He's No Michael Phelps ...

... but for a dog, he ain't bad.

On a warm summer day, Ziggy, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named for the distinctive white zigzag on his back,

did what his photographer would have liked to have done -- ride the surf in a refreshing pool with his favorite peeps.

Although very photogenic, Ziggy was, at least initially, a slightly hesitant participant. He stayed a safe distance from the lens and required a bit of coaxing to come out from under the table.

Eventually, however, Ziggy became more comfortable with the Nikon-toting guy chasing him all over. And once he was a little tuckered out, he even mugged for the camera.

Ziggy seemed an intent listener. Whenever spoken to, his ears shot up and he turned his head back and forth like minutes on a clock gone haywire.

By the end of the session, Ziggy was content to lay low in the living room with a tasty rawhide,

but not before planting a kiss on the lips of his biggest fan.

Thanks for a great photo shoot, Lori!

Meet Mr. Bosco

News Flash: One-year-old Golden Doodles have lots of energy! And they're pretty darn cute, as well.

Bosco arrived freshly groomed for his photo shoot on a windy, chilly day (reminding me why I'm expanding my services to Florida, Arizona, California and so many other warmer places). We took some time to get acquainted in the back yard before heading to the park.

With his boundless puppy energy, Bosco was a little hard to hold in one place.

Debby attempted to bargain with Bosco, offering him treats in the hope that he would sit still.

Fortunately, Michael was able to run Bosco throughout the park in an effort to tire out the irresistible ball of white.

Our patience was rewarded and we got some nice, classic "boy loves dog" shots.

Thanks, Debby and Michael. You guys were a lot of fun! (And you made it home in plenty of time to watch the Vikings beat the Packers.)

Fast Eddie!

Show me a Golden Retriever and I'll show you a ball-loving dog. I'll also show you a handsome, photogenic dog. Eddie was no exception.

As I arrived at the house, Eddie immediately invited me to play ball.

 

Eddie is three but has the energy of a puppy. It was sometimes a challenge to capture him crisply because he moved so quickly (and with an increasingly rainy and darkening sky, satisfactory light was hard to come by), but a little persistence took care of that.

He was encouraged to do a few tricks, including carrying his leash

 

and making himself at home on the neighbor's trampoline.

His most amazing trick, however, was the ease with which he could scale a standard chain-link fence, a feat I tried very hard to capture on camera with hit-and-miss success. He was just sooo fast.

But the enduring image of Eddie was of a happy dog obsessed with his ball.

Golden Retrievers, you have a blanket invitation to enter my camera!

A Pair of Pugs

If I say the word "Pugs" and you know a bit about dogs, you probably have a reaction one way or the other. People don't lack for feelings about them. But I hadn't had much exposure to Pugs (other than knowing they announce their presence with audible snorts) and was looking forward to what the experience might bring.

My biggest challenge was getting a photo of both of them together while maintaining a level of photographic detail in Tortilla, who was all black. We walked the neighborhoods of St. Paul until the appropriate moments presented themselves.

I quickly learned that ChoCho was a chair lover, whether it was the rocking chair on the porch or the chair that provided the perfect view through the living room window.

I was fascinated by Tortilla's face and the way he always seemed to have his surprisingly long tongue out when the shutter snapped.

ChoCho and Tortilla were entertaining and didn't lack for personality. Thanks for the opportunity to capture them, Ciro!

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!