People just seem to love dogs, and it’s estimated that over 65 million American households own one. It’s not just the fact that they look cute, but these pooches also provide a lot of compassion, support, and love to their humans. Every dog has its own personality, and that also plays a part in how folks build a connection with their furry friend.

To get more insights into the amazing mind of dogs, Bored Panda reached out to K.M. Robinson. She is a multi-time bestselling fiction author and dog mom. She has had the 7th, 74th, and 87th top-selling books on Amazon. Along with all of that, she is also a social media educator and speaker.

K.M. Robinson told us that “each dog is going to be different in their motivations for their behavior. My dog Lucy is extremely high-energy, so when she gets silly, part of it is joy and part of it is that she has a lot of energy to release.” 

“My dog Gemma doesn’t have nearly the same energy as her sister but gets silly when she plays, and upon realizing it’s funny, she really leans into it and gets extra silly for the reactions.” 

“A lot of it is personality. Lucy is the happiest dog in the world, and Gemma loves to be funny and plays into it when she knows it’s getting her attention. Typically, it’s a mix of having energy that needs to be released, happiness, and a desire for attention and the reactions they get from people and other animals,” she shared.

There’s a popular saying that cats rule the Internet, and research has even found that the 2 million cat videos on YouTube have been watched more than 25 billion times. Even though these furry felines are considered to be the funniest muses, our adorable dogs are not so far behind.

As K.M. Robinson told us, “Dogs have a tremendous propensity for having big personalities, which can absolutely lead to them seeming more engaged and playful than other animals.”

“When my childhood English Springer Spaniel, Lady, accompanied my dad to pick us up from school one day, she had to wait in the car while we popped into a convenience store for a one-minute candy treat.”

“She wasn’t thrilled about not being allowed in the store, so when we walked back out, the people outside were laughing about how Lady was beeping the car horn to try to get our attention,” she shared.

As you can probably tell from these hilarious photos of dogs wearing shades, our paw-some friends love being silly and goofy. They don’t object to the funny costumes they’re put in or the tricks they’re made to do.

K.M. Robinson also shared a few anecdotes about her dogs. She said: “My current English Springer Spaniels, Lucy and Gemma, and my Paperanian, Ember, have a fenced-in front yard that they love to play tag with each other in. Oftentimes they’ll leap over each other and spin in the air, tumble across the grass, and jump up like dolphins to bounce their toys off the fence for extra fun.”

“It’s also very easy to convince my dogs to be open to try different things. My English Springer Spaniel Jayda never liked wearing bandanas until I told her how pretty her sister and cousin looked in them, and she changed her opinion on them very quickly and suddenly loved wearing them because she knew I’d tell her how pretty she was,” she told us.

All of the pups on this list seem open to trying new things and, in general, probably quite playful. The thing is, there are a couple of dogs who aren’t very social and don’t know how to play. That’s why it’s important for pet owners to better understand their pooches and learn the best ways to help them break out of their shells.

K.M. Robinson explained that “socialization for dogs is incredibly important for mental stimulation and growth. It helps them learn how to understand and exist in the world around them. If dog parents want their pups to break out of their shells, it takes time focusing on observation, small encounters, and build-up to play while modeling behavior for the pup.” 

“Each dog will be different, so finding what your specific dog enjoys is also part of the training. I have one dog who is obsessed with rubber balls outside and one who would rather play with a frisbee on the couch inside. Look for what lights your dog up and give a little extra time to that,” she shared.

It’s a well-known fact that having a pet can help boost a person’s mental and physical health. It can also help reduce symptoms of anxiety and stress. Surveys have found that around 80% of dog owners truly believe that having a pooch is essential to their well-being. 

If owning a pet can make such a big difference to peoples’ lives, it’s important for the owner to also make their animal’s life better. This can only happen by making an effort to learn about your pet and caring for them well.

K.M. Robinson said that “humans tend to get into a ‘this is how my parents raised their dogs and it was good enough’ mindset, but paying attention to new options is always wise. We’ve learned so much about dog nutrition, health, well-being, anxiety, etc., in the last few years. This year for Christmas, my dogs are getting language buttons [so that they can get] access to basic vocabulary.” 

“There are some dogs that know over one hundred words and can form simple sentences. I want to give my girls access to communicate their big feelings to me so I know how to best take care of them.” 

“Until recently, dogs never had a clearer type of communication, but now they do. Staying on top of options and working with dogs to give them more access to the world around them can really make a huge difference,” she explained.

There is so much to know and explore about dogs. They are truly fascinating and (as this list shows us) hilarious creatures. We asked K.M. Robinson for one lesser-known fact about pooches that she could share with us.

She said: “Most dog parents never find their dog’s baby teeth because pups tend to swallow them. Some, however, will present their baby teeth as gifts to their human parents. Between my current two pups, they gifted me fourteen baby teeth that they brought over and put in my hand after they popped out. None of my other four dogs had ever done this, so it was quite the surprise!”

This itself proves that dogs are incredible. There’s so much to learn and love about them. Hopefully, this list of pictures will make you fall deeper in love with the dogs you know and care for. If you’ve got a suave mutt, don’t forget to share a photo of them wearing goggles. We’d love to see it!