Another year, another list ranking dog breeds. Earlier in 2025, Care.com put out their latest, specifically ranking which dog breeds are considered the "most loyal." In their post, pet expert Lindsay Pevny notes that, "Veterinarians and dog behavioral experts recognize several distinct brands of loyalty in dogs. While some are devoted to their favorite person, others are loyal to their entire human family. Each breed’s penchant for friendship sets them up for a lifetime of a unique relationship with their favorite humans."Their list: Retriever (both Golden and Lab)German ShepherdBorder CollieGreat PyreneesChihuahuaVizsla Staffordshire Bull TerrierThey also share the importance of intentional breeding. Pevny quotes Camp Bow Wow's animal health and behavior expert Erin Askeland, who says, “Breeding history and the intention of the breed can shape their loyalty characteristics. Breeds bred for companionship or working closely with humans tend to exhibit higher levels of loyalty—for example, dogs who are bred to be trained as service dogs." A dog lies in a pile of leaves. Photo by Dzmitry Dudov on Unsplash But far from everyone agrees with the list, and some don't think such a subjective list can be ranked in the first place. On Reddit, someone asks, "What is objectively the most loyal dog breed?" One person simply responds, "Dogs." And another claims, "My mongrel," of course referring to their mixed breed pup. A few others mention their breed of choice, but there is no real consensus.When the question is opened up in broader terms on the subreddit r/puppy101 to ask, "What are the three best dog breeds in your opinion and why?" many more commenters jump in. Some argue, obviously, that it's subjective based on what the pet guardian is looking for. Someone jokingly writes, "The 'my dog' breed unequivocally takes top spot. Universally adored." Another states, "Dachshund, dachshund and dachshund. Why? I am a masochist, apparently." But again—there is no consensus. A dachshund rides a skateboard. Giphy In fact, other lists claiming to have consulted experts and animal behaviorists listed entirely different "most loyal" breeds for 2025. In their own list, The Spruce Pets throws Dobermans and Cocker Spaniels in the top ten, though Labrador Retrievers also hold the top spot.If one changes the term from loyal to "Velcro dog," it's true that some breeds are a bit clingier than others. Though again, it's based on the individual canine. A dog expert from Pets Radar explains that "Velcro" dogs were most likely bred to work alongside humans. Many pooches such as the Golden Retriever, the Lab, the Vizsla, the German Shepherd and the Chihuahua also make their list—though they add the Maltese, the French Bulldog and the Italian Greyhound.On their YouTube page, The Pet Collective lists their top 13 "most loyal dog breeds" and at number one? Lo-and-behold, it's the Beagle! They claim, "Those who want a loyal and curious sidekick should get a Beagle." They then show a Beagle begging for treats and adorably honking a car while throwing their head back like Snoopy. - YouTube www.youtube.com It's pretty safe to say there is no objective "best" breed of dog. We love what we love and there are no wrong answers. As for loyalty, seems like that Redditor got it right—the true answer is simply "dogs."

There have been many studies in the past that show people face a lot of bias when they turn in a job application. A 2021 study found that job applicants who had "Black-sounding" names were nine percent less likely to get a call back than those whose names sounded "white." People who review resumes are also looking for subtle clues of social class.A 2016 Yale study found that men who appear to be upper-class in job applications fare much better than women of the same class when applying to elite positions. However, lower-class women perform better than lower-class men in the same process. Unfortunately, sex, race, and class bias are significant issues when it comes to hiring, but another prejudice has nothing to do with inherent characteristics: the way your name sounds can make a big difference when you send in a job application. Do people judge job applications based on your name?A recent study carried out by The Conversation found that people attribute personality characteristics to people based on whether their name sounds "smooth" or "spiky." The researchers designed a job ad looking for a candidate high in one of six personality factors: honesty/humility, emotionality, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness (how organized or hard-working someone is), and openness to experience. People lined up for job interviews.via Canva/PhotosThe researchers sent in applications with people who had smooth-sounding names with sonorant consonants (l, m, n), and the others were spiky with voiceless stops (p, t, k). Some examples of smooth names (sonorant consonants) include: Joanna, June, Norah, Allen, Linus, and Moses.Some examples of spiky names (voiceless stops) include: Rita, Erica, Tia, Kurt, and Victor.The researchers found that individuals with smooth-sounding names were perceived as more agreeable and emotional, whereas those with spikier names were seen as more extroverted. So, if people are hiring for a job where they were looking for agreeable characteristics, those with smooth-sounding names had a better chance of getting the gig.Interestingly, according to researchers, the way a name sounds has nothing to do with someone’s personality. In real life, Lou and Erica may be just as agreeable as one another. But when hiring managers are just looking at names, Lou gets the gig. What is sound symbolism?The idea that the sound of a word can make it feel aligned with particular qualities is known as sound symbolism. It’s why we often say that so-and-so looks like an Emma or a Charles. A popular study on the phenomenon known as the Bouba / Kiki effect found that when given the two names Kiki (spiky) and Bouba (smooth), they are much more likely to call the figure on the left Kiki and the one on the right Bouba. Although researchers don’t know the exact reason why we map certain sounds to specific shapes, they believe it may reflect how we move our mouths to make those sounds. The Bouba / Kiki effect. via Wikimedia Commons“The rounded shape may most commonly be named ‘Bouba’ because the mouth makes a more rounded shape to produce that sound, while a more taut, angular mouth shape is needed to make the sounds in ‘Kiki.’ Alternatively, the distinction may be between coronal or dorsal consonants like /k/ and labial consonants like /b/,” researchers at Mind Modeling wrote.The study may reveal that there’s one more thing many of us have to worry about when applying for a job. But it’s also a reminder that we all have some sort of bias, and next time we see a name without knowing the person, we may be judging them based on criteria that doesn't reflect who they are. Much like it’s wrong to judge a book by its cover, judging someone by their name may mean you miss out on someone truly wonderful.

