#they want another rough collie

[chasteblowjay]

I got Amelia a harness for her second birthday (which was Tuesday) I can’t believe she’s so big now 😭

[kangals]

since i forget it's not common knowledge for non-Dog™ people, brief overview of the collie thing and why i was losing my shit:

idk every country, but at least for the American Kennel Club (AKC) and Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), "Collie" refers to a specific breed of dog, most iconic as the breed of "Lassie":

these three dogs are all collies. collies come in two varieties, "rough" (longhair, more common), and "smooth" (shorthair, less common). both rough and smooth collies are considered the same breed, judged to the same standards, and can be born in the same litter, similar to how a black lab and a yellow lab are both labradors. it is equally correct to refer to them as a "rough/smooth collie" or as simply a "collie," as that is their official breed name in the US/Canada. while they used to be extremely popular in the mid-20th century, collies sit at #39 on the AKC breed popularity lists nowadays, making them solidly "somewhat uncommon."

a border collie is a separate and distinct breed of dog. while they share a common ancestor with the collie and are also herding dogs, their appearance, temperament, and herding style are all distinctly different. they can come in many colors, but are most commonly black and white with medium-to-long hair:

while a border collie is a type of collie-dog, in the US they are generally referred to as "borders" or "BCs" rather than just "collies," as "collie" is already the name of a different breed. BCs are more popular than collies nowadays, so most laypeople are more familiar with them than with rough or smooth collies. but given that "collie" already refers to a different breed, in the US/Canada it's not technically correct to also refer to a border collie as simply "collie" (or call them a collie, who cares, i'm not a fucking cop).

however, this gets further muddled depending on which country you're in - for example in the UK and many european countries, there is no breed that's simply called "collie" - Rough Collies and Smooth Collies are two separate breeds, in addition to Border Collies, which are significantly more popular. in the UK, "collie" isn't the name of any specific breed, but most people will use it as shorthand for their BCs. "collie" in the UK and "collie" in the US often mean two different dogs.

and then you also have the bearded collie, again a distinct breed, but much more difficult to mix up due to A) their rarity and B) the fact that they look like walking muppets:

and honorable mention to the shetland sheepdog or "sheltie," which while related to the collie is, again, a separate breed, and most notably is significantly smaller than a collie. if you see a dog that looks like Lassie But Small, it's probably a sheltie.

IN CONCLUSION:

several different recognized breeds of collie-type dogs

only one breed is officially named "Collie" and that's the rough/smooth varieties in the US and Canada (aka "Lassie dog")

ergo, there is only one breed of dog that "collie" actually refers to (in North America at least)

however due to the differences in names between countries and the overall higher popularity of border collies, they and other breeds are sometimes also referred to as "collies"

i own a rough collie and she is very pretty and therefore superior and if you call any other type of dog a collie except for the rough/smooth type you're Wrong.

thank u for coming to my TED talk.

[simplyghosting]

Largest size dog bed we’ve seen at the store and he still just barely fits on it. Too big boy.

[angstyhikka]

We decided to do the most terrible thing possible to Collie - puberty >:^)

The boy becomes stronger. He loses control over his magic, his body constantly morphs and strives to become BIGGER. And the funny thing is that neither the kid nor Philip know what is happening to him, and those who know (Archi and Colibri from TandemAU) do not tell. Archi thus takes revenge on Collie for abandoning their family, and Tandem-Colli, to whom his Archi told everything about puberty long before it began, decided that this was not his problem

The only one who tries to help Collie and give at least a rough idea of ​​puberty is Luz. She has no idea how puberty works for the archivists, but she shares with Collie her knowledge of how it works for humans. It doesn't help much, but Collie now at least knows the name of his "disease"

But the problems don't end there... Collie is horny. And he is very, very ashamed of it. He wants to fuse souls with someone. And due to the fact that the only person close to him is Philip, he begins to think that he is in love with him. And Philip, like a typical anime protagonist, doesn’t understand shit and thinks that Collie is just hungry. THEY HAD A MOMENT when Collie, during their another fight, almost swallowed Philip’s head, and this, as we remember, is the language of love and sympathy for Archi (and probably all archivists, I think). And then Collie quickly came to his senses, pulled back and hovered for a minute, after which he ran away without saying anything. What did Philip do? Philip, our dearest autistic creature, didn’t understand a damn thing and ignored what happened. EVERYONE. Literally EVERYONE NOTICED, only Philip didn’t notice

All this Collier's ignorance about what is happening to him, his inability to put energy somewhere and confusion in feelings lead to the fact that he turns into Collistrophe - the final boss of the anarchist story. He becomes completely uncontrollable, his desires get the better of him, and Armageddon begins on the Boiling Islands. And if previously the residents of BI still somehow put up with what was happening, then THIS case crossed all possible lines. There is no night - it is always day, and no one can sleep no matter how hard they try. Noise, fun and games 24/7!

