Dear Grizz | Dear Willow: the beginning of a beautiful friendship
Our Willow the Wild has struck a delightful pen-pal friendship with Brindleberry Acres’s handsome Grizz. They don’t know we are publishing their letters to each other (shhhh… don’t tell them). Letter 1. Dear Grizz, First of all, may I say how glad I am that you wrote to me? Second, I’m afraid I won’t sound […]
Portrait Session: Ernie
“What if my dog is not comfortable around other dogs?” “What if my dog is anxious in public spaces?” “I have always wanted some nice portraits of my dog, but I’m afraid his personality may not lend itself to it.” These questions and comments, and a myriad of variation on them are something we hear […]
Project Dogs: A Letter to Myself (and Others)
: from The Labs : Have you ever heard the term “a project dog”? This is often the term us dog folks use for dogs with some special behavioral needs, in other words, a dog that needs work of some sort, either behavior rehabilitation, training or the like. A “project dog” is not a dog […]
An Enviable Bond : Jaymi & Niner
: from The Photo Lab : One of my favorite parts of our job as animal photographers is witnessing that powerful bond someone can have with a dog. Being invited into such an intimate experience is a privilege and we give it all we have to make sure our work honors and does justice to […]
The Canine Science Symposium Returns to San Francisco
: from The Labs : Chances are, if you are a regular visitor to this page, you enjoy books and writing on animal behavior (as well as great photography and illustration 😀 ). Maybe you spend a great deal of time and energy on building a better bond and understanding with your dog. Others might […]
The Power of Kindness
: from the Photo Lab : A few weeks ago, Sonoma Humane Society took part in rescuing 63 lucky Finnish Lapphund dogs from some dire conditions. You are welcome to read their entire back story HERE. For this post however, I prefer to focus on their incredible recovery and progress. With around-the-clock care from veterinarians, […]
Willow the Wild: Lessons in Courage from a Fearful Dog
: from the Labs : In May of 2012 I brought home a foster puppy with special needs. We adopted her in September and in doing so, made a Promise. Now, a year (and a little more) later, she is no longer a puppy, we continue to work hard, she has given us challenges, and […]
A Fearful Dog’s Tips for July 4th
from the Labs It’s that time of the year again… Having had a dreadful night last year with poor Willow (and Leeloo) terrified by the July 4th fireworks, we decided to grab the bull by the horns this year and we put together a little PSA from Willow’s perspective. Below I share some really helpful […]
Learning to Speak Dog Part 5: Communication and Training
from the Photo Lab with a special guest post by Nicole Begley Read others in this series: Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 To Speak Dog, Listen for Dog Speak A dog communicates by using his body as well as his voice. Barks, growls, whines, and other such noises are an audible […]
Learning to Speak Dog Part 4: Reading a Dog’s Body
from the Photo Lab Read others in this series: Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 The topic of whether dogs have feelings has been a hot one for years. To some (like myself) it is a no-brainer, of course they do! There is a great selection of books and videos that explore […]
