened, at this time, we had decided to take on a pup from a litter that was going through rescue. She was to be trained to assist Border Collie Rescue by keeping our sheep in line when we were assessing other Border Collies for their inclinations and abilities for stock work - an essential aspect of re-homing Border Collies, to ensure the working dogs went to the right homes and did not end up as frustrated pets and the non workers were identified correctly so they could be re-homed as companions. Her name was Gael.
Gael was to be trained to take over from Dot, our resident lead sheepdog. Dot was getting on and although keen and willing would soon need to retire. Another lead dog was needed to take her place and help other dogs through rescue.
The concept of the program was close to our heart as so many Border Collies puppies end up in the wrong homes, needing to work stock, but being denied that basic instinctive need by the home and environment they found themselves in, frequently leading to frustration, behavioural problems, obsessive and hyperactive activity and consequently, rescue - for re-homing.
   

Nicki and Kate  - One of many interviews to camera.

Kate McIntyre was to present the series and we were familiar with her work and style. She seemed the ideal choice, being kind and vivacious, with the sort of energy that compliments the breed and she had a reputation of getting stuck in and grafting.

So we agreed, although we had to explain that the tight shooting schedule planned for the filming was really too short to follow the whole training process through, so Orion had a shuffle and extended the schedule to cover as much of the process as possible.

The Orion team, under the direction of Bob Whittaker, assisted by his son Kelwyn Whittaker, arrived at the Border Collie Rescue assessment centre in December 2006 to start filming, along with Kate and a camera and sound crew. Bob, Kelwyn, Kate and the crew were very patient with the dogs, particularly the young pups.

They stayed for a couple of days, making use of our B&B facility and left with a lot of footage 'in the can' and the promise of return visits to keep track of Gael's progress. Their final visit was at the end of April 2007, but we were able to provide some of our own additional video of Gael at work taken later in the year, a short amount of which they used in the final episode of the series.

 
Project Puppy is broadcast on Animal planet in 13 half hour episodes, first aired on June 15th 2009 and run daily.
Gael and BCR are featured in about 5 episodes, coming in on episode 3 and continuing with episodes, 6, 8, 10 and 13. She also gets brief mentions in other episodes. Animal Planet will be repeating the series at different times of day.
To compliment the series, Border Collie Rescue has released its own 6 episode mini documentary called 'Nice Work' on Youtube. If you are not an Animal Planet subscriber, you can follow Gaels progress on Nice Work, either on Youtube or on this page below..
Details are under the photo's of Project Puppy, below.
 
Below - Nicki and Kate - with Sally's pups in the 6 acre field

 

Above - close encounters of the puppy kind.

Below - galloping pups - ears akimbo

 
Above - Zooming in for a close up                                        Below - Kate is introduced to the pups while BCR volunteers look on
 

 

Nice Work
Nice work is an in house 'Colliewood Films' production about the work of BCR, directed by Scottish filmmaker, Jim Closs with it's footage filmed at the centre and the homes of the dogs featured.
Like Project Puppy, Nice Work covers the subject of rescued dogs being re-homed to work with people in various capacities, but in this instance they are all Border Collies and they have all been assessed, selected and re-homed by Border Collie Rescue.
The title, 'Nice Work', describes the jobs the dogs do and the way they do it. They are the stars.
The mini series is in six, ten minute episodes looking at a number of dogs rehomed by BCR and also covering Gael's training, Sally's pups growing up and other aspects of work at the BCR Assessment and rehabilitation centre
. The series features interviews with BCR staff and with people who have adopted dogs from Border Collie Rescue and trained them to be Sheep Dogs, Cattle Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs and Police Dogs as well as two dogs, selected and placed together on a small holding as companions for a special reason.
It gives good insight into the sort of work we do and the attention to detail spent on the care and re-homing of each individual dog..
 
