This is Hatter. She is slightly obsessed with tennis balls, and I enjoyed photographing her on the beach with my iPhone. I even got some nifty slow motion videos!
Photography: Hatter
Breed Of The Week: Boxer
The history of the modern day Boxer is lengthy and selective. In the early 19th century in Germany, breeders began developing a hunting dog from the Bullenbeisser bloodlines. This dog would be fearless in the face of large game such as bear, boar and bison. Over much continued selective breeding, the modern day boxer is both a fabulous farm dog, guarding and herding cattle, and a common family pet who is very protective in nature.
Boxers are very tough and energetic dogs with a high level of intelligence. They are best suited for families who are committed to doing full on activities and who can provide for their high working drive needs. There are many common behavior problems that are associated with boxers, because when they don't get ample exercise and discipline, this breed tends to become over protective of the wrong things.
They are incredibly loyal and constantly "on watch" for who (or what) they can protect and how. This can be both a wonderful or highly inconvenient trait for families with small children. While they make great guard dogs, they may become like stubborn babysitters of the children and may even become possessive. If you are considering a boxer for a pet, I would highly recommend chatting with several other boxer owners and learning what their experience is.
Boxers are in the working group, meaning they were bred to do a specific job. They were bred to find, protect and be loyal both on the hunt and at home in German farmlands. Therefore, this is not the ideal dog for apartment living or the family looking for a dog with minimal daily exercise or job related needs.
Again, boxers can make fabulous family pets, but they need a fair amount of leadership and clarity of rules, roles, a job and proper exercise. This may simply be carrying a backpack around the neighborhood on the family walk, and set on guard duty in the back yard during the day. I would highly recommend consulting a professional to determine how your lifestyle can blend with a boxer if you are considering owning one or if you already do.
Dog Training: The Importance Of Daily Exercise
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you just never exercised your dog?
I preach the benefits of daily, exhausting physical and mental exercise for your dogs, but I haven't talked much about what happens if you don't exercise them. What I can say with 100% authenticity is that the root of the behavior problem for every dog and owner pair I've worked with has been a lack of exercise.
Behavior aside, your dog's health will go out the window. If you go back to dog's origin, the wolf, and look at their lifestyle, you'll see how important their stamina is. If they don't walk, they don't eat. Simple as that. Your dog's nature says: walk, then eat.
I Maybe you have a hard time setting time aside to walk your dog, and you don't fully see the benefits of walking them everyday if you have a big yard. This is a normal thought process, but it doesn't diminish your dogs need to travel on all fours.
The bottom line is that your dog has physical, psychological and emotional needs just like you do. Just as you need to move your body in order to stay healthy, it's so important to meet these needs for your dog. You'll find that a dog who doesn't get walked ends up channeling their energy in a destructive way.
I have a big yard and a treadmill. It would be easy for me to avoid walking my dogs, but I can't argue with the results of providing for their basic needs. I would encourage you to meet your dogs' basic needs, too, and experience the happiest and healthiest life with them possible!
Photography: Light & Hair
One of my favorite things is to capture golden light and fuzzy critters. This gang certainly provided me with lots of eye candy. Between that gorgeous winter light and their sweet interactions with one another, I had my hands (and heart) full.
One common challenge of photographing larger mammals is being able to read and respond to their body language. Donkeys are reluctant to trust just anyone, and subtle body language changes can be very obvious in photos to those who own them. This is where having a background in animal behavior always works to my advantage!
One thing few people know about my shooting style is that I rarely look through the lens when interacting with and capturing animals. I want the experience to be as relaxed, playful and positive as possible. With horses and donkeys, there is a unique angle at which they view their world, a very "fish-eye" sort of angle. This means that if you are facing them head on, they cannot see you.
It is very important to me that I always introduce myself to the animal I'm working with in their own "language" (for horses, breathing into their nostrils and taking turns making noises [strange? I know.]) This means that my camera can often get in the way of that animal trusting me. It was vital that I learned to shoot the way I do, as a minimal distraction, so that I can capture the animals true personality and expression.
Breed Of The Week: Chihuahua
Chihuahuas are the smallest of all dog breeds, and belong to the Toy Group. While little is known about the origin and history of the modern day Chihuahua, in 1850, Americans began acquiring these small dogs from the state of Chihuahua in Mexico (hence the name).
This extremely small and super tough dog breed is known to be "clannish" meaning that they often prefer being around other Chihuahuas as opposed to other dog breeds. For socialization purposes, and as a professional dog trainer, I don't recommend that you only allow your Chihuahua to play with and be around other Chihuahuas.
