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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.

let’s cool off! ~ {Ontario pet photographer}

well, we’re in a heatwave … and while that’s playing havoc on the very full shooting schedule over here at scruffy dog, i figure i’d attempt to cool things down a little with a few left over shots from this past winter.  (yeah, we’re that far behind with blogging!)

these are images that were shared over on the scruffy dog facebook page which is where you can always keep up with the up-to-the-minute goings-on here at SDP headquarters — the latest news, sessions, clients, and scruffy faces.  i’m always flattered to hear from people who tell me that they have spent years refusing to join facebook, but who have joined just so that they can follow the images of SDP.

but, for you absolute holdouts, hey, i get it!  so i’ll always catch you up here on the SDP blog … you just sometimes have to wait a few months for shots like this one of little Ms. Murfy and Bosco …

and this one of Elvis …

but in the meantime … let’s think cool thoughts … winter!!

here’s Wyatt and Sophie … from the summer segment of their Seasons Session.

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how gorgeous is this girl?

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Wyatt was initially shy, but he came around very quickly and i’m looking forward to working with both of these beauties again for their summer and fall session.

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then there was sweet sweet Emma and her Honor Session<sup>TM</sup>…

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i had fun with these two big scruffies — Chewy and Huxley …

especially Huxley and his amazing springs-for-legs …

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of course, Chewy was no slouch when it came bouncing around!

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and then there was Frank and Lily.  one needed to brace oneself when these two came barreling down the trail!

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and sweet  Tilly … she painted her nails just for her scruffy session.

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…and could really move for an old girl.

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then there was the very handsome Jack, who brought his extra special ears for his session.

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well, i hope that cooled you off a wee bit!  as always, if you’re wanting to keep up with the latest, do check out the scruffy dog facebook page.

 

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  • Maria GenebraDogs.ReplyCancel

  • LindaJust when I think it can’t get any better…a pink couch and a bulldog! And of course all the rest of those beauties! LOVE it all.ReplyCancel

  • Michelle BradshawThere’s nothing better than seeing these scruffies on the FB page and again in your blog…..awesome blog Illona, thank you.ReplyCancel

badger & hecktor ~ {Toronto, Ontario pet photographer}

what … i mean, what can i say about Hecktor and Badger?  …two cairn terrierist extraordinaires who came from Toronto for their fall scruffy session with mom Rita.  look at these faces!  they had an absolutely miserable time at their scruffy session.  just horrible.  hard to pick a favorite when looking down at these two absolutely sad, miserable faces, huh?

i loved working with these guys … and Hecktor’s repertoire of expressions was rather rich …… no matter which end i was shooting.and just when i started to think that Hecktor was my favorite, i’d focus on Badger and fall in love with her …i mean, check out that smile…Rita is the Director of the very busy Royal York Animal Hospital in Etobicoke, and clients there are already familiar with scruffy dog photos from the artwork hanging on the walls.  it was awesome to spend some time with Rita outside of the hospital, see her with her dogs, in nature, just relaxing……and of course, Badger and Hecktor certainly weren’t complaining about the getaway.i had such fun with both of these guys at the tunnel of trees, on the trail, on the beach …… but before we lost all the light of the day, Rita and i raced downtown for a few alley shots.  i think by then Hecktor was finally feeling a little mellower and maybe even a little worn out!but old girl Badger was still doing her best to strike a pose.thanks so much, Rita, for all of your support of scruffy dog, for introducing me to your two fabulous scruffnuts, and for entrusting me with their photographic memories.  it was a true pleasure to capture their images and get to know them.

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the faces of Woofstock 2013 ~ first installment ~ {Toronto, Ontario pet photographer}

well, another Woofstock has come and gone, and what an amazing crop of faces we met this year at the scruffy dog booth!  i only wish i was able to take photos of every scruffy that came into our booth. what follows is only a very small sampling …

 

NOTE: if you find your dog amongst these amazing faces, please understand and respect copyright laws. images are NOT to be copied, screen-captured, lifted or used in anyway. All content and images on this blog are strictly copyrighted.  If you would like to share your scruffy’s photo on facebook, here is the Woofstock 2013 album on the scruffy dog FB page You will find your scruffnut there and are more than free (in fact, encouraged!) to “Share” your pup’s image.

If you would like your own copy of the image, just drop me a line!!  [email protected] … the studio is very busy, but I will absolutely do what I can to answer your requests!

