In the @prairiedogpack account, followers can enjoy seeing two prairie dogs interact with a goat, dogs, cats and ducks, usually while wearing different outfits.
Straying from the past trend to review pages with only one star, this week’s pet Instagram review will showcase two pets: two patient prairie dogs, Bing and Swarley, from the account @prairiedogpack with more than 73,000 followers.
Prairie dogs, which are rodents native to North America, aren’t actually dogs at all. But they apparently can be trained to respond to their names and other phrases, according to the Janda Exotics, a private zoo and breeding facility in Texas. Prairie dog experts recommend that owners raise at least two prairie dogs, because they may get lonely otherwise. Luckily, Bing and Swarley will probably never get lonely, as they live with not only each other but with dogs, cats and a goat named Lil’ Sebastian.
Quality of Pictures
The account has a good mix of pictures and videos, with many of them involving the prairie dogs dressed up. One post shows a prairie dog dressed as Leslie Knope, from the TV show Parks and Recreation, complete with a prarie dog-sized office. Others show the prairie dogs riding on top of Lil’ Sebastian, the goat, who seems to not mind a few hitchhiking rodents. The owners have a somewhat concerning amount of tiny clothes to put on Bing and Swarley, including a tiny hotdog suit and a Statue of Liberty outfit. The captions are generally humorous, but some give off the impression of a mom or dad trying to be #relatable. Hilariously, the prairie dogs even have leashes and can be seen enjoying a day at the beach or a nice stroll.
"You have goat to be kidding me"-Hotdog Bing w/ Lil' Sebastian #couplehalloween by @prairiedogpack
via @prairiedogpack Instagram
Rate of Posts
The owners of the account basically post every day, although some of the pictures are reposts. Either way, they somehow haven’t run out of outfits to put their prairie dogs in or opportunities to put them on top of a goat. Because prairie dogs generally live 10 to 12 years in captivity there’s plenty more to come.
Cuteness of Pet
Bing and Swarley are adorable and patient enough to deal with their owners putting them in a bunch of weird outfits and situations. When one was put in a sleigh and the other pulled it for a Christmas post, they didn’t complain. When they were dressed up as pilgrims for Thanksgiving and posed outside with a plush turkey, they gave their best poses and didn’t question it. When Bing was put in a hotdog costume and put on top of Lil’ Sebastian, who was also wearing a hotdog costume, they both knew what they had to do. These are some dedicated prairie dogs, and at times it’s hard to tell where the personalities of the owners stop and the personalities of Bing and Swarley begin.
Rating: 4/5
Maybe it’s my weird fascination with animals wearing clothes, but this account stuck out to me. It’s full of pop culture references and has something for just about anybody. There’s a mixture of nature shots and indoor shots, so we get to see just about every aspect of the lives of two well-dressed prairie dogs. There’s just something about seeing what’s generally a wild animal dressed up as pikachu that makes you appreciate the progress of humanity and the internet. We’re truly in the golden age.
@seanthomaswolfe