Due to their size, these dogs often are treated with "small dog syndrome" which means that people have the tendency to coddle them and pick them up. My best advice to avoid any problem behaviors from your Chihuahua would be to treat them like a large dog. Create the same boundaries you would for a Rottweiler.
Imagine if your small dog was fifty pounds heavier and ten times the size. Would the behavior they are displaying (jumping, inviting themselves onto furniture, snapping at strangers or guests, etc.) be acceptable? Chihuahuas are desirable as family dogs because of their size and loyalty. They are affectionate and often easy to care for, but socialization and exercise is an absolute requirement if you want your pup to have a happy and healthy life with your family.
Dog Training: Keep Your Dog's Energy Drained
Do you find yourself having less energy than your dog does? You're not alone! Maybe you're in a situation where you have an exhausting job and a high energy puppy, and you can't figure out what else to do to get the puppy to tire out regularly.
If this sounds like your circumstance, I have a few ideas for you. If you have access to a bike, I would highly recommend biking with your dog rather than walking them. Why? Because it can drain your dog's energy in half the time, and probably won't completely drain your energy. If you don't trust yourself on a bike or your dog on the leash, then certainly have a professional show you what can be done.
If the bike riding simply isn't an option for you, I would recommend taking your dog to the dog park and walking them around the park for at least a solid fifteen minutes before letting them off the leash. This allows playing with the other dogs or a toy at the park to be a reward for their walk. Another great energy drainer is a treadmill. Same with the bike, I highly recommend having a professional come in and show you how to safely and comfortably set this up, but it's a great way to drain some of that excess energy.
Does your dog like to play fetch or tug? After your walk, these are great activities to do that can help your dog channel their energy in a productive and relationship building way. Most people simply aren't walking their dogs enough, and unfortunately this is often due to a lack of prioritizing the dog's exercise needs. I would encourage you to consider that your dog needs more exercise than you think, but it doesn't have to be as exhausting as you think in order to drain their energy regularly!
Photography: Watson
Watson is such a fun hound dog mix who proved to be quite the camera ham for our time together. He had such a great smile and personality, and I had a blast capturing that. I find that most dogs are happy to be off leash and leisurely sniffing the yard or rolling on the ground, and these are the things that I like to capture more than a posed portrait.
Understanding dog body language is key to catching their quirks at just the right timing. Maybe my favorite part of photographing dogs is moving at the same pace that they move at. I love watching what they are interested in, and watching their body language helps me understand them more.
I like to imagine what the dog in front of my camera is thinking about while I'm photographing them. Were they lost in thought, or simply focused on finding the critters in the landscape in front of them? Watson seemed both focused and day dreamy, so I tried to capture that in the images below.
Breed Of The Week: Miniature Schnauzer
The Schnauzer is originally from Germany, and is said to be recognized in pictures from the fifteenth century. Miniature Schnauzers have taken on many of the physical characteristics as the Poodles with small Standards. Because of their background in hunting small vermin, they are desired as family dog for the farm life.
Miniature Schnauzers are an ideal family dog, as their size has allowed them to adapt to life in the suburbs. And yet they have a high prey drive and can stay on task for an extended period of time, so they make great outdoor pets, too.
If you are considering owning a Miniature Schnauzer, keep in mind that while they are small, they need a lot of physical exercise, and are best when also given a mentally stimulating job. Anything that you can do with them that requires their prey drive and ability to find things would be great.
They are a loyal dog who does well with children, so involving the kids in their exercise regimen and daily job is a great thing to do. Remember, Miniature Schnauzers are part of the Terrier Group, and can therefore be rather tenacious, stubborn and long winded.
I would recommend consulting a puppy profiler to determine whether or not a Miniature Schnauzer would be a good fit for your families lifestyle. They can be easy to train, but just as with every other breed of dog, there is never a time when training is not necessary.
Dog Training: Teach Your Dog Not To Beg
Begging is not something that your dogs does inherently to get what they want. Instead, it is a learned behavior and they determine over time whether it works or not. Does your dog get food when they beg? Do they get your attention? If so, it's because they have learned that begging gets them what they want.
So how do we flip this around so that your dog gets what they need on your watch, rather than what they want on their watch? We can teach them that all begging does is get them sent out of your space. By teaching your dog a command like "get out", you can help them understand that when they pester you, you're going to send them away.
Teaching your dog the "get out" or "space" command is simple! Cue that they get out of your space with your body language, say "get out!" with a stern, low voice, and then toss them a treat once they leave your bubble. The main point is to teach them that the most rewarding response to your request is that they move outside of your space.