How will Luz, Hunter and Philip get out of this situation and calm Collie down? WE DON'T KNOW :))) But we'll figure it out

[x-birdsong-x]

overly specific house dog au headcanons? spill some?

I can try and fit in one post everyone I've settled completely on so far, and also be obnoxious about dog breeds. fun

I've also bothered @greghatecrimes with a lot of these so very big thanks to them for helping me settle on breeds for everyone <3

It's when I've settled on a "base breed" with dogs that sometimes things just go crazy and go from there

Start with the most overly unnecessarily detailed one here you go:

Adams is the oddest most fantasy mixed breed of ALL fucking time her parents are one Belgian Tervuren and one Borzoi x Ibizan Hound and she appeared so much Tervuren that it’s just possible to miss that she’s got any sighthound(s) in her.

Editing to go even more in-detail with this one because my girl deserves it: She ends up looking somewhere between these two:

She’s very pointy and very leggy but she is very long-furred and that's where the mistakes come from. She moves mostly with the gaits of her sighthound sides which the others find is an easy way to make her bristle. She’s prancing across the room and Chase says you move like a sighthound and she says no I don’t (yes she does)

Park is a Silken Windsprite:

Probably struggles in snow and sometimes has to jump and jump to get through it when it's really deep but Adams mumbles that it’s cute and that's Fight invitation. Park brings up that Adams gets snowballs stuck on her and that it takes hours to melt out of her fur. ("Fuck you!" - "Do it yourself!") It's probably fair to say she has some little dog syndrome.

Chase is an Australian Shepherd. House probably used to make comments about he and Cameron both being Merle:

Cameron is this specific Border Collie (but with blue eyes, ofc):

Probably does the Collie Crouch sometimes. Absolutely does the Collie Stare, and that would come into House's "you can't actually pierce me with your eyes" moments.

Foreman is a Central Asian Shepherd:

For a slight visual similarity to how I imagine post-Lockdown Angst Cameron might feel meeting Masters, Masters is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever:

Probably has what I call in the groomers "Smart Breed Anxiety" along with her autism swag. Dogs who listen to and seem to understand every word you say and if you're telling someone or another pet off for anything, they assume they're the one you're talking to and give all their guilty looks. Also using my Bluebear as reference with that visual.

Thirteen is this Utonagan!!! No other visual!!! Have such a canine visual of The Dig it's insane.

Wilson of course took Golden Retriever. Definitely one of the larger/silkier ones. Show-type. He'd definitely be a dark gold but this is the best pic I have for how I picture him -color:

House is a Scottish Deerhound, mixed with what? He doesn't know. Wants to know. Very easy to miss that he's a cross:

(Little Rachel rode on his back for a bit once.)

Speaking of, Rachel is a little pupper Sheltie (Natalie) x English Shepherd (Simon) but she barely shows any Shep traits when it comes to looks:

Rachel's a mini-me of her mama, Cuddy took Rough Collie:

Kutner is a Springer Spaniel x Large Münsterländer, leaning more looks-wise toward the latter and leaning energy-level toward the former:

Taub is a Beagle, Chihuahuas are just too small for one of the main characters in my little visual I'm afraid (and I forgot Smooth Fox Terriers existed):

Rachel is a long-haired Dachshund, and Ruby is a show-type English Cocker Spaniel, so Sophie and Sophia are those crosses respectively. Click on the Spaniel to see the full pic.

Amber takes (Red) Siberian Husky:

She's quite thick-coated but she doesn't fall under "Woolly Husky" coat type.

