Captain, a giant black Labrador Retriever, is lucky enough to have all of this right on his own property.  The ocean surrounds his lush green lawn and the beach is literally two gallops away.   It’s the perfect place for a breed of dog that lives to swim and fetch.

Dogs have a way of helping you forget all the things that run over and over in your head keeping you up nights.  When a dog like Captain comes along, you’re offered an escape from the trivial or mundane and you must seize the opportunity to become childlike again.  Thanks Captain for reminding me that the simple pleasures are what replenishes body, mind and spirit.  I truly enjoyed spending time with you and your smile.

Abby is a 4 year old Pit Bull available for adoption through Scituate Animal Shelter.  What we already knew about Abby at the time of the shoot is that she is good with little dogs but shy around bigger dogs.  She’s is already house trained, likes to sleep in and loves, loves, loves a good belly rub.  She’s accomplished “sit” and “down” but needs a little work with “stay” because the only thing she really wants to do is be close to her humans.

I picked up Abby and her foster mom and on our way to the Blue Hills, was asked to use the child lock on the windows and doors because Abby is one smart little cookie and has learned how to open both windows and doors.

What we didn’t know about Abby and found out after our shoot when we made a stop to my parent’s house, is that she is really good with people she hasn’t met.  Both my mom and dad are elderly and if you’ve been following along with my blog for a while, you’ll know that Mom is in a wheelchair and Dad uses a cane.  Both of these things can be unnerving for a dog when they first experience the contraptions yet neither fazed Abby.  She was perfectly polite with my dad’s cane and calmly allowed him the space he needed to navigate around her.  When I brought my mom and her wheelchair around the corner and Abby first caught sight of it, she had no averse reaction to it or my mom.  Again, I saw nothing but polite curiosity from this little charmer.  I think she could pass the therapy dog evaluation with flying colors.  She was even good with my mom’s Conure (a form of parrot) though I don’t think I’d leave them in a room alone together just yet.

Abby is active but not high strung, curious about everything but never in your face (unless of course she’s giving kisses) and would fit into almost any household I could imagine.  If you’re looking for a versatile companion then I highly recommend you give Scituate Animal Shelter a call to arrange a time to visit with Abby. You will not regret it.

Princess, a calm, laid back little lady has impeccable manners is inquisitive and is a very quick learner.

She has an ennnnndlesssss amount of patience.  When her foster mom put the ahem, tiara on her, she calmly sat there in a perfect depiction of her name.

I had to laugh when she seemingly shot a  raspberry in her foster mom’s direction telling her exactly how she felt about her crowning.

Princess’ foster mom says she’s great in the house, isn’t a barker unless something goes bump in the night and is going to make someone a very good friend.

I’ve had several opportunities to hang out with Princess.  She makes me laugh, has a giant heart, is free with her kisses and is a welcome relief to a long hard day.  Princess has also had a few doggie playmates so QAS is happy to do a meet and greet with your current dog in order to determine their compatibility.  Click HERE to see a quick little video of her playing with Josh, an adorable Min Pin mix.

Soul mates don’t just come in human form so contact QAS to visit with this beautiful one.

Dogs really do smile….and Princess’ is so adorable!

Bonnie and Steve won an auction at Scituate Animal Shelter for a photo shoot with me and we got together the weekend before last.  When I arrived, I knew it was going to be a special experience.  They live so close to the ocean that their front walkway is lightly covered in sand blown in from the main beach, making me want to remove my shoes and stand barefoot, eyes closed, face towards the sky. Floor to ceiling windows with a view of the ocean graced almost every room in the house allowing for the most dreamy light I could ever hope for.  It reflected off of the walls in such a way that it made many of the images look as if I were shooting in heaven itself.

With hearts as grand as their expansive view, Bonnie and Steve have given a home to seven very lucky cats.  Adopted, found as strays, taken in due to health reasons and ferals coaxed indoors, Opie, Andy, Carrie, Lily, Pee Wee, Smokey and Orange Kitty will never have to worry, fight or scrounge again.

It’s always a pleasure to meet people like Bonnie and Steve, who give without expecting anything in return.  Thank you both so much for all you’ve done to make the lives of your clan trouble free and for all you do to help those around you.  I hope that you enjoy your images as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Hope you enjoy the latest installment.  To see daily posts with more info on many of the images, come on over to my Facebook page HERE

Before their arrival, Carrie told me that Owen was afraid of dogs.  And not just a slight fear.  He had more of a “pick me up, pick me up” panic fear of dogs, which could have put a chink in the plans of her visit because of course, I have TWO dogs.  I knew that Georgia and Pippin could easily cause panic in him because they’re tall enough to be face to face with him, are black so their features could be hard to distinguish and they have hairy eyebrows, beards and moustaches making their features even less distinguishable.  On the other side of things was the fact that Georgia and Pippin have never really had close encounters with little, squealing children so I needed to take extra precautions that they too would be okay. Georgia has always been admirably mother-like with all the puppies and kittens I’ve fostered in the past and Pippin, well, Pippin is so fly by the seat of his pants I didn’t think he’d have a problem.  Still, better to be safe than sorry.

We agreed to have Owen meet the kids outside at my Dad’s house because his yard is large enough to provide a lot of distance for him while allowing him the ability to watch them play from the safety of the screened in porch.  It wasn’t long before his tentative watching turned to curiosity and was fine with being carried around the yard with the dogs in tow.  We knew things would go smoothly once he asked to throw the ball to the dogs while standing on his own two feet.    Soon thereafter he was able to request “sit”, “down”, “no jumping” and I have to say, I was pretty proud of all three of them.

While Owen didn’t completely get over his unease when the kids came barreling in the house after going to the bathroom or when they barked at the goings on outside, he never really lost his comp0sure and for a three year old, that’s pretty darn good.  And Georgia and Pippin did just as well.  When Owen squealed, Georgia barked but never showed stress, aggression or any other adverse behavior.  And she mostly directed her barks at me, as if to tell me that Owen was in need of something.  Mother instincts?  I’d say yes. Pippin allowed Owen to pull his hair, and even lean on his back.  But that’s not a surprise to me.  He’s one of the greatest dogs ever.  Even the cats excelled with Owen.

I could take pictures of him every day, all day.  He’s got such a beautiful face and great expressions.  The camera, like everyone else who comes in contact with him, loves him.

Carrie, Andrea, Auntie C and Paul, the link to the full gallery will be emailed shortly.  Hope you enjoy the images.

It was great to see some old friendly faces from past events and equally as exciting to seeing people just learning about NVHS, come out and support their efforts.  Because the weather was so perfect, anyone and everyone who had a dog was out and about.  Even those who had no idea what was going on, came over to check things out and leave donations.  Dog people are good people.

Below are just a few of my favorite images of the day.  To see the entire gallery, just click HERE.  You can also purchase any images of your pup from the gallery or feel free to email mail me directly.  All profits will benefit NVHS.

Not something you see everyday.  This little boy and his buddy certainly turned heads.

Vigilance 5-21-12