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A black tricolor Australian Shepherd puppy sits on snowy porch steps lined with evergreen garland. 20 / 23

An Aussie Puppy Took Over the Snowy Porch Steps

AI imageaustralian shepherdporch stepschristmas garland

The porch steps are dusted in snow and lined with scruffy green garland, and in the middle of them sits a fluffy black tricolor Australian Shepherd puppy. His coat is a mix of black, white and copper, his eyes are bright and one ear stands a little higher than the other as he looks to the side, perhaps at something moving in the yard. Behind him, boots and gloves lie in a jumble on the porch, and the day feels still and cold.

Australian Shepherds are intelligent, energetic herding dogs that thrive when they have a job to do. Despite the name, the breed was developed in the American West, and today they excel at agility, obedience and other dog sports. A puppy needs a lot of play and training to use his brain, and a bored one may try to herd children, other pets or people's ankles. Their thick double coats handle cold well, but wet snow can ball up on the fur and paws, so check and wipe them after play. On a porch, keep garland away from chewing, since pine needles and wire can upset a stomach.

For now he is just sitting, keeping watch over the whole snowy yard like a small sentry. Tomorrow he will probably be running circles around it, but this quiet moment on the steps is lovely, too.

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