Red (Irish) Setter Stacy:

Plott Hound Mark:

Dominika... So This dog is obviously a Belgian Malinois maybe crossed with something fluffier (unless the listing change from Mali to Terv is accurate, then she's just Small) but she looks exactly like this:

Saluki Lydia:

Belgian Malinois Alvie:

Lucas is just straight-up a Coyote. It just fits him too well. He gets a Coyote-themed name in the WC AU, and gets to be a Coyote when I think about canines:

Beauceron Nolan. Can't see him as something as round and soft as Newfies but also can't see him as a bully-type:

[purplesaline]

Welp Cloak's service dog placement fell through and if we can't find him another service dog home I'm gonna wind up keeping him and you guys I don't WANT a rough collie! 🤣🤣

(In reality I'll keep him and work on training him for service work and then send him off to a service home when he's older)

Here he is wanting to be with the person when there's various dogs and puppies running around and playing in a massive yard

[lingering-42-long]

i love seeing cod furries!!!!!!! 🫶🐺✨️

So do I!!!! And just for you I made this post based off of what I think each of the COD characters fursonas would be. Let me know if I should do more characters!

And now to our list:

Price : Bear

 I can totally 100% see Price as a bear. A lot of people think bears are fat and lazy, but in reality there are a whole bunch of muscle that can haul ass and put you on the censorship. Grizzly bears are definitely aggressive and very protective especially the females over their cubs. While Price is no Female, he definitely takes great consideration on looking over his team. For this I dub him the bear.

Gaz : Chocolate Labrador Retriever

Gaz is loyal, strong, sweet, and always ready for when Duty calls! Like a Labrador retriever, they are always eager to please, very friendly, and hard-working. Chocolate labs are known for being incredibly family and friend oriented and this really fit his personality. 

Johnny “Soap”: Scottish Red Deer

This was surprisingly hard because I had three options I wanted to go with a rough collie, a jack Russell terrier, or a Scottish red deer. The Scottish red deer one. Deer may seem skittish on the outside but in reality they’re actually very fast, very skilled at dealing with tough situations, and very quick on their feet. I feel like his personality match that of a red deer because of not only a Scottish red deer being from his natural homeland, but they’re also incredibly rugged creatures and very strong. When push comes to shove, you do not want to be in their way when there is a male that is willing to protect his herd. I feel like soap is kind of like that. Once again, very protective of his team, loves the outdoors, and can be very obnoxious to those who don’t see his enthusiasm the same way *cough* Ghost *cough*.

Simon “Ghost” Riley: Skull dog

This was actually easy. Skull dogs, also known as Scullys, are highly misunderstood creatures. While they may appear aggressive and terrifying on the outside, this is usually a way to deter creatures from befriending them. They prefer the silence of their own selves over a large group. With that being said, they are very possessive and aggressive over their personal belongings, and yes that can include a group. Ghost represents this very well. Maybe at one point in life he was a normal dog, but through the pain and torture that he went through he changed into a Skully after suffering with so much.

König: German Shepard

Another obvious choice, but this one was actually surprisingly hard. I wanted to give him a dog that was also a little misunderstood, like he is, as well as a dog that had a great sense of personality and charm, that also made it lovable in a slightly aggressive way. I think the German Shepherd is a good fit for him. They are loyal, strong, built for the military life, and can make a great family dog with proper care. König is the same. Misunderstood as a aggressive creature, only to be believed to be good for clearing out a room, all he wants is to have A happy and fulfilled life.

Horangi: Tiger

Like his name states, he is a tiger. He’s earned his stripes in battle, and he isn’t afraid to fight. He has a sense of purpose now in his life after making bad decisions in his youth. A tiger is a great fit for him. Strong, agile, and bold hunters, a tiger learns from their mistakes in order to become a better hunter.

Phillip Graves: Treeing Walker

Coonhound

Coonhounds is a short word for a large category of dogs that specialize in hunting raccoons, a type of critter that likes to live in trees. They can also be used to hunt foxes or any other small game. Philip matches the hound, not only because the hound was created in the United States, but also because they are incredibly loyal and will obey any order without question. Philip may have been the bad guy in the story line but that doesn’t mean that he was the bad guy at heart. Back at home he was seen as the good ol’ boy and poster child for every want to be military kid.

Alejandro and Rudy: Xoloitzcuintle

Bold and fearless the Xolo was the dog used by the ancient Mayans to protect and be used as guard dogs. Highly sacred and prized for their strength,  these dogs served their masters well as well as becoming active family pets. Alejandro and Rudy our a perfect example of this amazing Mexican breed. determined and loyal mix in with the fierceness, they protect the people of their small town from Valeria and her goons.

