A Border Collie from the UK has earned the title of 'Britain's brightest dog' for his astonishing ability to recognise and fetch over 200 different toys by their individual names.
From Little Lamb to Larry the Leek
Seven-year-old Harvey has mastered the names of 221 toys, a skill that began when his owner, Irene Hewlett, 52, taught him his first toy, 'Little Lamb'. Irene, a translator originally from Amsterdam, developed a specific training method. She introduces a new toy, lets Harvey touch it and take it in his mouth, and then has him find it from various locations until he fully understands the association.
"He picks new toys up in about five minutes now," Irene said. "This is what we do all day every day. Border Collies are working dogs, so they need a job, and this is his job. He just wants to play this every second."
Scientific Recognition and Daily Life
Harvey's remarkable talent has not gone unnoticed by scientists. He has been accepted into two separate studies for 'genius' dogs, one in Budapest and another in Portsmouth. For Irene, however, this is simply a beloved daily routine. "It is not just that Harvey can do this, this is what he does," she explained. "We are not showing off a skill, we do this at home when nobody is watching. We do it because we love it."
The journey began after Irene's rescue dog passed away. She decided to get a healthy puppy from a breeder in Liverpool and was inspired by a book about Chaser, an American dog who knew over 1,000 objects. After some initial confusion with the second and third toys, everything clicked at the fourth. "Once he understood we just kept going and never looked back," Irene recalled.
The Challenges of a Canine Prodigy
Even for a gifted dog like Harvey, there are hurdles. He sometimes mixes up toys with similar-sounding names like 'Postbox' and 'Polar Bear', relying on the feel of the toy in his mouth to correct himself. The bigger challenge for Irene is sourcing new and unique toys to add to the collection, which now includes festive items like a Brussels sprout, a mince pie, and a Christmas pudding.
To expand the repertoire, some toys even have Dutch names. Irene hopes for a sponsorship from toy company Jelly Cat due to their wide and unique range. Describing Harvey's calm demeanour, she said, "He is a very good dog. Some Border Collies are manic and run circles around the house but he doesn't."
While they plan to keep learning, Irene has no intention of training a second dog in the same way, stating she is a "one dog person". For now, the game continues, driven by a shared love of the challenge and the unique bond between a clever collie and his dedicated owner.
