Dog brain.

Today I can’t stop thinking about the fact that I am at home all day 5/7 days of the week, so Ziggy gets to laze round with me on my her couch or my bed all the time while I study. If she’s not doing that she’s sitting with one of my housemates, or she’s on one of her one to three daily walks (since I have four housemates, three of whom are prone to take her with them to the shops, or on a run, or just to play fetch in the park 100 metres away).

I wish her life could always be like this. I wish all dogs could live like this. I wish every dog was treated like a member of the family, just hanging out inside, going outside when they feel like it, just being included all the time. But even I can’t give that to Ziggy forever. I won’t be jobless forever. I won’t be single forever. I won’t always have housemates who spoil her and take her for walks. I never have before.

It makes me sad that I don’t live with Riley, and so can’t make sure that he gets to spend time inside every day. I’m pretty sure my family doesn’t let him in as often as they should. For that matter, Chester thinks he’s a dog. I wish he was inside more often too.

This post is kind of weird and I-just-want-to-hug-every-cat-ish so here’s the usual photo of Ziggy breaking my heart with cuteness.

There. Fixed.

I have dogs on the brain today.

More than usual, somehow. Along with researching a post I have drafted about ethical puppy buying (given that popular pedigree dogs have so many problems, yet breeders warn against buying “designer” mutts and the evils of puppy farming and backyard breeding) I spent a silly amount of time today researching Maltaliers. It never occurred to me until yesterday that Ziggy was not a unique special snowflake of a mutt, some (ridiculous) people actually call her “designer”. Her “breed” has a name. She’s a Maltalier. It’s a name encouraged mostly by puppy farmers, but still.

It’s always confused me that she looks like a particularly shaggy Maltese rather than resembling a Cavalier. Since my parents got her for me as a surprise I never got to see her parents, and wondered if she had any Cavalier at all. But it turns out that most Maltaliers seem to look more or less like her. Validation!

I also spent a few hours reading about Tibetan Mastiffs. I’ve never forgotten when I first laid eyes on one. I would love to buy one when I own a house with a large yard (though that may well be when I am 40. Or 50). I will name him/her Ludo. One day.

One day if I ever finish this Law essay, that is.

Back to it.

This video I posted yesterday spoke specifically about dog breeding in the UK but above is a link to the RSPCA’s information about the extent to which the facts can be applied to Australian dog breeding.

Spoiler Alert: it is virtually exactly the same.

aaaawwwwww noooooo how did she get out? At least she’s safe :P

I had a table propped down the side of our house so Ziggy couldn’t get out of our yard, but the landlord moved it when she looked at our heater.

Since it was moved, Ziggy would normally go out the back door when she needed to, then cry at the front door to be let back in (apparently forgetting that the back door is still open).

It seems this time she was in the mood for adventure.