Valeria: Coyote

When I think of a force to be reckoned with, I do think of a coyote. They are smart, cunning and very dangerous. Always working together in large packs with one being the bait, leading and drawing in their victims until the rest of the pack members around, and slowly kill the unsuspecting target. They are able to survive in any climates and are incredibly resourceful in almost every terrain. They are a pest that so many farmers and cityfolk alike hate. Valeria Fits as a coyote for her ability to evade Alejandro and his team as well as always seeming to do the worst amount of damage in the quickest amount of time without losing her low profile. like a coyote, she is skilled in handling herself in any area, always keeping minimum contact and yet seeming to make the biggest impact without revealing anything. She keeps her cards close and she knows the game well.

Kate Laswell: Rough Collie

no creature is a better guard dog than a rough collie! They are very good at keeping an eye on a large flock and are always making sure that nothing happens to them under their watchful eye. Just like a collie, Kate has dedicated her life to being the eye for the team. She’s also very good at giving information out and resourceful. 

General Shepherd: American Eagle

When most people hear the American eagle they think of freedom they think of power they think of strength and they think of United States of America. What a lot of people don’t realize is eagles are pretty mean and have been known to steal and harass other eagles. I feel like general Shepard matches this perfectly because of his title and position in charge but in reality he’s just a shady bird that had worked his way up through the cracks and crevices of a broken system and he knows it too.

[darkhighness]

Good Omentober Day 25 - The Hellhound

Prompt by @disaster-dog

Crowley discovers his soft side on an unconventional assignment from Hell and lives to tell the tale to Aziraphale years later.

Crowley had found himself in quite an interesting situation. Things had been painfully dull on Earth since Jesus’ crucifixion and he was craving something new to do. That’s how he ended up getting assigned to work in the beasts' department for a six-month stint while another demon was predisposed to causing havoc on Earth. Right now, he was cradling what was one day going to be a large, vicious hellhound in his arms and watching as its tail wagged eagerly for a small taste of the puppy milk he had in a bottle in his other hand.

“Aren’t you a cutie, little Dondun?” Crowley cooed, gently scratching behind the dog’s ears.

Crowley would die inside if anyone saw him like this but he couldn’t help but melt in the presence of a litter of puppies, even if they were Hellhounds. This one in particular held a special place in his heart. He was the runt of a little of 3 and had been entirely abandoned by his mother. Crowley spent all his time with the little one, willing it to grow up lovely and strong.

Over the next month, Crowley would nurture and play with the puppy but he seemed stunted. The demon wouldn’t admit it but he was really worried about him. He was barely half the size of his brothers and Crowley knew if he didn’t improve soon, his life would be short-lived.

“Come on Donnie, you gotta eat,” Crowley sighed, nudging the bowl of demonic kibble towards the weak dog.

Today was particularly bad. Dondun hadn’t even moved all day, curled up in the far corner of the kennel, shaking in the cool. Crowley gently ran his hand along the back of the dog, slowly resigning himself to the fact that Dondun likely wouldn’t survive the night despite his best efforts.

He picked up the puppy and cradled him as he had many times before, gently petting his head and a few tears began to streak his cheeks, “I’ve got you, Donnie. You go when you’re good and ready.”

Crowley spent the entire night there with the puppy. Dondun took his final raspy breath in the demon’s arms and for the next week, Crowley was numb.

---

It had taken a very long time for Crowley to forget about Donnie. He swore off ever caring about dogs ever again, deciding it was too cruel to trust an animal with his heart.

Aziraphale however, was not aware of this fact when he brought home a bright eyed, fluffy-tailed Border Collie that he’d adopted on a whim. The dog sat obediently at the door to the bookshop, just behind Aziraphale and Crowley could see the dog's big brown eyes that felt so familiar

The dog let out a small yap before breaking past Aziraphale to run to Crowley. Surprised by this, Crowley jumped up, prepared to defend himself from the attacker.

Instead, the dog just licked Crowley’s hand and its tail was wagging excitedly.

The demon bent down to meet the dog at its level. It didn’t take any major miracle to see what was happening. Behind the dog's eyes were the remnants of the soul of a small hellhound that never got to see the world. Behind this Collie’s eyes were the remaining shards of Donnie.

The emotions returned as a flood and Crowley couldn’t hide the tears from Aziraphale as he held the dog in a haphazard hug, his hand gently mussing up the fur around the Collie’s neck.

“Well, it seems like you two will get on just swimmingly!” Aziraphale gushed.

