The Aussie Wouldn't Look at the Tissue Box. That Said Everything.
The red merle Australian Shepherd is looking very hard at something off to the right, as if a distant noise just claimed all her attention. Next to her, the tissue box has been torn open, and a drift of white tissues spreads across the floor in soft, crumpled heaps. Her copper and gray coat catches the light from the window, and one pale blue-brown eye glances sideways at the evidence she is pretending not to see.
Australian Shepherds are energetic, brilliant herding dogs, and they tend to invent projects when they do not get enough to do. Pulling soft, flimsy things apart is a fun game for a dog like this. A daily routine with long walks, fetch, or a simple obedience game can take the edge off. As for tissues, a bit of shredded paper is usually harmless, but a dog that swallows a lot of it may get an upset stomach. If you are worried, talk to your vet, and keep boxes of tissues on a high shelf.
We will call her Juniper. She keeps her posture perfectly dignified, with her chest out and her chin lifted, like a dog who is far too busy to be questioned. A few torn scraps stick to her fur, though, and they say what she will not. Somewhere behind her, the couch blanket has not moved, and neither has her story.
