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Tag Archives: merrick

group hike ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

19 December 2010 – 5:58 pm

just had to squeeze another few shots of my boy merrick onto the blog after today’s group hike with Waterloo Dog and a couple other CETs (certified educator trainers)

with over two dozen  dogs and even more people from all over, there wasn’t much opportunity for shooting.  we moved at a pretty good clip over the two hours, and often the trail was only wide enough for two-abreast, so when it did open up a bit, i literally grabbed a few quick shots.

i wanted to get some shots of merrick’s new Cascade Bodysuit by K9 Topcoat in Oregon.  i’ve used K9 Topcoat products for years now, and seriously, nothing else out there comes close.  the Cascade is waterproof, windproof, and breathable … best of all it’s a stretch material which allows full range of motion.  although merrick inherited all of morley’s awesome winter gear, he needs this kind of coverage since his fine hair balls up with snow very quickly.  no doubt he’ll be modeling morley’s neoprene boots which i made two years ago as well; he did fine today without.

i had the legs of the Cascade taken up at a local tailor last week, but they didn’t take them up high enough … so a few more alterations.  sure wish i had a sewing machine.

merrick had a great time.  he didn’t do the kind of hunting he does when out with big sister matea, but it was a great experience for him to be in that sea of dogs and shuffling legs.  to watch him carry himself with so much more confidence now, that tail almost always straight up, shows me just how far this boy has come.

thanks, Tami and everyone, for an awesome hike.  see you at the group walk in a couple of weeks!

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merrick’s first winter shoot ~ {Ontario pet-exclusive photographer}

18 December 2010 – 10:25 am

i still have many 4-legger clients to share with you from our fall sessions, but they’re either Christmas presents and their blog entries can’t be mounted yet, or I still haven’t completed the post work on them.   but they’re coming.  there’s a queue …

… and i can’t help but jump that cue with a little shoot i had yesterday afternoon with my own little scruffie, merrick.  with the crazy schedule i’ve had lately, this was my first opportunity to shoot this little goober in the snow … unless i count those first couple of days when we brought him home.

upon letting him out with matea midday, he always stops to look back at the house … hoping, praying, pleading that i’ll come out and play. dang, i love this dog.

but he knows he has to “go do his business” first …

… then we can play!

and if i don’t throw his training bumper fast enough, i get told off.

this bumper — made by Chuckit — is the BEST.  perhaps a little odd discussing flotation toys while ankle-deep in snow, but i’ve gone through a number of float/retrieve toys over the past few months since merrick loves the water so much.  sadly, all have failed for various reasons.  although i haven’t had a chance to use the Chuckit bumper in water yet, i know it’s going to be a hit.  it won’t sink deep in the water before coming back up to float like some of the toys we’ve been disappointed with, and it will sit high enough on the surface so that shorty here will be able to spot it.  too many flotation toys are too flat and can’t be seen in even slightly choppy water, or by the low-swimmers like merrick.

regardless, this bumper won’t be seeing water for a while, but he loves it anywhere … and in deeper snow, i always prefer a bumper on a rope over a ball … although merrick is tenacious when it comes to searching for his ball, and i’m sure he’d dig through 10′ of snow to find his beloved balls.

of course, no snow shoot would be complete with out jumping …

… and for merrick, swinging …

now, let me say, these shots were no easy feat.  in one hand, i am balancing just under 5 lbs of camera, while with the other, i’m swinging 22+ lbs of dog in a circle,  2′ off the ground.  and yeah, he loves this … this is something we have built together through encouragement and confidence building.  he’s a pro.  while matea, well, she just doesn’t get how it could possibly be fun.

i love these next two.  i generally don’t let him chew on the bumper since it’s for training, but after the swinging, he got to have it for a few minutes.  not to be upstaged by all the attention merrick was receiving, matea found herself a stick to show off …

and there she goes!

okay, here’s my girl.  although she was once as wild and zany as merrick, age has offered her a perspective which allows moments of calm and, dare i say, wisdom?

of course, the cost of all this fun, alas, is snow balls.

but we’ve got that covered.  i gave the little goober a good trimming tonight, so hopefully with shorter hair on the legs and feet he’ll at least be able to go out for a pee without bringing half the yard back inside with him.  AND merrick got a super duper, high-tech snow suit that i’m picking up from the tailor’s later today (the legs had to be taken up, of course) just for our hikes.  wait till you get a load of him in his new super-suit!

happy weekend, everyone.  try not to spend your entire weekend shopping and get out and enjoy the snow!

