I haven't read the entire thread so I apologize if this has been said before. Time and time again Border Collies are said to the most intelligent of all the breeds and the ones I've had the pleasure of having been around, who've had great training, have been undeniably brilliant!
Congratulations on your new 'Babe'....she caught the brass ring of a loving home!
It said, "That getting another pet after a beloved pet has passed on is NOT a replacement for the dog that has gone to the Rainbow Bridge, but is filling the empty place left in our hearts that our beloved pet left."