A FOUR-LEGGED farm team have proved you really can teach old dogs new tricks and save the family business into the bargain.

After foot-and-mouth hit their idyllic Teesdale hillside two years ago, farmers Marcus and Mandy Bainbridge found inspiration for a new career from their six hardworking border collies who have helped them open up opportunities across the world.

The dogs, led by ten-year-old Pip, are the mainstay of the couple's new businesses based at their 150-year-old home Laverock Hall, on the edge of Eggleston Fell, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within the North Pennine Dales.

They first set up a company called Colliwobbles selling dog lovers a whole range of goods like kitchenware, clothing and stationery covered with pictures of pets.

Customers across the globe buy from the company's website and there is a huge market at dog agility, flyball and agricultural shows.

Now Marcus and Mandy, who have a five-year-old son called Josh, are trying to cut down on their travelling by launching a second string to their bow, a range of sheepdog and agility days called Ewe and Your Collie on fields next to their home.

The courses on offer from next week include Sheepdog Days with their friend Stuart Walton, who is the current English National Brace Champion, with his dogs Dug and Amos.

They also offer to help non-farming owners to understand and train their border collies and classes with a top agility instructor.

Mandy said: "We set up Colliewobles because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak as we simply had no money coming in.

"Having worked with sheepdogs for many years, we knew just how clever and truly remarkable a champion sheepdog is.

"Their instincts have been fine-tuned over generations and they excel in so many disciplines, but a lot of owners don't understand what makes them tick.

"People who come here sometimes stay in the area and another friend from a farm supplies lunches so we are helping other businesses as well."

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) supports the couple through a Rural Enterprise Scheme.

Contact the Bainbridges on (01833) 605695 or 650023, www.colliewobbles.com