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Internationally-renowned, award-winning animal photographer Illona Haus created scruffy dog photography inc. as the province's premier pet photography business in 2007 ... the first of its kind in Canada ... and, still today, continues to serve clients across Ontario, the US and the world. Based in Kitchener, Ontario and photographing exclusively animals for almost 20 years - both commercially and for private clients - Illona is considered one of the world's leading and most influential pet photographers.

 

To learn more about scruffy dog photography, its creator, history, and the scruffy dog experience, feel free to browse through the menu above, and scroll over a decade's worth of blog entries below!

 

Please drop me a line! I'd love the opportunity to capture stunning, creative, one-of-a-kind photographic memories of your 4-legged loved ones to treasure in artwork for a lifetime, and show you just what makes the scruffy dog experience second to none.

DNA for your dog, and why you shouldn’t bother ~ commercial pet photographer

Most of my loyal blog and Facebook followers will already be very familiar with Matlin, the amazing scruffy who joined my pack back in the summer of 2016. She was adopted from Dogs Etc of Texas, involving a very long drive to Dallas and back, and I was fortunate to have her meet Matea and Merrick and be with them for the two short months before their passing.

You can read more about Matlin on her scruffy dog bio page, and even more about her in her first blog entry.

Not a week goes by when I’m not stopped at least a half dozen times by people asking: “What breed of dog is that?” … and online I am asked even more often than that! I sometimes respond with: “Disney Dropout”, but typically my response is: “no idea!” and then I let them try to make some educated guesses while we stand around and talk dogs.

I’ll admit, from the moment I had Matlin, during the long journey back to Canada from Dallas, I couldn’t get over how stunning this dog’s conformation is. When she stands at attention, she truly does look like she should be a purebred ‘something’ … her conformation is balanced and strong, with lean muscle and great proportions … so it doesn’t surprise me that most people believe she’s a purebred of some sort.

Of course, I’m the first to suggest Wheaten terrier, Skye terrier (I mean, those ears!), Berger Picard (the breed of my dreams) … but we could sit and guess all day long. So … in early 2017 I decided that it would be super fun to do a DNA test on this girl of mine. It could also be educational; I mean, to know some of her ancestry would help to better note her drives and characteristics, and, as a result, respond to them accordingly, no?

Don’t get me wrong … I have never held much faith in these tests; with a background and knowledge of police procedures and forensics, I find the $100+ pricetag on such tests to be somewhat suspect. Having said that, I do know – through researching and writing my second last psychological thriller – that A&M University in Texas has the ability to genotype dog hairs to determine breed or at least breed-type …

… so maybe I was being too skeptical on these DNA companies. And besides, my intention was to run a fun contest on the scruffy dog facebook page … awarding a prize of a session to the person who came the closest to guessing the breed. I mean, how hard could it be?

And yet, when the results started to roll in, I was flabbergasted. There was no WAY that anyone would ever come close to guessing the vast and ridiculous mix of breeds that this girl’s saliva conjured up! Still, I figured it was high time to share the results from not just one, not two, but FOUR DNA-testing companies so that you can decide for yourself

First off … just so we’re clear … here are some general traits of Matlin McWhackyears that can’t necessarily be seen from her photos:

  • she is a medium-boned, lean-muscled 40 lbs … 22″ at the shoulder … and is extremely tucked under all of that hair
  • everyone notes that she is SUPER fast
  • she has personality quirks that definitely suggest a herding breed, as well as terrier
  • the shorter-length tail which sits high would clearly suggest a Wheaten (if you’ve ever seen an uncropped Wheaten tail)
  • her coat doesn’t grow, and she is a low-shedder … she also doesn’t have the typical oils that a dog would have, which makes her hypo-allergenic for this dog-allergy sufferer  (yeah, yeah, yeah, a pet photographer allergic to animals … take a moment and laugh)
  • she has an underbite
  • she is lacking certain premolars which was suggested to me is a poodle thing
  • she is loving and trusting of people she knows, and there is no – and I mean NO – squashing her joy
  • she is smarter than any dog I’ve had in the past, and I’ve shared my life with some pretty smart dogs
  • she is extremely soft and gentle with other animals in the house and out
  • and those ears!!!

The companies I used were easily the top dog-DNA testing companies out there and came highly recommended by people across facebook and beyond.

 

So first off Wisdom Panel. Well, these good folks are quite steadfast in their belief I share my life with a Chihowwug.

Yup, 25% Chow, 25% Chihuahua, 12.5% Pug, with 37.5% from mixed breeds of the herding, terrier and hound (?!) groups.

 

The next company I used was Viaguard – Accu-metrics. Wow, what a surprise … not a single Chow, Chihuahua or Pug in the mix!

And yes, you’re reading that correctly: 37-74% Rat Terrier.  According to ViaGuard, this percentage “usually means that one of the parents was a purebred.” Okay? Next up is 20-36% Border Collie & Labrador Retriever … then 10-20% Cocker Spaniel & Whippet (well, she IS pretty fast) … and finally 5% or less, GSD, Greyhound and Poodle. Ah, my first non-shedding breed!