 

of course, it would not be Woofstock without Chance.  this bruiser comes to every Woofstock … and he’s never misses the opportunity to visit the scruffy dog booth.  it’s always a pleasure to stick my cameras into Chance’s gorgeous mug.

of course, Woofstock is always rife with bulldogs … and tutus … so when you combine the two, well, of course i have to pull out a camera! i was thrilled to see this little girl prance into the booth, all the way from Connecticut — a husky-terrier cross — with her lovely parents.  how amazing is that face? and how much would i love to have a session with her?  her parents did express great interest in coming back for a scruffy dog session, so i can only hope to meet this scruffy face again one day.the best-smile award of the weekend — paws down — absolutely goes to Daphne!  just look at this face!on top of which, Daphne clearly worked hard on her eye-liner before coming out to Woofstock for the weekend.this big boy was actually one of the first ones into the SDP booth for the weekend.  and this face is relatively typical of the faces i get when i ask: “can he have a treat?”of course, if i don’t deliver said-treat in prompt fashion, this is generally the resulting table dive.there were loads of scruffnuts who showed up at the booth as well … i sure do love me those scruffnuts, especially this little red faced darling. or this amazing little girl, Lucy!  who doesn’t love Lucy!i didn’t catch this scruffnut’s name, but yes, he/she did get a treat.…as did this absolute lovely.and this girl was definitely one of my favorite faces of the weekend.  i wish i could remember her name, but i do remember her energy: shy but incredibly sweet, and so wanting to trust.  she reminded me a lot of merrick when he first came to me.  i offered some of my experiences with merrick as far as rehabilitation, and in that time, this girl certainly came around quickly to the idea that i wasn’t half bad.  gosh i was so in love with her.  and what an incredible athlete.  at one point, she launched herself fully onto the SDP table without so much as fluttering a card or brochure.  her lovely mom and girl seemed quite keen on a session, and i can’t tell you how much i hope i meet them in the future.and i believe this is Sawyer … and this is not his first visit to the SDP booth.  what a fun face!how about this big gorgeous face?sometimes the scruffies come into the booth with their best mind-melding tricks, hoping to score a treat…

…and if i’m not fast enough, they’ll  help themselves!because the scruffy dog booth is always so busy, i almost never get out from behind the table.  but on my one brief walk-about for the weekend, i ran into this crusty little face … i believe this is a Chongqing dog.  what a face! and i learned that this is Nellie.  i think she’s a solid runner-up for best Woofstock smile.and this is Laika … it was so lovely to meet this scruffy girl as she has a session on the books in a couple of weeks!and this is her best friend Sam who is also on the books for a session.  i’m so looking forward to shooting these two.this T-shirt-wearing mini bull terrier was my first mini ever!  i don’t think i’ve even met one in person before … although with so many dogs in my life, i’m often caught saying: “oh, i’d love to shoot a ____”  only to realize that i’ve already photographed two of them in the past.and how adorable is this bat-earred little darling?of course, Woofstock would not be Woofstock without a healthy crop of Yorkies … and this dashing little guy definitely stood out in the crowd.ah … pugs … last year’s bulldogs.  the first two years i did Woofstock, bulldogs were definitely the #1 breed … year three saw an incredible influx of pugs. this year the breed of choice seemed to be the Boston Terrier.

this particularly pushy little pug was actually parked at my feet begging while i was photographing another scruffnut.this darling, one-eyed lovely belongs to Donna — an avid follower of scruffy dog on facebook.another handsome galoot …love me a Boston Terror!like i said before … so many dogs, so little time!  just look at this sweet face.…and this one.of course, here i believe i was receiving another mind-meld attempt for treats … little do they know that after years of working with dogs, i am absolutely immune to all canine mind-meld techniques.and i close out this Woofstock entry with another fabulous face i fell in love with.   ah … so little time.  i hope you enjoyed this “small” selection of Woofstock faces.  and if you’d like to see the results of the draw for the complimentary scruffy dog session, made by merrick himself, you can find it here!

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  • Munchie's Barkery (Munchies Coffeehouse and BARKery)Awesome pictures! Great looking crowd! Can’t wait to see the rest… RoReplyCancel

  • Donna Riggbeautiful imagesReplyCancel

  • Joni A SolisOh my goodness. You must have a sore trigger finger after a day like that one! What great doggie faces you have captured.ReplyCancel

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