as part of our ‘giving back’ initiative here at scruffy dog, for the past several years, scruffy dog has photographed and designed the KWHS charity calendar which raises thousands for the Centre to help the orphaned animals.  and this year’s calendar is filled with dogs and cats who have been adopted from the KWHS Centre!  this is extra special for me since the ultimate ‘giving back’ is not only raising significant funds, but — of equal importance — raising awareness of the plight of abandoned cats and dogs, and the overpopulation of shelters just like the KWHS.

part of raising awareness is to show people the amazing dogs and cats available … contrary to popular belief, most shelter pets don’t come with a laundry list of problems or behavioral issues.  almost always it’s their former humans who had the issues — buying a puppy of a breed that is not suited to their lifestyle or abilities, or a change in living situation which forces people to give up their pet, or just plain laziness.  for almost as many pets as are in shelters, there are as many reasons as to why they have wound up in their desperate situation … but in most cases, the issue is not with the pet, it’s with their former human.

i hope that the extremely happy, well-loved dogs and cats in the pages of this year’s KWHS calendar this year — some of which are purebreds — will not only demonstrate the amazing companions that can be found in any shelter, but perhaps — even in a small way — alter at least a few people’s thinking and beliefs on adopting from a shelter instead of buying that cute, cuddly puppy from a store, a backyard breeder, a farm (which is almost always a front for a puppymill situation), or from listings on Kijiji or Craig’s List.

these are just a few of the amazing pets i met this year during the calendar’s shooting …

… big boy Figaro, one of several extremely loved cats in the home …

and awesome doodle Dixie …

then there’s fun-loving Static …

and ball-crazy Orville, whose guardians opted for a full scruffy dog session.  you might remember Orville from his graffiti shoot back in the summer … or from the sneak peek of his big session in the early fall.

and little, smiley Milo …

these are just a few of the happy faces of rescued pets you’ll find in the KWHS 2012 calendar.

and with scruffy dog’s clean design, it is our hope that this calendar will appeal to just about anyone, as all the profits go to the animals of the KWHS.

these 2012 calendars can be purchased directly through the KWHS website or picked up in person at the shelter for only $15.  get yours today!

i gotta admit, the goober is getting pretty good at this ballot-drawing thing …

the winning ballot is backwards, with names of the additional household pets on the back — Gracie and Tyson — so he had to turn it around for me … and the winner is …

George, the french bulldog, owned by Suzanne McQueen!  hope to hear from you and George soon, Suzanne!

and thank you, everyone, for stopping by and visiting us at the scruffy dog corner of the big tent this past weekend.  it was awesome meeting all of you and your 4-leggers!  hope to see you next year!

would you like to learn a bit more about topics like canine nutrition and canine rescue?  watch and participate in demos like agility and scent work?  and take a leisurely walk along the trails across 25 acres of gorgeous grounds?  well, then, if you don’t already have PoochPalooza marked down on your calendar this weekend, you need to make some fast adjustments.

you can find more information about this new and fabulous event on the PoochPalooza website, directions, schedule of seminars and demos.  here are just a few highlights …

first, there’s the vendors … dog-related booths to visit and with dog-products and experienced vendors to connect and chat with.

then there are the stunning grounds of the Caledon Inn with its groomed trails on which to take Rover for walk …

then there are rescue groups to visit, and i’ve heard that there are going to be adoptables in attendance!  so if you’ve been toying with the idea of adding a new member to the family, you might just find them here!

of course, like any fine, upstanding dog festival, there are contests … the Ultimate Talking Dog and Ultimate Dog Trick.

there’s food and drink!   the entire grounds of the Caledon Inn is licensced, so while you’re enjoying the vendor areas or watching a demo, and while Rover is enjoying all the treats and handouts, you can indulge a little yourself with some beer or wine … and there will be lots of fresh food made daily.  Rover shouldn’t be the only one bringing his appetite when coming to PoochPalooza!

and if that isn’t enough … there are swag bags for you … AND two door prizes to be won — one for each day, with the draw being held at 5 p.m.   these are h-u-g-e door prizes, worth $750 each!  and you and your ultimate dog could win one of these just for attending!  these door prizes consist of:

scruffy dog photography gift certificate

a dog bed

brooming gift certificate to Bryson’s

Benny Bully’s super bulk pack

Northern Biscuit treat pack (we’re talking a LOT of biscuits!)

