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. 🙂

Riley December 3, 2007

WARNING: Cuteness overload. Although Riley, a puggle, is a mere two years old he has the soul and wit of a beloved member of the AARP. I fell in love with him and was really close to stuffing him in my bag and sneaking out the door…”What dog photographer”?

As I’ve mentioned before, I often involuntarily talk to my computer monitor whilst processing and editing photos. I can’t help it, the monitor is large and the cuteness just smacks me in the face sometimes and I have to consciously tell myself to refrain from pinching my computer’s cheeks because, well, the dog’s not real and I can’t work with fingerprints.

Anyway, working with Riley in both person and digitally invoked the same amount squealing and baby talk. How cute is he?! I mean seriously! Although he will perpetually have a puppy face, his personality tends to favor an old man that you might meet in a small town who simply takes the world for what it is; a silent observer from an old recliner, stationed in front of a t.v. airing reruns of Matlock. He’s not a fan of toys but will never miss an opportunity to snack on something.

His dogness shows through when he’s with his human mom, though, as he climbs and waggles over the couch to give her kisses. I knew there was a puppy in there somewhere. 🙂 I was so excited to meet him because puggles are like the cutest thing in the whole world and he certainly delivered. We shared a quiet morning together snacking, listening to nature wake up and hanging out on Riley’s favorite part of the sofa. It was more than awesome, thank you Riley!

Fiona & Charlotte June 12, 2007

I had seen these two at events over the past two years and wanted to shoot them so bad! So when their Mom booked a session I felt like I had finally been asked to the prom (sigh). The mutt-acious combination of which they are created couldn’t be cuter as I just wanted to eat them up.

Fiona is a Pug/Beagle/Terrier who, according to her Mom, resembles the creature in Alien: Resurrection. I agree, except Fiona’s WAY cuter (and less slimy). She’s not a big fan of the grass and she has stark white terrier hairs on her face that stand out great.

Charlotte is a Dachshund/Cavalier mix who goes cuh-RAZY over tennis balls. She’s even climbed book shelves to retrieve hidden ones! She’s low to the ground and plows right throught the yard when one is thrown. So fast, that she’s back before I could even get the camera up to my eye!

She’s so funny and she didn’t mind me throwing a sheet over her head, either. She’ll do anything if the end result is a ball being thrown.

I had a lot of fun with these guys and it didn’t end up like Lenny and the rabbits from Of Mice & Men. It totally could have too, because I just wanted to pet them and pet them and pet them and pinch their little cheeks and pet them….