Today Mud and I walked off-leash for a while...she enjoyed herself, and did very well. In my area, I always want her staying in the heel position(although the command "Heel" is used for the actual position), rather than just following or sticking close. Really shows how much Border Collies prefer more active things to do...she would very willingly stay in position, but you could tell she was a bit bored. When we got home, I went to the back gate and released her with an "Okay!" and she zoomed in and romped in the backyard. Lol. I think she'd been waiting for that the whole walk.
Here in the U.S., it's almost impossible to find a decent ACD. You rarely find a group of ACDs that are relatively the same--in Texas, there is a huge variation. Some are short, some are leggy, some are stout, some are twigs; some have long, slender muzzles; some have short muzzles...the possibilities are endless, and it's terrible. I know one ACD here that actually looks good, with the exception that he is smaller in size and build than the actual breed standard. In South Dakota, it's not uncommon at all to see an ACD the size of your average German Shepherd or larger. Most of them are very attractive ACDs, only they all come in Extra Large, lol! It's just hard to find an ACD in the U.S. that comes close to the true breed standard.