The '90s are often depicted as a golden age. A time of less violence, more money, better music, equal rights, unprecedented technological progress, and Beanie Babies instead of Labubus. A time of peace throughout the land. However, take a quick romp through actual history and we see that when we take the rose-colored glasses off, the '90s weren’t without its less-that-stellar moments. Furthermore, there was a lot more nuance to it than teens wearing a bunch of flannel and listening to grunge music. Across several Reddit threads, people who actually lived through the '90s have shared some prime examples of how we get the '90s wrong and elements we have completely forgotten about, from recalling society’s very unhealthy obsession with thinness, to police brutality, to the questionable hunter green/maroon craze (remember that?). Take a scroll down memory lane with our 15 favorites: 1."The early 90s and late 90s were two very different times culturally. I can't stand it when I see a picture of the spice girls with a 'So 90s!' caption."“There’s a HUGE difference between the early 90’s and late 90’s. After 1996 it was more millennial, Pokémon, Britney Spears vs the early 90’s which was more grunge and smooth RnB."2. "Not all Gen Xers were disinterested slackers in the 90s.""I graduated from university in 1991. I spent the 1990s trying to get a decent job, pay rent and generally just getting my shit together. Most other people my age seemed to be doing pretty much the same thing, unless they had rich parents."3. "Nobody seems to talk about all the maroon and hunter-green wallpaper strips that were added to the top of the walls in houses. Maroon and hunter-green everywhere. From cars to vacuums and beyond.""My comforter set for my freshman dorm (Fall 1994) was maroon on one side, hunter green on the other. I realized it was dark and depressing so I got a girlie daisy print bedspread for the rest of college." See on Instagram 4. "Money was tight then, too. People were happy with fewer luxuries, because we could get by. And the very idea of giving a child a device worth hundreds of dollars was ludicrous! I still feel this way."5. "A lot of people talk about the 90s like it was a utopian decade. Sure, a lot of stuff was awesome. But there was also the AIDS epidemic, the crack epidemic, the heroin epidemic, lots of police brutality, the sharp uptick in domestic terrorism, etc. plus the casual sexism, racism, & homophobia. The hope for the future that started in late 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the heating up of our economy in the mid-90s only lasted until 2000. It was a very brief window, in retrospect."6. "Female celebrities were shrinking to child sizes and getting praised for it. 'Thinspo' was a thing. ALL my friends group from high school and college, including myself, had eating disorders — Marlboro Light and Diet Coke for every meal. Our idea of sports was extreme cardio only. We were SO unhealthy. Thank God we were young enough to bounce back to normal without major issues."7. "That Nirvana ruled the 90s, and killed off all other forms of hard rock. They hit hard for about two and a half years, and then we were stuck with Tonic and the goddamn Spin Doctors.""A lot of people mention grunge and gangsta rap, but country was very hot too. Country line dancing became a big thing, Branson, Missouri became a big tourist destination with its theaters, and artists like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain made tons of money.""I don't think the Riot Grrrl movement gets enough recognition and acknowledgment as an extremely significant 90s cultural event." - YouTube www.youtube.com 8. "I think one idea that's misrepresented is that we were already online, all the time.""I mean, I was STOKED when I got into the dorm with LAN connections in 1993, but I was an outlier. Lots of kids at my college barely understood using computers, much less anything internet-related beyond maybe an AOL/AIM. Obviously this was an evolution of ten very fast moving years."9. "That mom Jeans were cool. No one under 35 wore them."10. "Not everyone wore Doc Martens back in the 1990s. Many people wore military boots as a fashion statement that were often mistaken for Doc Martens, while others wore sneakers every day, even in venues where they should have been wearing more formal shoes." - YouTube www.youtube.com 11. "Cellphones were considered tacky and unnecessary unless you were a doctor."12 ."Not everyone got around on rollerblades."13. "Property was cheaper, not cheap as in affordable to all."14. "If your family lived in a rural area and wasn't rich enough to immediately buy a computer, you could be lonely in a way that people can't even comprehend now. I spent the last two years of high school doing nothing, watching TV and playing 16-bit RPGs repeatedly because I couldn't get anywhere or do anything." 15. "Drunk driving didn't have the stigma it does today. It took a long campaign waged by MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) to shift public perception on how dangerous drunk driving is."

A 4-year-old dialed 911 just to chat about hobbies, but officers responded with kindness. They surprised him with a special birthday visit he’ll never forget.

A 4-year-old dialed 911 just to chat about hobbies, but officers responded with kindness. They surprised him with a special birthday visit he’ll never forget.