Monthly Archives: March 2009

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BFFs

03.31.2009 –

I’ve been trying to make up for lost time with my girls these last couple weeks.  I missed them like crazy while I was in Scotland; it’s amazing how even when you’re not directly interacting with your dogs, their presence is somehow always felt.  I think that might be the thing I missed most.  Second only to burying my face in their necks and getting a good whiff of their sweet puppy smells.  (It’s true: I really, really like the way my dogs smell.  And I’m not the only one who has openly admitted this, right Kim?)

Anyway, I’ve been taking them everwhere with me that I possibly can (Kinley came with me to get an oil change this morning).  One thing I’ve noticed with fresh eyes after being gone is just how close to each other they have become.  When we first brought Kinley home Roux acted like she had puppy cooties and refused to get within three feet of her.  Even though that faded pretty quickly, Roux is still serious about governing her own space bubble and isn’t particularly pleased when Kinley invades it.  Slowly (ever so slowly) Roux started to allow Kinley to sit near her on the couch.  Eventually she decided it was okay if Kinley was touching her, but only just barely touching.  And then the other day I glanced in the backseat of car and they looked like this:

sisters

And then later, like this:

squished

In case you can’t tell what’s what, that’s Roux lying on top of Kinley’s head, which is just fine by Kinley.

Another thing I’ve noticed more acutely since I’ve been back is how much the dogs have learned in dog class.  I searched high and low for a dog class that I really felt would make a difference in our lives (we dropped out of puppy Kindergarten, so we don’t exactly have the best record).  It’s obviously important to have a well behaved dog no matter what, but when you have two (big) dogs, it’s that much more imperative.  We are almost finished with our class, and both girls have learned so much.  And I’ve probably learned twice as much as they have.

Sunday afternoon was a good test of their newly garnered obedience; we took them to Golden City Brewery.  (If you live in Colorado, and you haven’t been to  GC, go!  It’s a fabulous little microbrewery with a courtyard that welcomes dogs).  The one hour downstays we’ve been practicing paid off; the girls settled in at our feet and didn’t move the entire time.

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rouxgc

Such good little pups!

thegirls

Back to regular client posting tomorrow. . .

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Charlie

03.30.2009 –

Before my session with Charlie, his mom [Patricia] told me he looked like a Rhodesian Ridgeback with long whiskers.  She got him from the pound–origin completely unknown–so she had a DNA test done on him, which revealed a hodge podge of breeds including Jack Russell and Greyhound, among others [which I have forgotten].  But absent from that list was Ridgeback.  Not having seen Charlie, I thought it dubious that he really looked like a Ridgeback.  Maybe Patricia just didn’t know what Ridgebacks looked like?  You run across people like that sometimes, you know the type, the people that tell you what kind of dog you have, observations which are just about always totally misguided.  But Patricia wasn’t one of those people; in fact, she was dead on.  I’m thinking the folks over at the doggie DNA testing center mistakenly switched Charlie’s test with another mutt, because there is no way Charlie isn’t a little [or a lot] Ridgeback.  He does have the most wonderful whiskers, a hand me down from who knows what breed, and a trait I’m thinking people should start purposely breeding in to the Ridgeback line.

Just look at that face:

charliebwmain

In addition to his fabulous whiskers, Charlie was incredibly well behaved.  We met in downtown Denver, a totally new place for Charlie, but the bustle didn’t get to him at all.  He sat happily wherever we put him and stayed there until Patricia called him.  A-ma-zing.

citycharlie1

It was Charlie’s amicable nature that allowed me a lot of freedom, and is probably directly responsible for shots like this:

and this:

[By the way, that blue color?  Not enhanced at all.  Gotta love the blue skies we get in Colorado].

Of all the places we found to place Charlie, the best by far was this sweet spot, against a concrete building.  The sunlight bounced between two buildings in a really beautiful way, creating shadows and corresponding pockets of light that were so much fun to play with.

charlieduo

Charlie + mom:

And, finally, my personal favorite:

charliefavorite

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Dogs of Scotland

03.27.2009 –

edinburgh

First of all: if you haven’t been to Scotland, go. Flights are pretty cheap at the moment, the dollar is stronger than it has been in a long time, and the place is just unbelievable.  I am completely smitten with it.  We traveled to various small towns on the Western coast, and also spent some time both in Glasgow and Edinburgh.  If you’re interested in seeing the other, non-canine photos you can see them all here.

We met quite a few dogs, but these three were my favorites.