Episode 1 - Introduces Border Collies and tells us a bit about the breed, and about Border Collie Rescue and the York centre. We meet 'Dot' and 'Gael' at the beginning of Gael's sheepdog training and take a look at 'Patti' in her new home.
Episode 2 - Tells more about how we use sheep at the centre to help assess dogs and looks at Stock dog 'Meg' and Sheepdog 'Flash' in their new home. 'Sally' and her 8 pups are introduced and we follow more of Gael's training.
Episode 3 - It's an early start as the centre prepares for new floors in the stable Block. We meet 'Molly', assessed, selected and rehomed to be a Search and Rescue dog, saving peoples lives. 'Gael' progresses to a larger flock and Sally and her 5 remaining pups go out for a run together.
Episode 4 - Shows a variety of dogs being brought to the centre for assessment. 'Gael' goes solo, without 'Dot' to hold her paw. We meet 'Bryn', assessed and re-homed to be a Police dog for detecting drugs, firearms and explosives. It's not all work as the dogs have a romp in the garden and 'Sally' has a last run with her 3 remaining pups before going off to her new home.
Episode 5 - Introduces Biting 'Shep' and RSPCA cruelty case, 'Natalia', both referred to BCR for behavioural modification. 'Rab' and 'Fly' - as different as chalk and cheese - help each other in their new home. Gael helps with the final assessments of 'Sweep' and 'Trim', the two remaining pups from Sally's litter, prior to them being re-homed.
Episode 6 - Shows us Gael, now in charge, helping with assessments and gives some insight as to how the charity raises some of the funds to pay for it all. We meet and hear from a number of volunteers at the centre, say goodbye to the dogs featured and take a last look at what Border Collie Rescue is all about.
 
To view 'Nice Work' trailers or episodes, select from menu below
 
Nice Work Trailers - Teaser trailer - Theatre Trailer - Musical trailer
 
Nice Work Episodes - No 1 - No 2 - No 3 - No 4 - No 5 - No 6 - Credits
 
Nice Work - Teaser trailer
 
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Nice Work - Theatre trailer
 
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Nice Work - Musical trailer
Our thanks to Bodyrockers and UMG for allowing the use of their song 'I Like the Way You Move'
 
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Nice Work - Episode 1
 
Introduces Border Collies and tells us a bit about the breed, and about Border Collie Rescue and the York centre. We meet 'Dot' and 'Gael' at the beginning of Gael's sheepdog training and take a look at 'Patti' in her new home.
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Nice Work - Episode 2
 
Tells more about how we use sheep at the centre to help assess dogs and looks at Stock dog 'Meg' and Sheepdog 'Flash' in their new home. 'Sally' and her 8 pups are introduced and we follow more of Gael's training.
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Nice Work - Episode 3
 
It's an early start as the centre prepares for new floors in the stable Block. We meet 'Molly', assessed, selected and rehomed to be a Search and Rescue dog, saving peoples lives. 'Gael' progresses to a larger flock and Sally and her 5 remaining pups go out for a run together.
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Nice Work - Episode 4
 
Here we see a variety of dogs being brought to the centre for assessment. 'Gael' goes solo, without 'Dot' to hold her paw. We meet 'Bryn', assessed and re-homed to be a Police dog for detecting drugs, firearms and explosives. It's not all work as the dogs have a romp in the garden and 'Sally' has a last run with her 3 remaining pups before going off to her new home.
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Nice Work - Episode 5
 
This episode introduces Biting 'Shep' and RSPCA cruelty case, 'Natalia', both referred to BCR for behavioural modification. 'Rab' and 'Fly' - as different as chalk and cheese - help each other in their new home. Gael helps with the final assessments of 'Sweep' and 'Trim', the two remaining pups from Sally's litter, prior to them being re-homed.
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Nice Work - Episode 6
 
In this final episode, Gael, now in charge, is helping with assessments. We have quick look around the centre and get some insight as to how the charity raises some of the funds to pay for it all. We meet Nell and her sheep, hear from a number of volunteers at the centre, say goodbye to the dogs featured and take a last look at what Border Collie Rescue is all about.
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Nice Work - Credits
Music - Episodes 1 to 5

Sean Collins, at the beginning  -

 

And

Diad, at the end -

http://www.myspace.com/diadmusicuk

 

Music - Episode 6

Sean Collins, at the beginning  -

And

Eskimo, at the end -

www.eskimomusic.com

http://www.myspace.com/esquimaumusic

Incidental Music provided by -

Diad

http://www.myspace.com/diadmusicuk

Nice Work is Directed by Jim Closs and Produced by Mike Cooke for Border Collie Rescue

Main camera - Jim Closs. Second unit - Mike Cooke

Edited by Jim Closs. Post production & Series editing - Mike Cooke. Sound - Mike Cooke. Narrated by Jim Closs.

A Colliewood Films production for Border Collie Rescue. Copyright Border Collie Rescue - All rights reserved.
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Border Collie Rescue is a UK based charity, working Internationally to Rescue and Re-home Border Collies and Working Sheepdogs and promote a better understanding of the breed and its Welfare.

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