“It’s like I’ve known him my whole life,” Crowley chuckled slightly between the tears, scratching the rough fur around his neck, “We’ve been together since the start, haven’t we Donnie?”

Aziraphale was confused at that, having not even named the dog himself but he was just so pleased to see Crowley being actually vulnerable for once, he didn’t want to interrupt. The Collie was all over Crowley, having now pinned him on the floor of the bookshop to scatter licks all over the demon’s face.

Aziraphale thought that Crowley would surely put a stop to this any moment now.

But he didn’t.

Crowley knew about reincarnation, everyone did, but he didn’t assume it extended to things like hellhounds. He would’ve thought they’d be labelled as too devious to deserve a second life yet here Dondun was, in front of him with those same big eyes and the same excitement, just a different body. He even yapped like the little hellhound he knew.

“Where did you find him?” Crowley asked slowly, suddenly fearing his companion would be cruelly ripped away from him once again.

“In the shelter!” Aziraphale declared proudly. He originally went looking for a cat after seeing one in a cafe that he was doting over but once he met the excitable dog he simply couldn’t resist, “I thought the bookshop could use a little more life.”

“I can’t believe you’d ever volunteer to get something that could hurt your precious books,” Crowley laughed weakly, wrapping his arms around the dog.

“Well I had planned to train him but it seems he’s taken quite a liking to you already. And you already gave him a name!” The angel fussed playfully.

“It’s always been his name. Dondun. Donnie is much nicer though,” Crowley corrected.

“Always?” The angel queried.

That’s how Crowley ended up sitting down with Aziraphale and Donnie and explaining his brief stint in the Beasts department. He told Aziraphale all about Donnie’s mother and how he was abandoned. He recounted the late nights he spent nursing the pup and he also recalled the heartbreak of Donnie’s death.

The angel and the demon housed many dogs in the bookshop after that point. Many breeds, all living entirely different lives but each one had the same big brown eyes. It always hurt when another pup would eventually leave their lives but Crowley held the small comfort in his heart that Donnie would always find his way back home, their souls irrevocably linked.

[jyou-no-sonoko19]

hi. there is something I've been meaning to ask hope you could help me with. so how to draw a character (human) into a certain animal? like what you do in bunwell. there are some characters I want to give them what if they were a dog but like that. I don't really know where to look or where to start so I was hoping you can give me a tip or guide me where to look?

ty

Ooh, anthro question, interesting!

So the first thing to do is fine-tune your animal choice to a species level, to the degree that the animal both has some visual similarities to the human (think sharpness of features, length of hair, colouring) and personality associations (like labrador retriever for a really loyal, good-natured person, or a maltese poodle for someone who can be quite prissy and temperamental).

If you don't have any experience drawing anthro, I'd recommend studying some classic styles to get an idea of what sort of stylisation you want to do, such as Disney's Robin Hood for a more realistic set of features, or for something cartoonier, try Warner Brother's Road Rovers or Jim Henson's Dog City (the animated segments, but the puppets can be helpful too). Those are specifically useful for diverse dog anthro references.

Once you've chosen your species, there's the trickiest part: creating an ungodly fusion of human and beast! >:o If you want to keep human hair the same as the source, you'll want to use animal ears, but sometimes you can merge the animal's ears with the human hair, such as with a cocker spaniel whose ears lie in a similar way; this allows you to keep the shape of their heads quite close to the human's. Another big important choice is how much of a snout you want the anthro to have: an advantage of shortening the snout is that your face can look more human but with a few animal features, but that does take away from the recognisability of the species, and can come off as a lack of dedication to the concept. If a person has sharp features, embrace a pointier snout!

In the end, though, don't feel too hemmed in by the breed you've chosen, because this is stylisation. For instance, if you wanted to draw Laura DeMille as a rough collie anthro, because of their Scottish ancestry and their ample, long fur, but prefer the colouring and curly ears of a boykin spaniel, go ahead and say you're anthro is a mix of both! (This can be a particularly fun technique if the person you're anthroing is of mixed heritage, and you can research breeds for both sides) It's worth noting that there is a particularly maligned form of anthro where vastly different animals -- such as a fox and eagle -- are mixed in order to gain a specific set of features, for an essentially impossible species. But the degree to which the anti-science of this matters to you relies on how much the world you're creating follows specific biological rules that mirror our own (eg. wolves and domestic dogs can breed, snakes and frogs cannot). For an example of a fantasy series that threw all that out the window for a truly charming cast of characters, check out Disney's The Wuzzles (thereby wrapping up my tendency of recommending show that were on in my childhood), which includes Bumblelion (a bee and lion mix), Butterbear (a bear and butterfly) and Rhinokey (a rhinosaurus and monkey).