 

I obviously had to try Embark next since everyone seems to love their results SO much. Hmmm…

The thing that confuses me about Embark is that they put great emphasis on their ability to predict health issues based on genetic traits. And the health results are the first you receive.

Embark found that Matlin was at risk of 0 genetic diseases … yay! … however she came back as a carrier of one disease: Von Willebrand Disease Type II (not I or III). The funny thing is, on Embark’s own site they state that Type II is found in German Shorthaired Pointers “and related breeders”. With a little online digging I discovered that the only breeds affected by Type II of this disease is GSPs, Rough Collie, and – oh! – German Wirehaired pointer.

Still, I was excited. That beard of hers … it had to be GWP!  I mean, Embark goes on about how particular genomes will dictate coat color, coat type, and traits like uppy ears vs. down ears, and even ‘facial furnishings’ … the kind that Matlin has, but which none of the previous test breeds would have!

Alas, when the results came in, not a single beard in the bunch … what’s more, even though Embark talks about VW Disease Type II being in GSPs, there wasn’t GSP in the results … or any of the other breeds that medical sites suggest might carry the Type II gene.

… but hey, at least we’re seeing the Chow and Pug again that are SO Matlin!

Oh, and also according to Embark, Matin is VERY “wolfy” compared to the average dog. 2.3% Sigh … if you could only meet this blonde of mine!

 

And finally, the fourth purchased test was from DNA My Dog because so many SDP followers on Facebook were telling me it was the most accurate. Um … ?

To be clear, with none of the previous tests did I submit a photo of Matlin, nor did I respond to the “suspected breed(s)” question that some of these companies ask for. However, with DNA My Dog – out of sheer frustration – I DID send a photo, and under suspected breeds I entered Wheaten and Berger Picard. Alas, my Bichon Fritriever Spaniel-Tzu doesn’t have even a trace of those.

At this point, seriously? Should we believe any of this nonsense?  More to the point, does it matter?

So yes, while I’ve always been highly suspect of these tests and have heard ALL of the stories – the good to the downright ridiculous – I had considered this to be a fun venture, with perhaps some believable results which could used in the course of a contest. Alas, I’m quite certain that NO one would have guessed anything remotely close to these results. And my final takeaway is that the science is still VERY much out on actually determining the ancestry of the scruffies who share our lives. So let’s just love our mutts and send any $s itching to go to DNA-testing to the amazing rescue organizations we got ‘em from.

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  • SusanI used Wisdom Panel for my mix and was impressed by results. I wasn’t asked what breed mixes i thought she was nor did i send a photo. They described her probable appearance almost to a tee as well as personality charateristics. Finding out she had Great Pyrenees explained a lot about her over protective behavior.ReplyCancel

  • Virginia GeffrosBased solely on Matlin’s appearance, I would have guessed she is a Briard x. But what do I know?ReplyCancel

Masi ~ DOGS WE’VE LOVED ~ Kitchener pet photographer

Meet Masi … another entry in the special Dogs We’ve Loved series — a series that pays tribute to those dogs we have loved in life and continue to love beyond, the dogs who live on in our memories, in our hearts, our souls, and through the very important photos we create of them. You can see other entries in the Dogs We’ve Loved series here.

Masi, the King Charles Cavalier spaniel, had his Honor Session™ with me on a chilly February afternoon in 2015.

Like a lot of Honor Sessions, Masi’s session was booked with a degree of urgency.  Having been diagnosed with aggressive congestive heart failure. With little relief from the meds and every breath a struggle, the devastating decision had been made to end Masi’s battle.  Our session took place in the late afternoon hours of his final day on this earth.

Even though I didn’t know Masi beyond these couple of hours, I felt as though I knew his spirit.  He was a proud boy, but also, fun-loving and joyful.

While I crouched in the snow, with the last few rays of warm sun touching the snowy forest around us, it was difficult to escape the fact that this happy boy would be gone in the morning.

Like me, mom Denise remembers the session vividly.  In her words:

“It was freezing that afternoon, but the sky was so blue and the snow looked like a blanket of diamonds. We went for a walk in the woods, Masi’s favourite place. We had friends who had a cottage in Haliburton on a wooded property. Masi LOVED it there. During our autumn visits he would walk like a dog on a mission through the fallen leaves. He was so excited. And so very happy. As ill as he was, he ran through the snowy woods during our session wagging his whole body, I’m so glad we gave him that…

“… The session gave me one last really joyful time with my beloved happy dog. We never would have got that shot in a studio. The photos captured his essence. He was JOY.”

In regards to the artwork of Masi that Denise now has from our session:

“I treasure the artwork. I am reminded of him the way I had always known him every day, and I can smile………… And I can make other people smile too, because I have given some of the photos to very dear friends who love him too.