This is Buster, resident Labrador at a waterfront Bed & Breakfast in Oban.

buster

In general, the Scottish dogs we met seemed to be better behaved than their American counterparts.  About half the dogs we came across weren’t even on leashes–in the city too–and yet they stayed right by their owners’ sides.  I’d like to learn their secret.  I’m about 99% sure that if I let either of my nut cases off their leashes in town they’d be sprinting around like maniacs, jumping up on everyone they met and licking them in the face.

We met  this lovely Dalmation on the walk up Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh. (If you do go to Edinburgh, this is a must.  Especially if you’re jonesing for a little doggie interaction).

scotland-ii-089dalmation
This Irish Wolfhound was on the summit of Arthur’s Seat.  It was unbelievably windy up there, but he seemed perfectly happy to quietly enjoy the scenery.

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woflhound

Hope everyone had a fabulous couple weeks!  I will be back to regular posting (with lots of catching up to do) next week.

Happy Friday!

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Brief Sabbatical

03.16.2009 –

At long last I am finished with finals and spent a good, long weekend shooting some fabulous pups. [Happy Birthday, Grommit!] The most beautiful thing about being finished with finals is that I am leaving today for Scotland.  It is a much-needed trip, booked entirely on a whim… Has anyone else seen Maid of Honor?  Terrible film, but it will definitely make you want to go to Scotland.  I was watching it over Christmas break and happened to have my laptop nearby.  Fleetingly I thought it would be fun to go to Scotland, and because my laptop was sitting in front of me, I looked up flights.  And they were crazy cheap.  So I called up my friend, Samantha.  She was in, so before we could change our minds we booked it.  One thing’s for sure–it’ll be an adventure.  And actually, I hope to photograph a dog or two.

I will be back Wednesday, March 25 and plan to hit the ground running with all the editing on my to-do list. [Thanks for your patience, Patricia, Khara and Audrey!]

One thing is for sure–I will miss these faces:

bwduo

kinleyface

kinleynose

…and their associated silly antics.

sillyroux

But they will have some quality dad time, and I think he’ll enjoy having them all to himself.  I know I do.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!!!

By admin | Posted in Canine, McKinley, Personal, Roux | Tagged , | Comments (12)

Breyermania

03.13.2009 –

kinleyforblog1

I’ve been completely enamored with animals for as long as I can remember.  One of the first ways this manifested itself was in my obsession with Breyer Horses.  If my parents weren’t going to surprise me with a pony for Christmas, then this was the next best thing.  My best friend Lauren and I treasured our Breyers.  They were [and still are] expensive so our collections grew slowly, but this was for the best since we had to take time to get to know every plastic addition.  We had every horse’s resume memorized; their names, breeds and personalities.  I even went through a phase where I recorded all of this information in a huge trapper keeper.  [You know, just in case by some strange twist of happenstance I couldn't remember whether Wild Diamond competed in the Kentucky Derby or the Preakness.  Hey, it could happen].  Needless to say, Lauren and I took this obsession to the max.  When I was nine, my family moved to South America, but this did not stop my Breyer horses from staying in touch with Lauren’s.  Indeed,  my Breyers would write weekly letters to Lauren’s herd, and they’d respond several weeks later.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Eventually real horses replaced my plastic horse obsession, but I still have a soft spot for Breyers and in an act of homage I have two of my favorites displayed on a bookshelf in my office.  [Actually, these were a Christmas gift from Lauren....just a few years ago].  When Roux was a puppy she took a liking to these little horses and would occasionally sneak into my office to pluck one off the shelf.  I found it funny that of all the objects she could potentially reach she chose these little horses.  Nothing about their texture or form resembled any of her own toys, and yet she really, really liked them.  Eventually she gave up trying to steal them and I forgot all about her Breyer affinity.

Until recently, because now Kinley [almost exactly the same age as Roux was when she discovered the Breyers] has developed a fascination for these little bay horses.  The other day I spotted Kinley sauntering down the hall, so nonchalantly I almost didn’t notice the telltale legs sticking out the sides of her mouth.  Sure enough, she had snatched a Breyer.  Thinking it was a fluke, I told took the horse from her and put it back on the shelf.  Ever since, she has taken every opportunity she can to grab one of these little guys out of my office.  She is absurdly gentle with them, and while I can certainly understand where she’s coming from [maybe she just wants her very own Breyer collection], I eventually had to put my foot down and move them to a shelf she couldn’t reach.

Just when I think she’s forgotten them, I’ll walk into my office and find her sitting patiently beneath the shelf where they live now,  staring longingly up at them.

kinleyforblog21

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