Border Collie – A Celebration of Man’s Best Friend, by Neville Turner, £9.99

THE Border Collie is, perhaps, the dog most associated with upland farms.

In this informative and entertaining book, retired Barnard Castle vet Neville Turner celebrates the breed's undoubted qualities.

They are, he says, "a biddable, intelligent dog with stamina, athleticism, a herding instinct, devotion to the owner and what shepherds call the ‘eye’ to hold the sheep.

“When you drive into a farmyard , the first thing you see is a collie dog,” he says. “In this book, we show the life of the Border Collie in the Pennines, from puppies through to training, trials, sheep-gathering, and accommodation – and that’s a subject in itself.

“We show the life of the dogs from puppies through to training, trials, sheep-gathering, and accommodation – and that’s a subject in itself.

“Whatever the kennel looks like – and some of them are cobbled together – if it’s waterproof, draught-proof and well-bedded, that dog’s happy and clean. And what other dog gets the exercise that that dog gets every day?"

Mr Turner adds: “These dogs can start work at first light and when they get back to the farm at tea-time, they’re still up for it. They’re still raring to go. They’re bred for this."