and Xanadu … or “Sexy Du” as his tag reads …

Kira is struggling with a recent diagnosis of Cushings, so i’ve set aside several other commitments to get their images processed and mounted for their mom.

these two were not my easiest models, as i mentioned in their sneak peek earlier.

Du was actually a little standoffish …

… in spite of Kira supposedly being the one who normally runs from all cameras …

and treats were out of the question with these two … they were too motivated by food, tearing at my pockets and the treat bag, and barking at me if the treats didn’t come in a steady stream …

so the treats had to be put away … making for a not-so-happy Du …

… and even more standoffish.

we had better luck once out on a location, with each dog on a long-line (which have been removed in post).  and surprisingly, it was Kira who ran the most …

don’t get me wrong though … these two dollfaces — as tough as they were as models — are two of the most absolute sweetest little monkeys i’ve met …

just look at these faces!

and those ears!

the puppy face …

… and the attitude.

thanks, Colleen, for introducing me to your two wonderful monkeys.  i hope Kira’s doing better, and that these images bring a smile to your face and heart.

he’s certainly got some giddy-up …

and an attitude.

Darby is a JRT/papillion cross and you can totally see it … the coat and ears of a papillion but the bone structure and snout of a jack …

and the classic underbite of unfortunate breeding from puppymills.

yes, Darby, too — like our newest little scruffy Merrick — is a puppymill survivor.  but he’s living the good life now with mom and dad, Jennifer and Bruce …

just chillin’ on the beach … how pretty is this boy?

of course, boys can be pretty too!  … even though i joked upon first meeting Darby, sitting in the lap of his ruggedly-handsome dad Bruce behind the wheel of their big diesel pick-em-up truck: “You look like a girl!” I couldn’t resist.

don’t misunderstand though, this boy is all boy …

… and i truly enjoyed his spirit and energy, even when he wasn’t up for posing.  just look at that adorable bottom lip though!

always on the move …

and of course, my favorite stand of trees …

and yes, as you can see in the photo above, i always travel with model-fans just to get that windblown look.  

i was surprised that Darby actually got into the water … then again, with the “You look like a girl!” insult still ringing in his ears, no doubt, he was determined to squash any and all potential comparisons to the opposite gender, including a reluctance to actually get those delicate twinkle toes wet.

“Hey, did you catch that, crazy lady photographer?  Hrrmph.”

thanks for being such a sport, Darby.  you were a most wonderful model and some of these images are absolute favorites of mine.

and thanks, Jennifer and Bruce, for introducing me to your amazing little boy.  i hope you enjoy your gallery of images.

and you’re going to be seeing more of this charming little man very soon on the blog.  his shoot was a little over a week ago but with twelve doggie clients being shot since his session, poor Darby’s sneak peek kinda got lost in the shuffle!

hope you enjoy this little taste, Jennifer and Bruce.  stay tuned for this handsome little dude’s fuller blog entry earlier next week!

of course, he’s not so “little” any more.  they grow up so quickly.

Sal belongs to Becky of Grooming with Finesse and is big brother to the three girls: Cee Cee, Viva, and Sofie. you met them from their earlier shoot.  and since their shoot incorporated the red caboose down at Waterloo Park we decided to take young Sal down there as well.

ah, so regal and proud, posing by the lake …

… or not.

Sal sure loves his big pink stuffie … racing around the park with it …

and posing with mom.

and then to the caboose for poses.  and no, we don’t beat the dogs first.     i think Sal heard a sound on the platform behind him when i released the shutter and i liked his expression here.

more sounds …

thanks, Becky, for introducing me to your wonderful boy … he’s such a charmer.  i can’t wait to shoot the big lug as an adult.

these two little sweethearts were definitely after my own heart from the moment i walked through the door and set my bags down.

