thank Dog. photography » fun, artistic, modern pet portraits | Dallas,Texas

it’s been a long dog week

First, Bear does his best stunt double impersonation.  

Then, Belle decides she needs to join the club and do something out of character, so she decides to get her paws on my Pei Wei (my fault, but I honestly think this is the first time she’s ever stolen food – something about some good potstickers was too much to resist, I guess).  Fast forward through a few days of diarrhea (including on my bed – eww with a capital EW).  I had hoped it would just work it’s way through her system and we’d be done with it, but since it hadn’t gone away and last night’s looked like it had some blood in it, we went to the vet first thing this morning.  I went with a big fluffy black dog.  I came home with a big fluffy black hunchback dog (she’s fasting for 24 hours so the vet gave her a liter of subcutaneous fluids to make sure she stays hydrated) with various medications.  Hopefully the Pei Wei is all it is, though I keep having recurring nightmares that she’s managed to eat something else and get it lodged in her intestines (the vet didn’t think this was likely as she was not particularly tender).

So the sicky hunchback is dozing on the couch.  I tried to get a shot of the hump before it was absorbed, but I was largely unsuccessful.  It doesn’t really show up in photos because of her fur and solid color – though you can kind of see it on her left shoulder area in this one (it’s fallen down one side a bit).

humpback-sicky

I just checked Belle again before posting this and it seems the hump is now becoming more of a goiter.  It’s moved around and is lower and on the side.

And now Bear’s stomach is doing some serious gurgling.  Please don’t let it be anything.

Claire - oh no! poor belle! i know how that goes, though; seems like just when you get one dog squared away, something’s wrong with the other one. yeesh!

nick - Hope they are both alright!..

Jennie - Awww poor Belle! Keeping all of you in my thoughts. And kudos for not losing your mind during the pooped-in bed incident. Because I can honestly say I would have.

Dot - Oh, you poor thing…and poor pups. Hope everyone is back to normal soon.

Tina - poor poor Belle. did the vet do any xrays?

Debbie - She’s feeling better now – and Bear’s gurgling seemed to be a passing thing.

Tina – no xrays. The vet poked around on her and said she didn’t seem tender, as would be expected with an obstruction — that she seemed to be acting consistent with just an upset stomach. But my instructions were to give her the probiotics, medicine, and special food and watch her – if she didn’t get better pretty quickly, then I was to take her back for xrays. Luckily, that’s seeming unnecessary!

evil bear-nievel

He looks sweet and innocent and sane, doesn’t he?

bear-innocent

Yeah, not so much.  Not today.  

This evening I was busily answering a few emails, ignoring the barking dogs.  About ten minutes earlier, they had started barking up a storm and I went to see what it was they were barking at — it was a piece of paper on my neighbor’s lawn.   This was not unusual – I usually ignore them unless they really sound worked up.  Well, there I was, happily at the computer, when all of a sudden, the barking got frantic and was followed by a loud crash — which was then followed by a woman screaming.  I run up to the front of the house and discover: (1) there’s only one dog there, and (2) the big front window is broken.  I look outside, and there is Bear, dancing around a woman and her weim.   The woman, having just had an 85-pound dog jump through a large glass window to get to her and her dog, was understandably freaking out.  I frantically dig for the keys to unlock the front door and yell to Bear.  He trots over, with a big, proud smile on his face, sits down in front of me and looks up, as if he’s expecting a treat.

I apologized about a zillion times for my full-on CRAZY dog.  She was doubly freaked out because her weim apparently has some aggression issues — which just might be triggered by a large dog flying through glass at her.  There hadn’t been anything more than a little posturing between the dogs, but I can only imagine the panic she must have felt.    

And Bear?  Not a scratch on him. 

broken-window1broken-window2

The window’s about 2 feet up off the ground.  I had had an ottoman in front of the window that the dogs would take turns sitting on to get a better view.  Since I rearranged and moved the ottoman, I have heard and seen them with their paws on the window at times — and there are more than a few indications of dog art to show their noses had been pressed up against the glass — but I never thought one of them would jump through (and certainly not Bear).  Tomorrow morning, I’ll be looking into alternatives to glass.

What are those hockey rink guards made out of?

Becky (rksquared) - Oh, Debbie! I realize how serious (& scary) this is, but I can’t. stop. laughing. I’ve seen plenty of dogs rip through screen doors in my life, but NEVER a glass window! I am so glad he’s okay! I may have to bookmark this post for the next time Phaneuf is naughty…it might make me feel better. 🙂 (P.S. The hockey “glass” is Plexiglas.)

Debbie - And Bear’s usually my sane one!

Kelly - Wow. And I thought my dog was destructive.

Claire - holy crap!! i can’t believe he jumped out of a window!!! how do you keep him from trying that again? that is one level of escape kinley hasn’t tried yet….

april - Oh my, that is dedication! I’ve never heard of a dog going through a window like that. Glad to hear he’s ok though… that naughty, naughty boy…

nick - oh gosh lucky neither he nor that other dachshund got hurt… heh its time for that super thick acrylic they use for hokey eh?

Jennie - Oh MY GOSH! Thank goodness he is okay! I think I would have had a heart attack. How about some triple thick plexiglass for the window? And love that pic of Bear. I can see the mischeif 😉

Dot - OMG…I’d read your Flickr note, but had no idea it was this bad. He is so lucky not to have cut himself. Maybe you need bars, like I have in the back of my Subaru to keep Fin from pouncing on me as I drive. 😉

Debbie - I ended up installing an acrylic sheet (“200 times stronger than glass”) to the inside of the windows, screwed into the wood frame. I’m sure they’ll be scratched up in no time, but better that than broken!

wendy - OMG! I used to walk by a dog that would go crazy at a picture window and would watch it sway against his efforts but I never imagined he would go through.