Traditionally, anthro characters are clothed, but artists tend to be split on how much human modesty concerns should apply to them: for instance, many (usually male) anthro characters wear only a tshirt or other item, leaving their more animal-shaped hindquarters and tail exposed. This can be particularly useful for characters whose bodies could make tailoring clothing difficult. It's also an issue of some variation whether female characters should have human secondary sex characteristic (breasts and wide hips) or just retain a similar body shape to their animal aspect, but bipedal. Many artists deal with the latter issue by using some kind of fur-ruff at the chest to mimic a female human silhouette without adding breasts (and thereby suggesting that their mammaries go down their stomachs, like in regular dogs, etc).

Good luck with your designing, and feel free to tag me in your sketches! :D I'm always interested in seeing how artists choose to do their anthros.

[kangals]

Congrats on puppy!! Is there a reason you wanted another rough vs smooth? Preference? The chance of two dogs with surfer bro bangs?

just preference! this particular breeder actually breeds mostly smooths so i would have made things easier on myself if i didn't care, but i'm stubborn lol. i do definitely like smooth collies, but i think roughs have a much more striking appearance. and being able to bury your hands/face into that ruff is glorious.

im definitely jealous of the lower grooming needs of the smooths, but i actually prefer the shedding of long-haired dogs over short. it's the same amount of hairs, but short hairs are stiff and fly up everywhere and stick into things like a million little eyelashes, vs long hair tends to sort of clump together and sink. one of my co-workers has a gorgeous smooth but every time i touch that dog i'm brushing little stiff hairs off me for hours. i'm fine with trading that for an extra half-hour of grooming per week.

[wyrddogs]

i am sooo late but if you could take the temperament of one breed and apply it to the aesthetics of another breed, which breeds would you pick?

Oh that is a GREAT question. Hmmm...

See I really like the dachshund temperament combined with the dachshund look. It would be the same if you had the dachshund temperament on something more fierce looking because a huge part of the appeal is the sweet little face and the cute little drop ears and the hilarious nub legs combined with the personality of a hardened killer.

And as far as shepherds go, I want my shepherd to look and act like a shepherd, you know? I don't want my shepherd acting like a silken windhound. So I'm not really sure--

WAIT.

I'VE GOT IT.

Someone combine the general "all rounder" farmdog temperament with some decent drive (say, the level of a border collie) and slap it in a rough collie skin and I'd be all over that animal. I adore collies with my entire heart but every single one I've met is too soft and too chill (for me to own). The collie in my agility class has some actual decent drive but he is easily spooked and shuts down when confused and I think that's a shame.

Thank you for asking!

[hells-greatestdad]

6. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be?

//

I have always wanted a Rough Collie, or a Smooth Collie. (Rought = long haired, Smooth = short haired.) So yeah, basically I just want a dog, but.... it's been a dream of mine since I was 11. I used to long for it so so SO deeply.

My obsession with Collies actually started when the 50th anniversary of Lassie hit TV Land (a channel) in the 2000s! I immediately fell in love and Lassie became a special interest and hyperfixation that's endured to this day.

They also do, or used to, line breed the Lassies down from the first one who starred in the movie Lassie Come Home (actually a male named Pal), and ANOTHER dream of mine used to be to get a puppy that resulted from that line breeding.

[fjordfolk]

A penny for your thoughts (& bit of background info) : I recently lost my heart-dog, as of last year. He was my very best friend & I miss him greatly, however I know that I'll eventually want to have another dog once I'm ready.

I am very slowly looking through breeders etc & have never before been concerned about colours of the pup before, as long as the mind is sound. however this time, I have a strong preference towards the pup *not* having the same colors as my previous dog, simply because of the reminder & I want to start fresh. My previous dog was a sheltie & my future dog will probably be a rough collie, so there's already a difference breed-wise, but still many similarities.

Do you think this is reason enough to mention my preference to a breeder? Or do you think they'd consider me 'color chasing' & disapprove? I've heard breeders mention before that they dislike people having a preference in terms of color, because the mind of the dog & potential match between pup & owner should matter the most. Which for me it still does, ofc, but I think I'd really struggle with starting over if the new pup is a lookalike of my late beloved companion. Idk, I'm really at a loss here. Any thoughts? ❤️

First of all, I'm sorry you lost your heart dog and I'm glad you're able to take this at your own pace.

