Peiton, Kalina & Maddox May 20, 2008

Peiton is the pug/sharpei/queen bee of this three-dog household and was such a pleasure to get aquainted with. Upon my arrival she was napping heavily in her favorite spot in the kitchen and I swear she had a dreamy smile on her face.

She’s 13 years young and I was expecting her to open one eye and then resume her slumber. Instead, she seemed to be quite interested and excited that activities lie ahead, almost thrilled that her parents and I had gathered around her bed and invited her. “Oh, there’s a party you say? Well, how long have I been sleeping, did I miss anything and where are the hors d’oeuvres?” She has a strong character and is incredibly young at heart. And that face- oh heavens! She was great company and kept me very entertained the whole time.

This photo reminds me of a movie still from American Beauty. And Peiton is definitely that.

Kalina is obviously a GORGEOUS cattle dog whose liquid eyes just make your heart flutter. She is so sweet and incredibly smart. She loves attention, a good scratch on the butt and a snuggle. Speaking of snuggling, she could pass for a bunny rabbit. Can you get any cuter?!

Maddox is the dashingly handsome lab-mix above who has impeccable manners and considers himself the man of the house. And who wouldn’t with those wonderful ladies to watch over? 😉 He’s a little shy at first but will warm up to a handful of cookies and underneath the manly exterior he likes to flaunt, he is definitely a lab…willing to please and sweet as pie. He definitely completes this pack who share the common trait of melty eyes. These dogs were all so great to work with. Seniority always rules however, and it is for this reason you will find Peiton as the cover model of the 2009 SPCA calendar when you buy yours this year. 🙂

Logan May 16, 2008

Logan is a 6 month old golden doodle who sometimes gets to play with the same ratty ball, is lucky if he gets a good treat and maybe, just maybe a little love and affection now and then. Okay, he’s spoiled rotten and everything in the first sentence is a complete lie- hee hee 🙂 Logan LOVES him some squeaky ball retrieval and fancies the tiny cheese cubes his mom packed in his lunch.

He gets to go to work with Dad every morning and play with his sister and Mom when he gets home. He has friends all over the state and is quite popular with the ladies- ha ha. And, move over Oprah, it won’t be too long before this rising star has his own talk show. I’ve already made it clear to Logan that when he interviews Edward Norton (sigh) for the first time, I want an autograph and a hair sample. In the meantime, I give Logan a big thanks for the memories! 🙂

Hans May 5, 2008

Once upon a couple years ago I photographed a lovely Havanese puppy named Walker. He was adorable. My client’s Mom thought so too and, to Walker, the connection was mutual. A vacation and dog sitting later he was Grandma’s dog. Some are just meant to be together. It was because of this that I met Hans, the new puppy of my client, who has taken the warm spot of Walker (although they all get together as a family still and very often).

Hans, 8 months old, is just as adorable. He loves meat treats. He often gets ignited with bursts of energy and does the crazy dog run around the yard- I LOVE that- his hair flying in all directions while catching every stray leave, bug and twig in his unexplainable ecstasy.

I’m going to start doing that at completely random moments during quiet afternoons at my house, just to see how fun it is. My dogs, I’m sure will lift an eyebrow and mutter under their breath, yet again, that I’ve lost it…and then my boxer will have to try it ’cause he can’t resist crazy.

Anyway….Hans also enjoys playing with empty water bottles and tearing up gossip magazines (the light was too low during this activity so you’ll have to take my word for it that it was super cute and highly amusing to watch.)  Thanks Hans!  😉

FurBall 2008! May 4, 2008

Last night was the annual FurBall Auction, which is a BIG fundraiser for the SPCA of Central Florida. It’s a really fun time what with all the food, booze and fabulous items up for grabs. Including…the chance to have your pet appear in the 12-month SPCA calendar, complete with a Photohound photo session. Held each year at Sea World Orlando Ports of Call, there’s always a good show and some new animal friends to meet (see below 🙂 )

Bidders above tracking their bids at the Photohound/Calendar table, waiting for the clock to run out. The cover of the calendar was part of the live auction segment and the final bid was in the thousands- woo hoo! That’s SO MUCH dog and cat food for these guys! Yay!

By far one of the best parts was getting to meet a two-toed sloth whom I got to pet. Yes, I am still 5 years old, thank you. He snacked on lettuce and carrots and squash while people stood in awe at his beauty. There was also the darling creature on the right whom I can’t remember the name for the life of me. I do know that it comes from South America and it’s related to the ringtail cat. It’s SOOO cute and when it gets nervous it softly sucks on it’s own hand, equivalent to a child sucking its thumb. It was captivating.  Many thanks to the staff, volunteers and supporters of the SPCA of Central Florida for making this event amazing!