Creemore Springs beer pack

Cuz Dog toyz (who can resist a Cuz?),

and much more!!!

all of that, and attendance is FREE with a $2 donation to Newf Friends and Project Jessie.

so … is PoochPalooza on your calendar yet?

hope we’ll see you there.  scruffy dog will be in the big main tent.  we’d love to see you!

as most of you know, i don’t generally ask for this kind of thing … but i also realize that a lot of you may not even be aware of these awards.  so i humbly encourage you to visit the nomination link at the bottom of this post (click on the Readers’ Select Awards image) and — only if you feel confident in doing so — cast your nomination for scruffy dog photography as favorite Kitchener-Waterloo “Photography Studio”.

of course, being pet-exclusive means we don’t see the kind of high volume of clients that bigger studios experience with multiple photographers working under the same brand, shooting kids, weddings, couples, portraits, etc., but hey, i figured the nomination process was worth mentioning.

the form is easy and fast to fill out … i’ve done it myself to nominate some of my favorite businesses including favorite pet shop, favorite animal vet clinic and a few more.  and no, i didn’t nominate scruffy dog … that’s up to you — our loyal scruffy clients and followers in K-W and beyond!

there appears to be nothing in the Rules and Regulations that prevents non-Kitchener-Waterloo residents from nominating their favorite businesses … so for all of our wonderful scruffy dog clients in surrounding areas, please feel free to visit the link and quickly fill in the easy nomination form.

NOTE: the “Photography Studio” category is on the first of several pages of categories … once you have filled in your favorite K-W Photography Studio, you still have to click the “Next” button to go through the few other pages in order to complete the form. And hey, if you have another favorite K-W Photography Studio, I totally understand!  It’s all about choosing your favorite.

also, please note: only one online ballot per email address will be accepted.

thank you to all who continue to show your support of scruffy dog photography!

but enough yapping … i know everyone wants to know the winner of the draw for a free scruffy dog photoshoot.  as always, my girl Matea — second scruffy in command around here — picks the winning ballot every year …

she takes her job pretty seriously … sniffing carefully through them all.  in fact, we had one booth visitor — upon learning that Matea is the official picker — use one of the liver treats to “spike” her ballot … rubbing the treat over every square inch of the hopeful ballot.  i’m not sure if this is the one that my girl ultimately chose; she’s not easily swayed.

but she was mighty proud of her pick, regardless.

and the winner of this year’s scruffy dog photo session is …

… Isadora P. and Wolfgang, the Irish Wolfhound!  figures Matea would choose another big, leggy wirehaired.  she’s often been mistaken for a wolfhound herself.

but not to be outdown by his sister, Merrick wanted to pick a ballot too, and given that he’s still in the training stages, learning lots from his big sister, i could hardly deny him.

so we have a second winner …

Melissa M. and her little King Louis, the chihuahua.  as runner-up, i’m offering $50 in scruffy dog dollars, to be used for your little King Louis towards a shoot or prints and products … however you like.

i look forward to meeting these two 4-leggers, but as i mentioned in yesterday’s newsletter there were so many amazing dogs i met over the weekend whom i would love to meet up with my cameras … gorgeous, beautiful beasties! … all of them!

also, if you didn’t receive yesterday’s newsletter, drop us an email — info@scruffydogphotography.com — and we’ll rectify that pronto.

have an awesome, scruffy weekend, everyone.  and scritches to your 4-leggers from me and the scruffies.

as i’ve mentioned in the previous Woofstock entries, if i did manage to pull myself out from behind the scruffy dog table to snap a few photos of your dog, you’ll find them in one of these blog entries.  please respect the copyrights of these photos and do not copy them from the blog.  instead, please email us and request them.  i’m happy to provide you with a copy for your facebook page!  and obviously if you’re interested in any prints, just let me know.

and oh, what happy, shiny, sparkly faces visited us at the scruffy dog booth.  like this amazing Boston-cross … look at this face!!!

i could have shot him/her all day … what expressions!

