Freddie Forever

For as long as I photograph dogs, there's unlikely to be any other experience quite as emotionally tugging as this one. I had met Freddie, a 10-year-old orange Golden Retriever, twice before on visits to Seattle, but knew that this would be the last time I'd see him as we was in the late stages of lymphoma. I came out to care for him (he was one of my favorite dogs) while his owner was away, and took advantage of the opportunity to capture images of Freddie that his owner would always cherish.

One thing I quickly learned about Freddie is that when he decided to sit down he practically became immovable. He become particularly "stuck" when laying on cool pavement.

After a walk, he would insist on laying down right smack in the middle of the garage area of the townhouse development. From a distance, he would almost seem dead but to residents familiar with Freddie's behavior it was merely a sign that all was right with the world.

Freddie was a mainstay in any field containing a tennis ball as well as in Lake Washington.

Although Freddie struggled to get into the car in his last months, it was something he loved doing. In a lot of ways, it seemed he was in the driver's seat.

Needless to say I became attached to Freddie in the nine days I spent with him.

Less than a week after my visit Freddie was euthanized. I was pleased to create lasting memories of him for a good friend.

Itty Bitty Izzy

When an eager dog photographer sees an advance picture of a little cream puff like the one shown below, he's licking his chops.

Pushover, right? Not so fast. Turns out, one-year-old Izzy, a Schnoodle, is a ball of fire and very protective of her owner -- at least inside her apartment. After a little careful coaxing, Izzy decided I wasn't so bad.

Once we got outside, the shooting was a challenge because of rain and early darkness. We re-scheduled a second shoot and were greeted with a sterling late summer day, providing the kind of light and azure blue sky photographers dream about.

Izzy also found time to energize my "youthful" geriatric dog, chasing him in endless circles (he was about a half lap behind).

 

After play was over, Izzy went from being a ball of fire to a ball of cute fluff.

Thanks Carrie and Izzy!