I AM SOOOOOOOOO glad we did it. I had very few photos of Masi. I would encourage people to have photo sessions with their dogs, at various stages in their lives, not just the end.”

I love hearing from clients what their artwork means to them, as this is the very reason I started photographing animals exclusively fifteen years ago and started scruffy dog over a decade ago.  These photographic memories are so vital, and sometimes they are all we have left of our beloved 4-leggers once they are gone … and it is the reason why I take every SDP session very seriously, knowing how important these images ultimately are to each guardian.

Thank you, Denise, for sharing your wonderful Masi with me, and entrusting me to capture his spirit with my photos.  I am so grateful you have a new little man in your life to honour your incredible Masi.

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Skye ~ DOGS WE’VE LOVED ~ Brampton pet photographer photo series

Meet Skye … another entry in the special Dogs We’ve Loved series.  This is a special photo series that pays tribute to those dogs whom we’ve loved in life and continue to love beyond, who live on in our memories, in our hearts, our souls, and through the very important photos we create of them. You can see other entries in the Dogs We’ve Loved series here.

Skye’s Honor Session was booked by her mom, Anita, who – like most scruffy dog clients – chose to bring her girl here to the Land of Scruffy for an adventurous and fun afternoon … and evening, as the case was for Skye’s session.

Like a surprising number of clients who book with me, Anita informed me that Skye could be a little camera shy.  But as I tell all clients who worry about this: “Nada problem!”  As you can see from the photos from our session, Skye and I ironed things out pretty quickly on that front!

This girl was so happy, and the bond with her mom was undeniable.

And like many clients of mine, Anita didn’t want to be in the photos … yet, this photo of Skye in the crown vetch with Anita smiling in the background is probably one of my favorites from their session.

It shouldn’t surprise you that I hear from Anita occasionally.  She misses her girl, and I am much too familiar with that loss.  Anita writes:

“I am missing Skye so much these days, I often hear her collar jingle in the house and I look up and turn my head and I swear I see her standing there and looking at me, smiling. This happens often.  And, I also sometimes doze off on the couch and automatically wake up about the time I would always take her for her last late night walk, I go as far as grabbing her leash, only to realize she’s not here. It has been very difficult as I know you know all too well.”

“Skye was 14 years old at the time of our session in June 2016. At that time, she was starting to show signs of slowing down with arthritis but still managed to have some pep in her step. Since I first saw your work, 4-5 years prior to the shoot, I decided right there and then that it was something I was going to do that with Skye. It had been what I had been searching for — a photographer that could capture the essence of my beloved dog’s personality so that when the time came I would have her close with me always.  Although my intentions never changed in that time, for one reason or another, I just couldn’t make it happen until last year.”

“I was grateful to finally have the session because only 8 months after her session and a couple of weeks after her 15th birthday on Valentine’s Day, Skye was diagnosed with kidney disease. Not only that, her kidney values changed so drastically from her most recent test from last fall, that she was diagnosed with going into renal failure. I was told by two vets that she was not going to be with me much longer. The news hit me like a ton of bricks. I spent the next 5 weeks doing anything in my power to help her.  It was clear she was declining and when I knew I couldn’t do anything more for my beautiful girl, on March 23rd, I said goodbye. It very easily was the most difficult goodbye in my life. She was my first dog and the stories, memories, and adventures we shared over those 13 years she was by my side (I adopted her at age 2, my first dog while I had a broken ankle), were endless and honestly, the best ones of my life.”

“The session was everything I hoped for and much more. That day was an experience that Peter and I will both always keep as a treasured memory.  In our session, I always believed Skye was camera-shy.  True or not, during the session, she quickly managed to get her nickname you gave her, Illona, McBobblehead, which I thought was very appropriate and I continued to use along with several other terms of endearment including Stinkypants, Hairytoes, Sunshine and of course Skye-girl. Waiting in the truck for dusk and the right lighting for that last shot on the hill was fun as we shared some stories and a few laughs. That time of day is my favourite and shot is still one of my favourites.”

“Having my collection means that every single day, the visions and memories of my girl that are always in my head, come to life, with a glance to the wall or a reach over to my memory box where I can go through all the shots and re-live my endless memories of my Skye as often as I like. It makes me feel like she truly is still around me.  The photo shoot was the best thing I ever did, not only for myself to keep Skye’s memory alive but to honour her, pay tribute to her, to know how much she meant to me and how much happiness, joy, comfort, love and companionship she brought to my life. She was a perfect friend and seeing the photos each day reminds me what an impact she made.”

Thank you, Anita … thank you SO much for sharing your lovely Skye with me, for trusting me to do her proud, for opening up and connecting.  My greatest hope is that one day you find room in your heart to show your Skye-girl the greatest honour, and that is to give your heart to another in her memory.

 

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  • DainaBeautiful pictures captured of a beautiful girl!ReplyCancel

  • Sherie DracupWhat a beautiful tribute, and a beautiful girl.ReplyCancel

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