Isn't it funny how owners resemble their dogs?

"Those collie types are mental, aren't they?"

I've heard this so many times, when people have seen my pack herding each other around the fields, and each time I answer, "yes, they get it all from me."

Eventually, it got me thinking. Have I merged into some type of human/collie hybrid species from living with Border Collies for decades? Have my dogs picked up human mental health disorders from living with me?

I've written before about the idea that Border Collies seem to have similar mental health issues to some humans. When I think about it, I'm very sure that I share these issues with my pack of collies.

I'm certainly not saying that me and my dogs suffer from serious illnesses, more that we have similar "traits" to each other.

We all thrive on routine, as most working breeds do.

A well-designed routine is so important for the mental wellbeing of a working dog. They need some form of routine, whether exercise routines or work stimulation. It keeps their brain and natural instincts fed and satisfied. A well-stimulated working dog will be able to rest and switch off when needed, and be fully alert and ready when it's work time.

I also need a routine to be able to exist. I'm certainly not one for spontaneous decisions. I like my life planned and in order. My paper diary is a treasured and necessary item in my daily life — I can't trust a mobile phone diary. Everything goes into my diary, whether work or non-work. Just knowing that lots of menial details are stored in there, as well as all my work appointments, gives my brain comfort. As I flick through now, there are reminders such as:

• Change all the dog beds in the van
• Wash the water bowls I use at work
• Make sure I clip the fur between Bane's front-left paw toes (he had a scuff mark last week)

All tasks given a time and date for completion.

All tasks that I will more than likely do well before the scheduled time.

All tasks that, if not in my diary, would cause sleepless nights as I worry I will forget to carry them out.

Most of the tasks are carried out once a month anyway, but I still need the reminder to keep harmony in my life.

If we have an agility show coming up over a weekend, all details are added to the diary. To most people I'm sure that just adding the name of the show and the venue address would be enough. Not to me — I have to work out in advance a multitude of planned events. My diary page will be filled with:

• Time to get out of bed the morning of
• Time for breakfast
• Time to set off
• Time scheduled for a stop-off for a coffee
• Back-up route if the sat nav stops working
• Address of the stop-off area for toilet walks
• Number of treats to take, and type

And so on.

Would my dogs' diary look the same, if they had one?

Our combined obsession for routine doesn't stop with my diary and their daily routine.

When I let them out of the van for exercise in the fields, they must come out of their cages in a certain order. This isn't just a necessary action on my part — if I let them out in a different order it causes much confusion. Some of them, used to coming out later in the group, will stand in their cages looking across at whoever should be let out first. Some will even jump back in the van and lie down, waiting for the correct order of play. Interestingly, most of them also have a planned order for getting back into the van — not the same as the order of coming out, either. It's like our order of feeding: all food bowls go down in a certain order.

If I accidentally change the order, it results in puzzled looks of "I can't eat mine yet, it's not my turn", and yes, some of them will even walk away from their bowl until the correct order is resumed. A strange concept for any dog, especially when the food in question will have been eaten in seconds — so does a pecking order really matter? Well, it does to them.

This weird habit does have benefits, of course. If anyone is unwell, I can tell instantly by their desire to eat, and no one will go near anyone else's bowl, so any leftover food is spotted immediately.

— Kate