thank Dog. photography » fun, artistic, modern pet portraits

ay… chihuahuas.

September 21, 2011

So it turns out chihuahuas are different than newfs. Or big lab mixes. Or even shepherd mixes. These little guys are fearless. And fast. And have an uncanny ability to poop 3-4 times their body weight every day. They are cute little buggers though. And they ‘ll be available for adoption by next weekend (they’re going to get their second round of shots in the next few days, and then will be available a week later). If you are interested in adopting one of them, please fill out an application at DFW Rescue Me.

First up is Louis, aka Pinky. As I mentioned on facebook, when I look at the two light-colored ones, all I see is “Pinky & The Brain.” The pink, the ears… I can’t be the only one, can I? Anyway, Louis/Pinky is probably the funniest of the three. He’s typically the happiest to see me, and he loves a good tummy rub (which, on his little bitty belly, is done with one finger!). And those ears. Those fabulous dumbo ears.

Next up is the munchkin, Fred aka Baby. He’s significantly smaller – and calmer – than the other two. He’ll get into wrestling matches with his brothers, but he really prefers to curl up and sleep on me. He’s a little less bold than the others, though that may be related to his size.

And, last but not least, the confident Frank. He’s the biggest and the boldest. And, in my opinion, the most traditionally handsome.

These guys are really hard to photograph, particularly outdoors. I usually like when it’s just me and the pups, but these guys are very difficult to corral. They’re either under foot (literally) or they’re all running off in different directions. I typically am able to easily get a few good shots of the little ones by putting them up on my front porch (you’ll notice quite a few photos of Finn, Moose and Lil Bit taken on the porch) as they are a little hesitant about tackling the steps. After a few minutes, Finn discovered leaping off into the ivy, but Moose and Lil Bit never did quite figure out the stairs. They’d hang out there, waiting for me to help them down — making them easy targets to photograph. Yeah, well, the steps didn’t even register as a possible obstacle with these tiny boys. I’m not sure they wouldn’t leap off the roof given the chance!

Ay, chihuahuas!

Posted in dfw rescue me

by Debbie

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bittersweet | dallas dog photography

September 16, 2011

I knew I’d make a lousy foster.

Both Finn and Moose went to their new forever homes this past week. I knew I’d be a lousy foster (I still miss Cash even though I know he has a great family!), and sure enough, the tears started when I dropped Finn off with his ride down to Houston (if Belle wasn’t such a diva, I would have been a foster failure). I’ve heard from his new mom, and she’s thrilled to have him and seems as enamored of him as I am. So I know he’s in good hands (and one of Finn’s brothers, Huck, was adopted by Finn’s mom’s good friend and co-worker, so he’ll have lots of super fun brotherly playtime). Then, the next day Moose went to his new home. I swear they know and do their damndest to make it as difficult as possible to give them up! Moose spent his last day with me playing with Bear – actually playing – for the first time, sitting still for a bath, and dozing all snuggled up on me… making it that much more difficult to let him go! But he has some great new parents and a new brother (2-legged), and I’m sure they’ll soon be inseparable (assuming his new parents will be able to stop cuddling him for a minute – that big boy is as sweet and laid back a pup as you’ll ever find).

So both Finn and Moose went to great homes and I know they’ll be spoiled rotten. Doesn’t mean I don’t miss them something fierce though.

Catching Moose up a bit on the photo count… We had some mini shoots on Bear’s Molly Mutt bed, and then on my bed (where he had an accident – that I luckily caught immediately before it could seep through to the mattress)

The flat cow was a hit with all three puppies, including Little Bit (now “Zoe”), who would drag it around and sleep on it despite the fact it’s double her size.

They’re really starting to become dogs (rather than babies). The two of them played – mostly chasing each other (Finn in the lead) and trying to steal sticks from one another.

Finn’s a lot busier than Moose. Always on the lookout, always wanting to check everything out.

Moose is more content to just hang.

For Finn though, there was little time for lounging when there were so many sticks that needed chewing.

Moose was easier to shoot in a lot of ways, but I ended up with less variety since he’s less animated and much more chill.

I should note that it was possible to catch a rare still Finn moment.

More often, Finn found things to occupy himself. Including his foot.

Love that mug.

Moose’s lip gets stuck from time to time – sometimes with some teeth showing, other times, just a smirk. How you doin’?

