you met Reese and Ruga in their sneak peek a couple of weeks ago, and i thought it was high time we shared some more images from their snorffely fun shoot.

this is handsome, collected Reese …

Reese has the coarser sharpei coat … apparently there are three varieties, did you know that?  and being so coarse, yes, i did have a mild skin break-out.  yeah, a pet photographer with allergies, right?  but that didn’t stop me from giving him lotsa love.  i adored his sweet, calm energy.

and this is Ruga …

much softer than her brother, and every bit as sweet.

and when i say snorffely fun, i do mean snorffely.  if you’ve never fed a sharpei treats, well, you might not know what i mean, but it’s kind of like what i’d imagine feeding marshmallows by hand to a hippo might be like.

one thing i can say for these two is that they’re true dolls.  as with other breeds, sharpei are often stigmatized by their breed’s background as fighting dogs, even though they were used to serve many functions from guarding to herding, and even hunting game like wild pigs.  in fact, owner Jamie told me she was turned away from a training facility for agility classes when Ruga was younger, over the phone, sight unseen, simply because of Ruga’s breed.  now, i get that some trainers don’t want to deal with aggressive dogs, especially in an agility situation where the energy is heightened already, but sight unseen? with no history of aggression? well, that’s breedism at its height.

we had some fabulous scenery and backdrops for these two right in their back yard.  their lovely property served us incredibly well, and we didn’t have to go very far, which was a bit of a saving grace since the snow had developed quite a crust and was rather difficult to work through.

so shooting these two was a lot more like a National Geographic shoot … just hanging out in their natural habitat, letting them do their thing, anticipating their moments and capturing them.

of course, i realize a National Geographic photographer would never toss the wildlife a treat …

you can see here just how deep the crusted snow was, and how difficult it was for these two to get a rip on …

and although there were small bare patches where Ruga could run a little …

… it wasn’t until we got back to the house and the main drive that the dogs could finally run.  however, with the surface so icy and with Ruga already having had one cruciate repair, i stopped that nonsense after this one quick grab.

one of the shots that Jamie was really keen on having captured of her two was the way the sit on “their” hill together and survey the property.  and, with enough waiting — like some stealthy National Geographic photographer — it happened.

i really enjoyed working with these guys, and red dogs are one of my favorite colours to work with.  i’m so looking forward to our summer session.

the colours and tones will be so different, and, of course, there will be more running without the hindrance of crusted snow …

the other thing i should mention is that poor Ruga is probably going to be losing an eye.  she has been diagnosed with glaucoma in her right eye … a condition (i have just read) that is predisposed in sharpei.  although she is not showing any outward signs of pain in the eye, she has no remaining vision in it and the eye itself is somewhat enlarged.  i was so glad that we were able to get these shots of her before the surgery …

i hope you enjoy your first of two galleries, Jamie, as much as I enjoyed your pups.

i’m looking forward to our next shoot.  until then, Reese and Ruga, mind your hill!