Another key in teaching your dog not to beg is to simply not give them what they're begging for. Are they begging for food? Don't feed them directly after they've been begging. Are they begging for a walk? Have them wait in a down-stay for a solid minute until you call them over to where you put their leash on. Remember, the goal is to give them what they need on your watch, not what they want on their watch.
Photography: Police Dogs
These dogs have such a cool job! They are arsenal detecting police dogs! This means that their job is to determine where the fire started, helping their police partners discover whether or not the fire was accidental.
They have a menagerie of cues and commands to learn, and they are only fed while working. This means that they have a huge drive to work, because if they don't work, they don't eat. These dogs are mostly labs, goldens, or goldadors (cross between a golden and a labrador). They sniff out gasoline that has been 50% diluted by water.
It was such a blast to be apart of the annual re-certification process for these dogs, to meet some of their policemen owners, and to observe them working. There is no doubt in my mind that a dog with a job is one happy dog! These dogs have a fabulous life, and they love working with and for their masters.
Part of the re-certification process happened in a training facility for firemen, so the building had already been scorched. Hence the rubble and dark spots on the walls, and the harsh lighting. When the dogs discover where the two drops of water diluted gasoline are, they sit to signify that they've discovered where the fire started.
Pretty neat, huh? As a dog behaviorist, I was quite impressed at how well these dogs were trained, and how often their masters work with them to keep their skills sharp. Check out these photos I snagged of the re-certification exam process.
Breed Of The Week: Weimaraner
The full origin of the Weimaraner dog breed is not fully known, though they are thought to be descendants of the Bloodhound. Recognized by the AKC as part of the Sporting Group today, the Weimaraner is a well versed hunting and retrieving family oriented dog.
If you have ever interacted with a Weimaraner, you know that they have a beautiful temperament, they are focused on the task at hand and also incredibly loyal. As a possible cousin to the Pointer, Weims are very agile and full of stamina. They make great advanced obedience dogs, as they are prepared for being jobbed with a task from their master.
Behaviorally speaking, the most common problem that I see happen with Weims is when they are not properly jobbed or homed. If they are paired with a person who refuses to let them sport, or give them an appropriate job and ample physical exercise, I see Weimaraners develop issues such as anxiety and activity obsession.
This being said, they need at least two solid long walks or bike rides per day, and frequent social events such as visits to the local dog park. They are incredibly active dogs, and while they make great family pets, they really do well to have a specific job and preform that job daily with the family.
As with any dog from the Sporting Group, I would recommend chatting with a puppy profiler to determine whether or not this breed would be a good fit for your activity level, your families lifestyle, and the dog's overall breed needs.
Dog Training: Keep Your Dog Out From Under Foot
Do you find yourself tripping over your dog on a regular basis? Do they get in your way when you turn around? Are you constantly walking around them so as not to disturb them? If you answered "yes" to any of these, your dog is probably under foot too often.
When dogs get under our feet, it's not only hazardous and inconvenient, but it sends them the message that we do not require spatial respect from them. Without this element of respect, our dogs will assume the right to our space uninvited, and this can be even less convenient and very unhealthy for the relationship.
Dogs want to look to us for leadership. They seek guidance and rules. The clearer we are with them as to the boundaries, and the more consistently we enforce them, the more respectful they will be of those limitations. Boundaries are to dogs what schedules are to people. By not enforcing and reinforcing rules that set our dogs up for success, we are actually confusing them and sending them mixed messages.
You can teach your dog this fabulous command: get out. Either by starting to teach them the "back" or "backup" command, and tossing them a treat, or by simply signaling to them with your body language that they need to get out of your space, you can teach them this command very quickly. Think of the space around you as a bubble. When you say, "get out", what you mean is, "get out of my bubble". Once they're out, an affirming, "good job" is enough to help them differentiate that they did the right thing.
Sooner or later, someone will set the boundaries in your household. I would encourage you to make it sooner, and make the rules your rules. I believe that you will have a happier and healthier household and relationship with your dog when they recognize that you are in charge. They truly like following someone else's rules way better than they like setting their own. Practice keeping your dog out of your path by encouraging them to move with the "get out" command and see the positive results from it!
Photography: A Story Of Service
Sequoia is a beautiful service dog in training who was raised an initially trained by the one and only Rachel Denton. His focused energy amazes me, but after watching him and Rachel together, I gathered that Rachel is so focused on maneuvering through crowds of excited people while maintaining the task at hand, and that is truly where Sequoia gets his focus from.