… every shot of this character is brilliant, i had a hard time choosing which to share here.

and this bruiser … i just LOVE when black dogs have these phenomenal eyes for me to focus my cameras on.

and it’ll be a long time before i forget this little niblet and her expressions.  she strutted up to the booth, pulling her man behind her, with an attitude and an air that no other dog could possibly match, like: “hey, photographer chick, i’ve arrived. i’m here. check me out. hundreds of dogs you’ve shot, you think you’ve seen it all … well, darling, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!  i’m the hot shit you ain’t never seen in your career!”

i think she’s right.

whether the front end or the back end … she was all ‘tude!

and this pretty little girl danced for me …

and then there was bat-earred Billie …

so pretty in pink.

now, i’d like to write a word or two about this girl with the eye-liner eyes (again, forgive for not remembering everyone’s name … the weekend is a blur!).  always when owners tell me things like: “Oh, my dog doesn’t photograph well, they always end up being a black blob.” or “They’re extremely camera shy and always turn away from the camera. I can never get a photo of them.” … well, it’s not so much that i’m trying to prove them wrong; it’s more that i hear the need for at least a couple of decent photos of their beloved 4-legger.  so … when i heard phrases like that this past weekend, i immediately reached for the camera and came around the table.

as i rounded the corner of the table in this particular case, i immediately felt this gorgeous girl’s energy.  she was just lying there, seemingly calm, but her energy was palpable for me.  i lowered the camera and told her owner: “no, you’re right.  her energy isn’t right.  i’m not even going to try.” why? because if i don’t have the proper time and environment in which to bring a dog around to accept the cameras and the concept of a photoshoot, i am not going to force the concept on them and potentially ruin them for any future shoot.  i’ve met too many dogs who have been ruined by previous photoshoots by non-dog-savvy photographers and have had to work long and hard with them to bring them around.

but then this little girl met my eyes, perhaps her hound-nose catching whiff of the dehydrated treats clutched in my one hand, and she got up.  then she jumped up on me.  when her owner pulled her down, i told her no — as i do with my clients with potentially camera-shy dogs — let her jump on me, i explained.  i’m a play-thing for their dog, not some new authority in their life.  i’m not there as a trainer, but as their new, fun outlet … although i’ll never leave a photoshoot with the dog still jumping all over me … we always leave with respect and love and wagging tails.

so while this little hound girl jumped and clawed at me, i doled out treats, all the while holding the big, scary camera overhead, patted, treated … then i asked for a few sits … treated, patted … still with the big, black camera overhead, and in under two minutes this eye-linered girl was posing like a pro.  and how gorgeous is she?!

then there are others who are completely and utterly oblivious to the camera …

and when he finally did take a treat, well, i have to admit, it was what i imagine it would be like feeding treats to a hippopotamus … those lips!

and here’s the first pharaoh hound i’ve met in person …

this sweet little pup belongs to a fellow raw feeder who lost her last girl some time ago.  i was so thrilled to meet the new pup in her life…

and this sweet old girl (many apologies to owners if i’m getting their 4-legger’s gender mixed up … it was a long weekend, with a long flood of gorgeous dogs, and although i had a 98% success rate in guessing gender of the pups who came into our booth, for some reason, when it comes to photos, i have more difficulty).  lying so patiently while her owner chatted with me about the different sessions and packages available, and the best seasons for booking.  i just love the seniors.