Moose was a little timid about going down the front porch stairs. Finn? Leapt off the side into the ivy – again and again and again.

Moose was quite concerned that Finn and I were three steps down. (He did finally go down once – and up a couple times.)

I’m wondering if Moose’s funny little ear will eventually work its way up. I seem to remember Bear’s looking a little similar to Moose’s so it just might. And you know I love a lopsided dog.

Sigh.

I already miss having a puppy or two around so I’ll be bringing a couple more from DFW Rescue Me home with me later tonight. This time it’s a pair of baby chihuahuas – a breed that I like, but that I have never been overly tempted to own and that I have no illusions would ever fit in well with my beasts. So… I’m hoping that means it’ll be a little easier when they find their homes. Maybe. Fingers crossed.

I asked Belle what she thought about me bringing more puppies home….

Such an attitude.

Posted in dfw rescue me

by Debbie

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sad news and the value of pet photography

September 14, 2011

The past weekend was a rough one.

First, my close friends, Renee and Adam (and their little girl, Annika), very suddenly and tragically lost their kitty, Argyle (so named for the cute pattern on his leg). It was their first loss of a pet, and I think it hit both of them even harder than they would have thought.

And another gut punch…

Lilly, the adorable little pocket boxer also passed away suddenly this weekend. As I mentioned in the previous blog post, Lilly was the first boxer placed by Legacy Boxer Rescue (the outstanding organization that helped me with Cash). She so charmed her parents that they became active volunteers, adopting the goofy Guenther, and frequently fostering. They are understandably crushed by the loss of their little girl.

I hope this doesn’t come across as self-serving, but both of these deaths drove home a big reason I do what I do. I know that some people think that the idea of spending good money on professional photographs of your pets is silly and frivolous – and for some, maybe it is. But for those of us that consider our pets to be members of our families, having beautiful images that truly capture their personalities is priceless. Losing a pet hurts. Badly. And it hurts even more when you realize you only have a couple glowy-eyed cell phone photos of your pet to remember him by. When I lost my first dog, Scout, suddenly years ago, the first thing I did was dig up photos of him and make a little book. I had several photos, but wished I had more – better ones (I was just learning my way around a camera). Nevertheless, the photos I did have really did help me through the grieving process. Time faded my grief, but I still look at his photos from time to time, grateful for the time I had with him and the memories I had captured.

And I’m not alone. Lilly’s mom sent me the following message to let me know the heartbreaking news….

Hi Debbie,

I’m afraid I have some very difficult news to share. Lilly passed away yesterday. Jay and I were on our way home from a weekend trip when we received a call from our boarding/vet facility that she collapsed and they were not able to bring her back. They suspect it was a heart attack; it all happened so quickly. She wasn’t sick. The potential loss of her wasn’t even on our radar screen. We haven’t processed it yet but as I sit in front of her life size canvas picture and cry, I wanted to let you know the news.

We are so thankful we did the pictures when we did and grateful to have found you to do them. We look at them every day and now for Lilly it has a different meaning to us. We miss her terribly. Our little pocket boxer girl is gone. Life seems cruel as we loved her so much and just wanted her to be with us forever.

Thanks again for capturing her spirit! I know it is and will be something we cherish always.

Similarly, Renee posted the news about Argyle on facebook…

Lost my first pet yesterday. Made the day seem surreal. Everything continued as it should, but we felt half a pace behind. Searched for pictures of Argyle after the fact, and realized we didn’t have many good ones. Always thought there’d be more time.

I’ve taken many photos of their adorable little girl, Annika, but only had a few snapshots of the cats taken a couple years ago. Renee and Adam had actually forgotten I’d gotten a few of the kitties during a day spent with Annika, and when I shared what I had with her, the tears started again and I got a grateful “thank you.”

Our pets have a knack for worming their way into our hearts – much further than many of us even recognize until they are gone. Despite evidence to the contrary, I like to think I’m not a complete and total crazy animal lady, but my animals are, and have always been, my little family. I know objectively that the day will come when I’ll lose Bear, Belle, and Harley (despite my instructions to them to live forever!), and when the awful time comes, I know I’ll be comforted by the many photographs I have of them. I hate for others to not have the same.

Posted in client

by Debbie

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