Service dogs go through a long process of being raised by volunteer puppy raisers, trained the basics by a volunteer puppy raiser, advanced training and further socialization, and are paired with a disabled person only when their training is complete. While Rachel is a volunteer puppy raiser, the work she puts in to preparing the dogs she raises for service is far above and beyond the basics.
I have had the privilege of watching Sequoia transform from puppy into his advanced training stages and I am so very excited for the companion he will be for a lucky person one day! I had the honor of capturing some of his process while Rachel walked him through initial training and when she first handed his leash over for his advanced training and socialization period. What a beautiful team!
Sequoia, you have a beautiful and bright future! Keep up the amazing work, Rachel!
Breed Of The Week: Beagle
The Beagle is originally from England and was bred to be a hunting dog. They were most frequently used for hunting small game such as rabbits and quail, and would work either in a group, in pairs or individually. Because of their history and background in hunting and working well in both a group or individually, they make fabulous companions but can often be independent and distracted.
Sweet and compliant in nature, Beagles need much more physical and mental exercise than they are often given. Their background in hunting requires that they have a high prey drive and sprints of focus and energy, though their mental and physical stamina lasts longer than many other breeds. This is why I highly recommend that you seriously consider your own exercise regimen before taking on a Beagle dog, as you may or may not be a good fit for the exercise they need.
Most frequently used as scent dogs for police sectors, Beagles truly are a dog who needs a job. A great activity to practice with your Beagle on a daily basis (after your daily walk or run) would be a fun scent tracking game in the back yard or nearby park where you can reward your beagle for finding something specific. This utilizes their truly incredible sense of smell and gives them a job at the same time.
Beagles make wonderful friends, though they can often be distracted in any environment and they have a hard time sticking to task to please their master, since they are accustomed to hunting at a distance from their owner. Keep in mind that this breed needs a great amount of incentive to positively reinforce the good and best behaviors, and a clear consequence to discourage bad behaviors. Once they have clarity on which is which, I find that they can listen much easier and grow in their desire to please their owner.
Dog Training: No Dogs In The Kitchen
Dogs recognize food as a reward. We don't have to tell them that food is a reward, because it's in their instincts. Because of this fact, they seek to work in order to earn their food, so when they don't have to work in order to receive it, they become confused and complacent. Just as people appreciate what they earn, so do dogs.
If you set a kitchen boundary for your dog and don't allow them to cross that line, you're letting them know that you're in control of the space and that you set the rules. While setting household boundaries in any room is a good idea, as it specifically relates to not allowing your dog in the kitchen, I simply can't argue with the results. I've seen dog owner after dog owner have a drastic improvement in their relationship with their dog due to setting this boundary.
Dogs who respect boundaries set by their owners are far more likely to respect boundaries reinforced by acquaintances and friends. Another reason why allowing your dog to hover the kitchen space does not help their overall health is that they can easily and many times unintentionally get in your way. You may be unconsciously catering to their boundaries that you don't even know they've set by moving around or tripping over them when you're in your kitchen.
The main idea I'm communicating here is this: your dog wants clear boundaries to follow, and they're looking to you to provide them. The only thing that's lacking in your dogs understanding of your boundaries is clarity. When you are clear with the boundaries and consistent in reinforcing them, your dog is set at ease because they don't have to be responsible to be the pack leader.
So, why is the kitchen a better fit for people and food than it is for dogs? Because your dog respects the fact that you have exclusive rights to specific areas in the house, and they see you as the leader when you set and reinforce those boundaries.
Photography: Splashes of Personality
It doesn't matter the day or time, I always have a blast when I'm photographing dogs. When they're having fun, I'm having fun, and the best images can be made. I love using natural elements such as dirt, drool and water to show what the dog world looks like. This week, I was asked by a friend, "do dogs have personalities?" and I believe that they do! There are so many elements that play in to the degree of personality they express as compared to the complexity of people's personalities. That being said, I believe they do!
Both of these pups are high energy personalities who seem to be in constant motion whenever possible. These are the kinds of elements that I like to capture in a dog's personality. How much energy do they have? How do they express that energy? Do they get along well with other dogs? When I photograph for clients, they know that I am going to capture what they love about their dog, because they have expressed to me what those characteristics and qualities are.
Splashing around in a pond with a couple of puppies and a tennis ball is all I need in order to have a fabulous time. Check out the action shots I captured of these two passing the tennis ball back and forth!
Breed Of The Week: Australian Cattle Dog
Australian Cattle Dogs truly have a beautiful history. From a diverse genetic line including Dalmatians, Dingos, Blue Merle Highland Collies and the Black and Tan Kelpie, Australian Cattle Dogs were bred to control the number of free ranging cattle in Australia during its early colonization.