I feel like 'colour chasing' can be bypassed to a certain extent in our breeds, since colour genetics are so straightforward and most combos will only throw ~1-2 possibilities (unless sable merles are in play) and so many breeders specialize in some direction.

That said, I think telling them pretty much exactly what you just told me - I think most people would understand that. You don't have to lead with it, but it's a honest and well-founded request. If a breeder isn't willing to meet you on such a basic human level, I'd question whether this is the person I'd feel comfortable asking stupid questions to when my puppy turns into a hellion mid-teething.

[talonsandtails]

I didn’t share this because I lost most of my audience so I didn’t think anyone cared and I still don’t but I’m sharing this because I want to show pictures of my dog

If you’ll remember my Rottweiler Sherman died last Christmas unexpectedly. Still know idea what killed his but the vets suggested meningitis. I still think about him all time and cry occasionally. I miss him more than I’ve missed anything.

In the period after her died I heard the phrase “grief is love that has nowhere to go” and I love that because I think it sums up how I felt very well. I loved that dog so much and then with no warning he’s gone.

But getting another dog helps the loneliness, at least for me, so I did

Her names Dixie and she’s a purebred rough collie. Even though I miss Sherman, I love Dixie very much. It’s been very different having her around because she’s so different from him. He was very stubborn and difficult to raise, and he always had this intense aura about him. Probably because his resting face looked like he was about to chomp someone. He was head over heels for me, had a lot of goofy moments, and he was 24/7 watching me. I missed the security he provided.

Dixie is almost the opposite. She loves everyone, everyone’s her friend, she’s not stubborn at all, extremely submissive, and not as obsessed with me as Sherman was. She is definitely bonded to me though because I’m the only one she’ll reliably obey recall from lol. Having her around helped me to move on, because here was a small little being who was relying on me to take of care her and was ready to love me with all her heart. She’s six months old now and is growing to be a beautiful little girl.

And now have some random photos of her

[writing-good-vibes]

i will gladly talk about the silly little guys

you're so right, they are silly little guys !! our silly little guys !! 💗

honestly, i love just playing with them like dolls, making them suffer or just smashing them together in some pantomime of romance lol. and i'm sorry to all the barbie girlies (gn) out there, i only had one barbie and i never really played with her, but what i did fuck with was sylvanian families !! [was anyone gonna tell me they're called calico critters in america ??]

unfortunately this comparision got stuck in my head so brace yourselves for the sylvaniansonas i've picked for them below the cut, as well as a little break-down of why i generally like each pairing.

corey: a chestnut dog. he's got curly-adjacent hair and a sort of youthful, go getter vibe. i think his fur would be a little bit darker, than this picture, but the length feels right. he's playful and wide-eyed and is not at all prepared for what his future is going to bring.

roger: a dalmatian. i feel like dalmatians are a little more classy and sophisticated, but still a large and intimidating breed, which is perfect for roger who is an upper-middle class gentleman. his dark patches might be greying a little bit, but he's handsome.

michael: a hound dog. strong and rugged. of course michael would be a little more gnarly, a little mangy maybe, with his fair share of scars and only one eye, but he's a hardy breed -- he'll survive to fight another day. i also kind of love how he and corey have the same central white patch on their faces, like corey is the slightly more plucky prodigy.

bo: a border collie. a very loyal and protective breed. it makes sense with bo being so orientated towards the family business (even if it's to a toxic degree) that he'd be a working breed. long fur means he can look a little dishevelled if not groomed, but there's something kind of majestic about him regardless.

because i've been watching soap operas for basically my whole life, i think corey and roger's affair is pretty much a storyline i would have come up with as a kid for my sylvanian family dolls. betrayal, heartbreak and villainy were staples of my imaginary world lol maybe back then i would have let theresa have her revenge but nowadays our silly little guys have to wallow in their own secret guilt.

i think the reason i love corey and roger so much is because even though there is the very serious and almost dark reality of them being together, it's also very fun to play around with them !! they have this very pop-culture romance, to me at least. there's so many ways you can play it; it's playful and dangerous and erotic and problematic and golden and dirty. it basically boils down to the contrast of fucked up suburbia (they're having this taboo affair, with both an age difference and power imbalance, corey is inexperienced and depending how you look at is, is being used because he's kind of just desperate for someone to want him) and a flirty summer romance (corey sort of has this idea of who roger wants him to be -- this playful, sweet young thing who's easy and insatiable, with rosy cheeks and who needs to be taken under this older man's wing, needs to be taken care of).

