#Australian shepherds

[high-quality-tiktoks]

Mystic + Spirit✨Border Collies are apparently the #1 smartest dog and Aussies are 56 on the list I believe😂

[trivialbob]

Tonight we had a six dogs for Christmas Eve dinner here at TrivialBob’s home. Sheila, my dad, Jack, his girlfriend Ali, and my BIL Bill were here too.

Pictured above is Bella, Lily (with me), Stella, Sulley, Ella, and Oliver. Bella, Lily, Ali (not pictured), and I had coordinated outfits. Normally I abhor matching clothing, but I make an exception on Christmas Eve. With these six dogs there are just two blue eyes, neither one on the same dog.

Sheila and Bill made pizzas with homemade crust and sauce. Though not perfectly round (subtract two points) the pizzas tasted fantastic. I ate so much I barely had room for beer. Barely.

At Christmas, Thanksgiving, and usually one other day per year I dearly wish I had two dishwashers. I hate starting my solo Kitchenaid when I can’t fit everything in it.

These high-efficiency machines run for three hours. Did we learn nothing from the nationwide 55 MPH speed limit in the 70s and early 80s? I’m staying up late to empty the only dishwasher and load the remaining dirty glassware before I retire. Everyone else has gone to bed, so I’ll enjoy a little bourbon and quiet time as I clean up. Waking to a messy kitchen is the worst. I’ll try to be quiet and not wake the people sleeping here tonight. They’ll appreciate it in the morning when Sheila cooks breakfast and... oh no, she’s going to mess up the kitchen again!

Jack made cookies for Ali’s family Christmas gathering tomorrow. He likes to bake. I like how he didn’t just mix red and green sprinkles willy-nilly; he kept them to separate sides like feuding neighbors.

I wish all of you happy holidays and peace.

[soupy-sez]

Gertrude – Australian Shepherd [X]

[normalpeoplethiings]

do you have a favourite breed of dog?

i absolutely adore border collies but i also love australian shepherds!!

[professionalunprofessional]

Another puppy Katie vid!!!

[8stims]

🥔

[learningfromlosing]

The cutest photo bomb

[bleachgirl]

[deathspeaker]

"Laser Pointer Syndrome"

So I made the mistake of mentioning I sometimes play with my dog using a laser pointer. People were quick to jump in with 'That's abusive! You're hurting your dog!'

I was baffled and asked for evidence. Most said 'If you actually cared about your dog you'd google it yourself!' Judgemental and useless, thanks!

The ones who bothered to share links all shared to blogs. Blog after blog after blog repeating literally the same talking points.

The BEST any of them said was 'Some dogs may experience OCD-like behavior because of laser pointers'. That's... that's not evidence. That's just people repeating something someone else said ad nauseam. The AKC website isn't a source. The AKC isn't a scientific body, the AKC is part of the system that has given us deformed animals that suffer their whole lives because we find their flat faces 'cute'. That's the opposite of a good source!

I found literally zero studies or a single source that wasn't just 'Something someone claims is a thing' and attaching a fake name to it to make it sound more 'scientific'.

Can dogs have OCD-like reactions to lights and shadows? Yes! Do laser pointers cause this? No. The dog is either already prone to OCD behavior or they aren't. Plenty of dogs have had this extreme obsession with light and shadows, without ever once encountering a laser light. That's an issue with an individual dog, not some... 'x causes y'. Correlation isn't causation.

Literally, I found 0 research done on this matter. Any article by actual scientists researching dogs that mentions lasers... are all about therapeutic laser use. A dog behaviorist, even one with a PHD isn't a valid source if they have no data to back it up. It's just conjecture!

But this thing is being repeated over and over and over and over again.

Some claim that it also 'frustrates' them and that they 'have no choice but to chase the laser' because it activates their prey drive. And no evidence is offered! Can this happen with some dogs? YEAH. Because dogs are individuals with individual quirks! I had a pitbull who literally couldn't care about the laser pointer. And my Aussie chases it for a little bit then gets bored and is done.

I hate how people are accusing me of 'not loving' my dog because I don't believe a bunch of blog posts that are virtually copy-pasted from each other. I want EVIDENCE. I want RESEARCH. DATA!

And if my dog did show worrying behavior because of it, I would stop! I wouldn't need evidence of an issue! But he's not showing any obsessive behavior. Doesn't even react to me shining a flashlight, doesn't gaze into sparkling surfaces like he's hypnotized and after the play is over... he comes inside, does his happy 'We played!' dance, and... that's it!

But please! if you have a source from actual researchers, with actual data, submitted to actual journals for review, I WANT to hear it! I want to read it!

But if your 'proof' is the same guess repeated without question? AND I have my own evidence that it isn't harming MY dog? Fuck off.

[wigglebuttz]

(via Does It Make Your Butt Wiggle?)

[oliviawhen]

A very summery Doggust so far. 🍃

[ghostlilacss]

-> Australian shepherd moodboard! <3

Feeling extra tiny today, guhah

[mayakern]

pups

[professionalunprofessional]

An older video of puppy Katie!!

[8stims]

🖤

[neonbuck]

designer dog (carry it in your purse) 🐕✨