Browse ›
A blue merle Border Collie in profile sits beside a tipped metal tin with round cookies and crumbs spilled on a wood floor. 28 / 36

The Cookie Tin Had a Tight Lid. The Border Collie Is Very Clever.

AI imageborder colliecaught in the actholiday cookies

In profile, a blue merle Border Collie sits on the living room floor with her speckled gray muzzle pointed away from the camera. Beside her, a round metal tin lies on its side with a spill of round cookies and loose crumbs across the wooden floor. Her gaze is steady and a little guilty, and her dark ears are folded forward. Evening lamplight glows in the room, with a couch, a plaid blanket, a rope toy, slippers and a houseplant in the background. We'll call her Misty, and she's looking elsewhere.

Border Collies are highly intelligent, energetic herding dogs, and they are often described as workaholics. They need lots of daily exercise, training and puzzle games, and without enough to do they can come up with their own projects, including opening tins and cupboards. Cookies often contain ingredients that are unsafe for dogs, such as chocolate chips, raisins, macadamia nuts or sweeteners like xylitol, and a lot of sugar and fat can upset a stomach. Keep treats in a latched cabinet, and call your vet if your dog eats cookies you're unsure about. Giving a Border Collie a job, like fetching or learning tricks, is the best way to keep her happy.

Misty has nothing to say. She stares past the tin with her calm, clever face, and her people can read the story in the crumbs. The cookies are gone and the tin is empty, but she'll probably get a new puzzle to solve instead.

More from this collection

All 36 →
A cream Pomeranian sits on a floor among torn rolls and scraps of brown kraft wrapping paper in a living room.A Fresh Roll of Wrapping Paper and a Pomeranian Who Loved the SoundA fluffy black Maine Coon cat has spaghetti hanging from its mouth beside a broken plate and pasta with red sauce on a floor.Dinner Hit the Floor. The Black Maine Coon Was Ready for It.
An orange longhair cat sits on a floor beside a couch whose armrest is shredded, with white stuffing hanging from the tears.The Couch Arm Was the Cat's Favorite Spot. It Also Became His Project.A red tabby Exotic Shorthair cat with a flat face sits on a wood floor beside a cardboard box torn into pieces.One Cardboard Box Was Sitting Quietly. The Grumpy Tabby Disagreed.A harlequin Great Dane with flour on its nose stands at a kitchen counter dusted with flour, with a bowl and wooden spoon.The Baking Had Just Started. A Very Tall Dog Walked Into the Kitchen.An apricot Poodle with curly fur sits on a floor covered in white couch stuffing, with a torn couch cushion behind.It Snowed Inside the Living Room. The Apricot Poodle Sat in the Drift.