Trooper’s Funny Dog Pictures, now on Flickr

Some people believe that it is not polite to laugh at your dog, or shall I say, at your dog’s expense.  That might be true sometimes, but I choose to believe that Trooper recognizes the sound of my laughter to mean happiness and that the source of it must be okay, even if it is something outrageous he is doing.  It happens all the time.  I consider myself lucky if I can capture it on camera and add to the funny dog pictures of the world.

 

Creating Funny Dog Pictures

Sometimes you may need to set them up, it’s true.  However, if your Austalian Shepherd is anything like mine, there are likely silly moments happening all the time.  You just have to capture them!

When Trooper first tried walking in his snow boots, I probably laughed for a solid 5 minutes.  The snow boots made him seem embarrassed and confused to start with, so I’m sure my amusement lightened the situation for him.  :)

Trooper loves my laughter and he knows exactly how to encourage it.  Whenever I dance to music, he dances with me because it makes me laugh; not because he likes the music.

I’ve recently added a link in the footer of the site to take you to Flickr, where Trooper’s Top Ten Funniest Moments (that were captured on camera) will be added and maintained.  While these pictures cannot capture the range of funny sounds produced when Trooper ‘talks’, they can at least depict Trooper in a variety of situations and poses where he has been amusing to those around him.

 

Laughter as Reinforcement

Laughter is an incredible medicine.  However, be careful where you apply it.  Owners with show dogs are well aware of the disastrous effect a laughing crowd can have on performance.  And before you convince yourself it has to do with deflating self-esteem, think again.

Laughter is an incredible reinforcer.  So if you laugh at a bad behavior (i.e. A dog who is in the middle of an energetic dig-to-china routine) you are likely going to see it again.  Here’s a great article depicting a case of laughter in the show ring.

When Trooper was first investigating Fred, the African grey parrot, we started laughing because their behavior was very silly.  There was a lot of nervous tension in the air and it was hard not to laugh.  However, if we had carried on too long, we might have encouraged Trooper to get more in Fred’s face and possibly get bitten.

Dogs are a source of entertainment for a variety of reasons.  When you know your dog well, it is easy and fun to imagine what is running through their mind as they carry out a ridiculous behavior.  If your Aussie has a tendency towards laughter-inducing behavior, please share.  Smiles and laughter are always great.