and you know i love the scruffies …

this ball of sweetness belongs to one of the Pattison CTEs who were our wonderful booth neighbors … i managed to snap this photo a split second before she realized i was squatting there, at which point she mozied over, and rubbed herself all over me for affection.

and no, i didn’t get a single photo of the booth this year!  a number of you have already asked to see images of it, but i was too busy, and totally forgot to take photos!!  if anyone else got a shot or two, i’d love to see it!

thank you to everyone who visited us this past weekend — past clients, future clients, dedicated facebook and blog followers, fellow photographers, fans, and everyone else. thanks for bringing out your wonderful pups for us to meet.  it’s a lot of work and a big investment to put together an event like this, but you make it worth it!

and a huge, bottomless thank you goes out to Karen and Kim — my amazing staff members — who worked such long hours, so devoted and dedicated, so passionate about scruffy dog and everything we do, and equally passionate about all of the dogs out there.  if you met them, i’m sure you’ll agree — they’re absolutely amazing!  i couldn’t have asked for two greater, more generous, and more positive people at my side last weekend.  you’re amazing, girls!

as for the draw … yes, it’s coming.  i’m keeping everyone in suspenders.    the event gear is all still being unpacked, artwork is still wrapped up, and everything needs to be sorted.  so please stay tuned!

thank you again to everyone. and please hug your 4-leggers from us at scruffy dog.

i don’t post them on the blog, but this one for the Pomeranian and Small Breed Rescue (based in Southern Ontario with foster homes in Toronto, Barrie Hamilton and Niagara region) was just too cute … i had to share.

if you’re interested in bidding on this and supporting the Pomeranian and Small Breed Rescue, you can do so at their Adopt-a-Thon on May 29th, held at Barkingham Palace, 157 Stephenson Ave, Toronto.

best of luck, Diane!

so, we spent rainy days scouting locations, and then in that extremely narrow day and a half of no rain, i squeezed in the equivalent of a dozen photo shoots … regrettably, none of which were the several clients we had originally lined up prior to and during the trip.  it is my hope that we will be returning to the southern shores of Nova Scotia in the near future, on our schedule, in a more favorable season, to make good on those east coast sessions we’d arranged … and actually have a bit of a vacation too.

i thought i’d share some random photos from the different beaches and locations we shot … i’d say “visited”, but honestly, it was so cold, it was all about getting the shots and then getting into the car to warm up and get to the next location.

this is just a brief and initial dip into the many photos shot … so you’ll be seeing a lot more …

we shot under dark, dramatic skies, just before more rain hammered down …

… in cold blustery wind …

… and under the boardwalk.

and when the sun shone, well, we grabbed it.  there was no waiting for the soft light of late afternoon because it would only start raining again … so even at high-noon, we were shooting …

when the sun is at its height like this, casting harsh shadows, it’s not the most ideal shooting situation … but hey, it raised the windchill temps above freezing.

other times, down at Carter’s Beach — my favorite spot –  the wind was so strong that the sand coursed across the beach like a mirage … getting into the dogs ears and eyes …

of course, none of these elements slowed down the goober.  show this boy water, and he’s gotta be in it.

out on Hirtles Beach was probably the only long-term sun we got …

dogs are supposed to be on-leash at Hirtles, of course, but merrick, and especially matea, are highly trained.  out of respect, we kept them on-leash until we were far enough away from anyone else, and then stuck to one little area to shoot.

in fact, matea is so well-trained and such a consummate model, that she actually drew a bit of an audience at Hirtles, Carters, in Lunenburg, and then on Sanddollar Beach when part of the shoot entailed getting some shots of me shooting for an upcoming piece in Popular Photography Magazine. we’d put merrick back in the car as he can become a bit of a mouth-piece when he’s not the centre of attention.  at the shore i’d walk matea out a couple hundred feet, quietly ask her to ‘wait’, then walk back along the shoreline and kneel into position.  when everyone was ready, i’d whistle her in …

and here’s the shot …

with a half dozen takes of this run, my partner/assistant shooting from different angles, we attracted a few bystanders before moving to some rocks for some different shots. and fifteen minutes later, when one of the couples wandered by, they couldn’t resist engaging, and i released matea from her ‘place’ on a big boulder, telling her to ‘go say hi’.  this girl loves people, and lapped up the attention before running back to her ‘place’ like a pro.  i love this girl.  such a high work ethic … whether she’s posing or hunting.