my love for corey and bo kind of comes from how they're both fucked up, and absolutely bring out the worst in each other, but ultimately they're similar (in whatever bad ways that might be) and it lets them be just a little bit vulnerable. they're violent and macho and their libido's are heavily adrenaline induced, it's rough and ready and it's what they both want before they let the bravado fall away. i sort of see their relationship as similar to the one corey would have with michael, only set on a much more levelled playing field.

now, corey and michael might be my most cherished pairing ever, which is saying a lot because i've been in this game for almost 10 years. ive talk about them so much in past posts that i won't rehash it too much here, but basically: corey found god and that god is michael. they're never going to be equals, they'll never have a normal, healthy relationship, they're always going to be on a knife's edge of michael's tolerance and corey's manipulation. but it's that intensity that makes corey fall head over heels, it's the unabashed danger and eroticism and power that makes corey weak at the knees. think unrequited love in an established relationship.

[nukenai]

(eventually) pet death mention stuff.

It's been a rough couple days for Striker. Not particularly worse than any of his usual "bad days", but the "bad days" are more frequent. He really just never bounced entirely back from getting sick a little over a year ago. He still can get up fine on carpet and outside if he happens to tumblr, which is occasional, but... Things are hard for him. Getting outside on time is pretty much impossible for him now. He gets up a lot for no reason like he's restless. His heart murmur isn't affecting his respiratory rate or anything, but his paws are staying awfully cold. He's still eating, he loves treats especially, but he's been so weird about water (literally only drinks from the cat fountain he has to walk across the house to get to).

He just seems very tired and sort of done. My brain keeps trying to convince itself he can still hang in there, because he moves pretty quick and well outside when he goes out. But he never liked spending time outside, and especially with winter coming... I just don't love the idea of a frail dog with a weak hind end having to go out in the freezing cold for months on end. I hate the idea of losing ANOTHER pet this year, but I think it's what's right for him. I don't want to make him hold on until the new year because of arbitrary shit humans made up. And maybe it'll be nice to start a year "fresh" y'know. My sister even made the pretty blunt (but correct) point of "the last thing I want is for him to drop dead on Christmas or something". Which, GOD. Like I need that. We're not doing holiday stuff this year but still. Just... no thanks.

Striker has been an ordeal for 14 years, but 14 is a very good run for a border collie. It sucks, it sucks so much and it'll always suck, and I'm like "ugh the timing" but like. When will there be GOOD timing? Closer to Christmas I'll just say "omg it's close to Christmas". Then the new year and. Well, we're taking another trip at the end of February. And I don't think I want to have to put him through boarding again! It's just so stressful for the both of us.

And honestly, it makes me feel so terrible because I ALWAYS put my animals first, but I have to think of me. I have to think of what an extreme burden Striker's issues have been for 14 straight years. But I can give myself some credit, because I always DEALT with them and never gave up on him. A lot of people would have but I didn't, and I should be proud of that. I've taken care of Striker pretty much exclusively by myself since he was 2. No one COULD help me with him because of his issues.

I think the best time to try to do something like this is when I'm okay. And sorry this is corny but it's a post by me. But it's like-- I have the SMRPG remake right now. I have Sammie right now and all my other pets. I also have concerns about my cat Lucas, because he's SIXTEEN. And he's gotten skinny too, but he doesn't have any kind of daily issues I have to help him with at all. If I wait too long with Striker, god forbid something happen to Lucas soon after that, you know?

Again it fucking sucks. It's going to suck SO HARD no matter what and there's no "good" time to put down a dog you've had since you were in fucking high school. And there's that added baggage of like, "Striker and Lucas are the only pets I have now that I've had since before my mom died", but like. I can't put that burden on them. I honestly don't think about it a ton but it's for sure a thought.

I know I'm rambling but it's just helpful to get all the thoughts out and get my head in line. It's a weekend so it's hard to get ahold of anyone, but I emailed my vet to see if they do at-home euthanasia. I'm not sure if they do. If they don't, there is a mobile vet that does it that I've heard wonderful things about. So I definitely have options.

God if you read all this sorry for ruining your fucking day. sfjghsjkdfgh.