and they were pretty easy to fall in love with during the shoot, even though they weren’t necessarily the easiest models.  typical terriers and being low to the ground, they were busy, busy, busy … following every scent … certainly no time for modeling!  although my boy McT certainly did his best to indulge me …

but Sadie couldn’t even bring herself to look at me, no matter how much cajoling or sweet talk, treats or squeakers i pulled out of my pockets …

much like my girl Matea, Sadie had huntin’ on her mind …

McT was as little more laid back … checking on us during our moving-shoot …

… but there were still times when he was just a blur going by.

we went to one of my favorite places to shoot and took in all the variety of backdrops … again, McT indulging me with his modeling abilities …

while Sadie … not so much …

because these two terrierists can’t be entirely trust off-leash in such a lush area, rife with scents and wild animals, i introduced owners Nan and Gerhard to the long-lines and how to work them.  it was Sadie’s and McTavish’s first experience on lines and i think the freedom was a definite hit all around.

and although Sadie might have only turned away from her hunting if i’d pulled a live squirrel from my pocket, McTavish was easily enamored with the Cuz ball i brought for him.

the cut wheat fields are less appealing than they were a few weeks ago, with the weeds already growing in around the dried, golden stubble, but Sadie didn’t care.

and almost as fun as the hiking — as with most dogs — is the car ride!

McT  l-0-v-e-s  his car rides …

thanks, Sadie and McTavish for a fun afternoon and evening.  i hope you enjoy your gallery of images, Nan and Gerhard.  hope to see you soon at your studio consult.

he’s a big, fun-loving goofball.

you’ll probably be seeing a lot more of Chai’s big gallery later on, once his images are done.  hope you enjoy the sneak peek, Andrea and Jason.

here are another two clients who enjoyed the effect of the tunnel recently … not an easy pair in this difficult lighting – being so close to the ground with every smell in the woods beckoning them onward, and their light-sucking black coats adding to the task … but i love how — in this shot — McTavish and Sadie end up looking akin to the Pushmi-pullyu from Dr. Doolittle.

you’ll be seeing more of McT and Sadie as i finish up their images from their big shoot.

in the meantime, this tunnel of trees and the great variety of other fabulous backdrops that surround it is just one of the locations that i use for my “Starter Sessions”.  details about the different scruffy dog sessions available are listed on the main website under the prices page.  if you have more questions, drop us a line.

but this little guy definitely pays it forward, applying the adopt-don’t-shop maxim himself by adopting most of his predecessor morley’s toys.

no need to go out and buy a slew of new toys when there are so many great ones close at hand to enjoy and give love to.  you’ll notice that ms. fishlips was well loved by morley, took a beating, saw some minor surgery, and is now thriving with great doses of merrick-love …

but with merrick, there’s a very fine line between love and pure chaos …

so merrick says, adopt, don’t shop! … because there’s nothing better than a pre-owned, pre-tested, pre-slobbered-on, pre-squeaked, pre-tattered and pre-loved toy.

like any good lab, Shelby loves water.  and it doesn’t matter where that water is, especially when the weather is as hot as it’s been this summer.  so, i thought it would be fun to grab a few shots of this girl cooling off in the fountain outside of Kitchener’s City Hall.

of course, we checked first to be sure there were no “no dogs allowed” signs posted … and Shelby’s leash was removed in post for most of her shots.

we also snagged a few shots in front of the old, historical Public Utilities Building across the street …

but then, yup, back to the water.

and a little showing-off to wrap things up.

thanks, Shelby, and Michelle and family, for indulging me.  i hope you enjoy Shelby’s images in her gallery.

as I lay in bed last night, an image suddenly formed in my mind which i felt would answer the challenge perfectly.  all that was left was to figure out how to execute it with all three scruffies.  i shouldn’t have continued setting up the shot beyond the initial click.  the first one nailed it …

… my lounging girl, a disdainful aslan looking on, and merrick — a constant blur in our world.

enjoy your weekend, everyone!  i hope it’s not a blur!

added note for all you techies: no, there are no special effects or extra photoshopping tricks here. this shot was accomplished through a slow shutter speed and good dog-wranglin’.