and i know, having worked with her for 9 years now, i’m spoiled by how amazing she is.

it’s the goober who keeps me on my toes with his antics and unpredictability …

but my girl … it’s like she just knows what i’m after …

… even when she’s wet and cold and tired.

i have a lot more photos to sort through, from a lot more locations, and i’ll be sharing them on the blog … so stay tuned for more salty scruffies.

in spite of the forecasts for fair weather today, we still had gray skies and cold rain all day … but we continued scouting … and dared to take the cameras out a couple of times for those fleeting moments when there were breaks in the clouds (and yeah,  i boosted the blues in this shot) …

and the little goober had a blast, of course … always a bundle of fun when water’s involved.

and on the last beach we hit, a rainbow … (in fact, it was a double rainbow, but i was too cold to reposition myself to get both in frame).

perhaps a sign of things to come?  regardless, we’re here for a couple more days, hoping for fair weather so we can get some more great shots, and then we’re headed back.  i would love to share a few more shots, but seriously can’t risk the time on my system in case this is a power supply issue.  i need to download and backup; that’s the most vital.

hope you all have a great Easter weekend.  cheers from the salty scruffies.

Saturday morning found us packing the car and the roof-gear under a constant drizzle that felt more like a torrential, freezing downpour.  throughout Ontario and then Quebec, the rain did not let up except for the last ten minutes of driving before arriving at our first-leg destination of Drummondville.  the ten-minute break in the rain felt like someone had finally handed you a pair of badly needed glasses after 9+ hours of driving.

and for the record, Quebec roads suck.  at least a half dozen times we hydroplaned due to water accumulations that really shouldn’t have been there if the roads had been properly maintained, not to mention potholes and breaks along the highway.  and the hotel, well, i’ll refrain from bad-mouthing a major chain, but what kind of hotel holds a CD-release party on a Saturday night so that all of their guests have to listen to the loud celebration via huge speakers into the wee hours?

New Brunswick roadways are considerably better maintained, and the Riverside Resort and Conference Centre in Mactaquac was amazing in comparison to our stay in Quebec.  super quiet, awesome service, and a beautiful spot … although the walking trails were a bit of a wash-out this time of the year and with all the rain.  still, i was very glad to have found them.

and it was in Mactaquac, nestled in the Riverside, that we saw our first glimpse of the sun …

on day three of the drive, the skies cleared considerably, but unfortunately, we’ve had rain ever since.  so, no actual photos yet of Nova Scotia.  yesterday we scouted a few areas for photos, and we’ll do some more of that today since the weather isn’t cooperating … and with any luck we’ll be able to start some shooting tomorrow.

the scruffies have been traveling relatively well, although matea’s back has been acting up and she’s showing signs of pain.  Margaret at Ralph’s Cat & Dog Health Foods here in Lunenburg set us up with some Earth Animal’s “No More Pain” drops.  we’ll give those a try for the next few days before hitting the Metacam if we have to.

although starting out well and proving to be a consummate little traveler during our first three days and loving the hotels, merrick hasn’t been doing well at our current location.  i’m not sure why … whether it’s the traffic noise (although he does fine during the day) or if we’ve got ghosts.  he’s reverting back to his post-rescue state … going into panic at nights, totally skittish, and too afraid to do his business.  the boy’s got an iron bladder.

but here they were at the Riverside …

… the last place he was truly at ease.

i’ll keep you all posted as i can.  but if the weather doesn’t shape up so we can actually take some photos, and if i can’t shake the migraine that’s been plaguing me since we left Saturday morning, i’m afraid this trip might be a bust.