Today, they are a very common family dog in various countries around the world, such as The United States of America, European countries and Australia. Their nature is very calm and collected, yet protective with a stamina that lasts from sunup until sundown (which comes from the Dingo). So while they make great family pets, many Australian Cattle Dog owners try to squeeze this big job focused dog into a smaller and quieter lifestyle than it needs.
This is where I see things go awry. This dog can literally (and should) work all day at a focused job such as herding cattle. If not given the proper job on a daily basis, you may notice that your Australian Cattle Dog has suddenly resorted to herding your kids or anything else that moves. They are one of the most intelligent dogs, and this is why brain games can go a long way for the off hours that they aren't able to be outdoors.
The Australian Cattle Dog is not a good couch potato or "stay at home" dog, because they have such a high working drive. They make fabulous farming companions, but are not an ideal house pet for the family that doesn't do much outdoor activity or is unable to commit to giving this dog a proper daily job.
Dog Training: Giving Your Dog Their Own Furniture
Having our dogs live in our houses with us can be a fun and often daily adventure! Many clients ask me whether or not it's a bad idea to have their dogs sit on the couch with them or sleep on the bed with them. My simple answer is this: which behaviors do you want your dog to display and which behaviors do you not want your dog to display?
If you don't want your dog to be dominant and pushy, then the answer is simple. By creating spaces in our houses that are exclusive to us, what we are communicating to our dogs is that we are in control of the space, and they are not. Instead of allowing our dogs up on our furniture, why not get them their own furniture? A dog bed in the room(s) where you most frequently relax lets them know that you expect them to relax, too, just in their own space.
Teaching your dog to relax when you do can be one of the most powerful things you teach them. Whenever I work with dogs who are especially "in people's faces", I teach the owner that while this may not bother them, they have no control over it bothering their friends and acquaintances. In my experience, it's better to have a spatially respectful dog than an in-your-face dog. Giving your dog their own spaces can also be part of a training regimen in teaching them to "go to a target", which in turn can be a fun and rewarding exercise for both dog and owner.
Photography: Java The Caffeinated Cat
Cats have such a menagerie of personality and personal statements. I have always been fascinated by every cat I've encountered and their ability to speak clearly with body language. Java is no exception in her agility and spunk. She is one of the most talkative and expressive cats that I know, and capturing essence her was such a fun adventure!
Java expresses moments of crazy, ninja like athlete, and moments of friendly, calming and loving companion all within minutes, so catching her personalty was just as much of a roller coaster as she is. It always fascinates me how the common house cat maintains the same instincts and intensity as wild cats do. What I love about specific cat breeds and their linking to specific wild cats is that I can almost see that wild cat in their eyes.
When I looked into Java's eyes, I could see a panther. She reminded me of Bagheera from the Jungle Book. That mystery and excitement is what her owners wanted to cherish the most from our session, so I made sure to depict her in the most natural way that they saw her on a regular basis. Using one roof light, I wanted to create a harsh shadow so as to appear like the noon day sun. Her owners and I are very pleased with how the session went and with how the photos turned out!
Dog Training 411: Spotlight on Oliver
Puppies are such a fun addition to our families! Sometimes they need a little more guidance than we expected them to, and sometimes we need a few memory refreshers on how to guide them to behaving the best way possible. I had a blast working with Oliver's owners on some basic pointers and behavior cues, and they saw great results with his ability to respond to their commands and requests.
I want to highlight a few common questions that my clients who have puppies ask me. When you're teaching a puppy to come to you, it's very important that you don't actually pair the word "come" with calling them to come over to you, but rather only pair the word "come" with the act of them coming to you. This means that if you call them over to you, you shouldn't use the actual word "come" until they have thoroughly learned it.
Another common puppy question has to do with leash training. If they learn early that pulling actually doesn't get them closer to what they want faster, it can be very easy to prevent the problem of pulling in the future. Oliver has been doing a fabulous job on his walks, and we introduced the element of jogging beside a bike to him during our session together. He simply had more energy than he was able to get out at a walking pace, and so the bike was the best solution in his particular case.
Often times, when puppies don't have a clear direction about where they should be and what they should be doing, they get bored and resort to following their owners around all day or begging for attention. Teaching them "no" or "go lay down" can be really simple and helpful towards them learning how to calm themselves down in the future.
Oliver is a beautiful Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who did a fabulous job responding to his owners and me during our training session. If you have a puppy, I would highly recommend hiring a trainer to come into your home and teach you about some basic household structures to save you some headache in the future!