I can’t believe he is unscratched! That must have been a scary moment for all of you.

leesia - oh my god!! i can’t believe he made it through the window…now i’m going to be paranoid about mine b/c they do the exact same thing — barking like crazy while i work upstairs…glad bear made it through unscathed!

panic attacks" - And then you?ll

JulieD - I understand how scared you were. I was so scared. My neighbor called my cell while I was at work. I’m really thankful that he called me, I rushed home and I was freaking out. Yes, we are so lucky!

the neighborhood menace » thank Dog. photography - […] This sweet little kitten has been tormenting my creatures for a couple months now.  He (I think it’s a he) is a neighbor’s mostly outdoor kitty, and his favorite place to hang is directly in front of the big windows in front of my house.  These windows. […]

Briana - Is your house older? Tyson took out an original window in my Dad’s 140 year old farm house about 2 months ago. Again, not a scratch on him, but he was checking out the dozen or so feral cats that live on the property (yes, Dad trapped, fixed, and released all of them, lol) and definitely the single pane, non-tempered window cried uncle under Ty’s mighty paw lol 🙂 Dad was out doing yard work, and he ran around the corner of the house to find Ty high-centered on the window sill. Lucky for both of us, Tyson is gunshy and learned his lesson- at least, he stays away from *that* window. 🙂

Debbie - Yes – it was original, single-pane window in my 1920s house. Hasn’t really made Bear gunshy in the slightest – perhaps because he actually made it through to freedom with nary a scratch. He did scrape him leg a bit on his latest stunt, breaking through two panes and the wood divider on my old front door – but that doesn’t appear to have affected him either.

the big girl » thank Dog. photography - […] around the house, I thought it best to stay home with all the creatures.  I didn’t want a repeat stunt from Bear – and though Birdie’s been fine in thunderstorms, I didn’t know how […]

puzzle

I met Puzzle earlier this week… on her 5th birthday!  She’s an incredible dog – happy and sweet as can be.  If you’ll scratch her butt, you’ll be her forever friend (and she may even work her way into your lap).  And she’s a certified search and rescue dog.  Awesomeness.

birthday-girl1

I shot Puzzle specifically to get a more “serious” shot to be used for a very special project (more on that at a later time – but for now just a few outtakes).  Unfortunately, a golden retriever plus 100+ degree temperature does not equal “serious” face.  Plus she’s just a happy girl – her signal that she’s found something when she’s working is to wiggle her whole body (love it!).  I did manage to get a few that aren’t too goofy, but she has a big ol’ grin with her tongue lolling off to the side in a huge chunk of the shots.  

outtakes

We had her “find” me once in the tall grass – but by doing so, she got covered in burrs.  COVERED.  Poor girl, to think she’d just had a day of beauty.  (A tip I learned – when they’re actually working, her mom sprays her with Pam to keep the burrs from sticking to her fur.)

It was a hot and sweaty day, and I ended up covered in chigger bites (which I am apparently allergic to), but I loved every minute of it.  Puzzle and her mom are an amazingly talented pair, and it was so great to meet them.

Becky (rksquared) - Search and rescue? How awesome! I can’t wait to hear about the secret project.

Claire - love that shot in the grass—gorgeous!

Susannah - Hi Debbie —
I’m so sorry to hear you had an allergic reaction to the chigger bites. Harry Moss Park can be mean that way. Thanks for posting the Happy Birthday to Puz. She too was pretty waxed after our two-day adventure, but she sure did love you — and then some!

Thanks again for all your hard work, and your patience, in the heat.

-=Susannah & Puz

Team Logan - Logan loves the pics of her cousin Puz! Working girls (and good looks!) run in the family, Logan is an assistance dog.

Dot - Such a great face…gotta love those Goldens. Can’t help it! 😉

scouting report

I’ve been busy scouting possible locations for a (very exciting!) photoshoot next week.  I couldn’t do it alone, now could I?

Bear’s actually much more suited to the scouting part – I can drop the leash and he just trots along, staying on the trails, never more than about 20 feet in front of me.  Belle, on the other hand, isn’t particularly trustworthy off-leash (she’ll not run too far off, but she will sometimes decide she needs to get some sprinting in – which she’ll do – and she’ll refuse to come until she’s had a good run).  After a scare of her running toward a highway (luckily she circled back around before she got there), she’s relegated to the leash.  Though, even with it on, she’ll go crashing through branches and tall grass, getting covered in little burrs in the process.

So, while Bear is easier to walk with, he’s harder to photograph.  Belle will hold a good stay and will look at me.  Bear frequently breaks his stay to walk to me, but even when he’s in it, he generally refuses to look at me (or only does so with both ears pinned back and tongue lolling, looking very goofy).  I have some pretty specific shots I need to get of next week’s model, so here’s hoping she’ll model like Belle, but with Bear’s manners.

bear-with-burrsbelle-on-trailbear-in-grassbear-runningbear-on-trailbear-at-sunset-with-tongue

Dot - These are wonderful, Deb…and it looks like you got them both to pose. 😉

Claire - that last photo is gorgeous!

How I Make 0 a Day Posting Links Online - Cool post, just subscribed.

pug faces

I promised my niece that I’d keep her updated on her little Gus while she’s off seeing the world…. He seems to have settled in quite well with Grandpa and Scruffy (though Bear is still his favorite — who could blame him?).  He’s a happy little dude, and he’s having loads of fun.  But I have to ask – how do you sleep with him?  He dozed off while I was holding him the other day and that creature makes some of the loudest grunting and snuffling noises I’ve ever heard.       

faces-of-gus

gus-grin
gus-heads

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