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play date with Waterloo Dog ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

14 November 2010 – 3:12 pm

Merrick had his first play date today, organized by the fabulous Tami Packham of Waterloo Dog.   for those who don’t know about Merrick’s background, he was rescued out of a puppymill after six years of being a stud-dog … and six years of obvious abuse.  this boy’s come a l-o-n-g way in the eight months he’s been a certified scruffy, and although he’s met many dogs along his road to recovery, he hasn’t had any opportunities for full-out socializing.

given that i don’t approve of dog parks and have seen — first-hand — many ruined dogs from bad dog-park experiences, this isn’t an avenue i have any interest in exploring, especially with super-sensitive Merrick.   however, with a group of pre-approved, stable dogs, i’m certainly game.

the group was made up of a good number of large dogs … which is neither here nor there for Merrick.  he loves all dogs.  it’s their energy that dictates whether he’s going to move forward and engage, or hang back, reserved.

Tami did a great job of getting the dogs moving …

including her own little firecracker, Indie …

but Merrick stuck close … not out of fear or concern, but more — i sensed — because he knows who his pack is.  now, if Matea had been with us and charging forward with the other dogs, you wanna bet Merrick would have been right in the thick of this crew.  but … whenever i turned around, this is what i saw … goober.

then again, the likes of these two were a bit much for him …

there were some crazy goings-ons.

i thought for sure he’d find some camaraderie in this s-wheatie …

and although he did make friends, it was Bailey, the hound pictured behind him, with whom Merrick had the closest bond and most fun.  i didn’t dare snap the shutter on any of the antics Merrick shared with Bailey … crazy zoomies and wild, zany circles of sheer joy … for fear that he’d stop at the sound of the camera.

i do hope we get to meet up with Bailey again because he seemed to bring Merrick to life after an hour of only moderate engagement with the rest of the dogs.  in fact, it was only moments after Merrick’s Bailey-induced rebirth that he turned his full attention onto this little sweetie, who really wanted nothing more than to stick to her owner’s ankles …

Merrick tried all of his new-found tricks … even a couple of back flips which i didn’t manage to capture … but still couldn’t get the little dollface to play …

all-in-all, a great outing.  we look forward to more social play dates, and i fully expect to see Merrick come out of his puppymill/abuse-shell more and more with each session.  thanks, Tami, and to all those who attended!  and i promise, as more play dates take place, i’ll be able to grab better photos.  i was wary of snapping too many since each time i clicked, Merrick — the former camera-terrified terrier — would stop all play and come running back to me to pose.  little bugger.

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merrick’s excellent week ~ Ontario pet-exclusive photographer

5 November 2010 – 10:55 am

every once in a while i have to force myself to take a break from the client shoots and the post-production work, prepping orders and photo-book design, to snap a few of my wild boy merrick as he assimilates to the world around him.  over these past eight months since we got him out of his former “situation”, it’s been a joy to watch him come out of his shell, to blossom into a more confident, fun-loving, tail-wagging maniac, and learn how to be a real dog from his big sister, matea.

from his most excellent group walk with Waterloo Dog on Sunday, to a visit from a new little friend, and a few new toys, merrick’s had a most excellent week …

… although he’s still finessing the mid-air snatch …

also this week, besides refining his new trick “roll” …

… he picked up another new one  — “turn” — where he does a 360-degree spin.  of course, the “roll” and the “turn” are often done several times in rapid succession as we ramp up to a toss of the ball.  he’s getting really good at sequenced commands.

maybe one day we’ll even make a video.  for now though, merrick wishes every a most excellent weekend … in spite of the snow we saw coming down this morning.

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your sunday smile ~ {Ontario pet exclusive photographer}

24 October 2010 – 9:56 am

i’ve already shared these on flickr and facebook, but i thought i’d put them up on the blog for those who don’t follow scruffy dog on facebook or don’t follow six-year-old merrick – the newest member of the scruffy dog family, rescued from a puppy mill this past March – in his 52 Weeks project on flickr.

this was his weekly entry for week 42 … we call this a “drive-by licking”.  and if you only knew the kind of no-nonsense, uber-serious dog matea is, you’d be even more amazed at how this little man has charmed this hardcore girl.

and to combat the boredom of the rainy day we had yesterday, merrick learned a new trick.  now, you should know, i’m not into teaching dogs useless tricks.  i teach world-skills; the kinds of commands that will help them – and us, together – navigate the world around us.  i do teach my dogs an “over” command, where they are asked to lie on their side.  this is helpful in so many real-world situations i have no idea why obedience and training classes don’t incorporate it as a necessary command.  it’s useful for vet and daily exams, grooming, for behavioral issues and exercises, for calming your dog in situations (put the body in a relaxed position and the mind will follow), and so on.

so … “over” has always been one of the mainstay commands in my dogs’ repertoire.  merrick learned it faster than any dog i’ve had.  but today, merrick learned “rollover”.  why? because he was bored, but mostly because merrick is a fun-loving, fast moving dog, and for the promise of a ball he wants to perform.

so, i present to you, merrick’s roll-over …

happy sunday, everyone.  learn a new trick!  or an old one.

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