top five favourite kinds of dog?
oh man. how do I choose. there are so many good kinds of dog in the world and that's without even touching the glorious variety of mixes out there. it's like picking favorite children
but okay okay okay let's see here. how many of these are going to be herding dogs
(including pictures because dog photos)
1. border collies.
This is the easiest one and I know it's probably because my first dog growing up was a border collie, but also they're perfect and also I relate to them a ridiculous amount. I too am a neurotic creature who needs to have a job or I get weird. And like the specific border collie my family had, I don't know when to stop. Every time I see a border collie it rejuvenates me. Every time I see one and don't get to say hi it makes me a little sad.
(Pictured: Sadie, the border in question.)
2. english shepherds.
Another "this is a dog that I (or my family) has actually lived with" entry and also another "I'm obsessed with herding dogs generally" entry, and honestly they have a lot in common with border collies except that they are, in my experience, maybe a little chiller. But not much. But god, I have loved both English shepherds I've lived with so much and they're very special to me because of that.
(Pictured: Juno; Keely was the other one.)
3. irish wolfhounds
Honestly a big part of this might just be the THEY'RE BIG of it all - I love a big dog, despite every other entry on this list - but also I think this is partly down to one specific Irish wolfhound puppy I met who was just very precious. Also a little bit the fact that I've always headcanoned Huan (of The Silmarillion fame) as looking like a wolfhound. But it probably is at least a little bit the THEY'RE BIG.
4. corgis.
Who doesn't love a corgi, but look, they're good. Also another herding dog, don't look at me like that. It's their sweet little faces. I'm always sad when I see a fat one, though, which so many of the pets are. At college there was a professor who had two cardigan Welsh corgis and every time I was in the building I would pray to see them. (I didn't very much.)
5. rectangle dogs
This is cheating because it covers multiple breeds and is my blanket term for all of them - pit bulls, staffordshire bull terriers, etc. They look like they're built out of rectangles and it's great. I know that their reputation isn't wholly unearned, but I've never met one that wasn't a lover, and their lean, because of their sheer amount of muscle, is almost unmatched.
bonus mention to australian shepherds, bernese mountain dogs, newfoundlands, samoyeds, great pyrenees, belgian turveren, greyhounds, borzois, silkhounds, I could keep going



















