This Holiday I was challenged to create X-mas portraits for the customers of FitDog Sports Club in Santa Monica. This project propelled me to expand my equipment base to include a backdrop and lights. In this environment it became essential to have an assistant to setup and keep the dogs in place while I shot. Thankfully my wonderful boyfriend volunteered to assist. He loves dogs as much as I do so the job was fun and a success! Take a look at some of the photos we created! Our customers are very pleased, and I am happy to now have a small indoor studio set.

Here are a few tips to think about before coming into the studio.

Get groomed, exercise, and bring some fun treats and toys!

I am very excited to work with a company that care so much about dog wellness and health.

Part I: Dog Intelligence

Some dog breeds are more genetically disposed to be teachable. Of course owners have a hand in nurturing the best out of their dog, but dogs historically are bred to be companions, hunt, bred, or retrieve. Depending what blood your dog has, it will be more likely to want to work and please you.

Studies show that out of 110 breeds, the top dogs that absorbed commands in less than five repetition and obeyed them 95% of the time or better are the following types of dogs and their description according to the American Kennel Club:

1. Border Collie: A workaholic, this breed is the world’s premier sheep herder, prized for its intelligence, extraordinary instinct, and working ability.

2. Poodle: Exceptionally smart and active. Bred to retrieve things from the water. The miniature variety may have been used for truffle hunting.

3. German Shepherd: The world’s leading police, guard, and military dog — and a loving family companion and herder.

4. Golden Retriever: Intelligent and eager to please. Bred as a hunting companion; ideal as a guide and as assistance with search-and-rescue operations.

5. Doberman Pinscher: Known for its stamina and speed. Bred to be a guardian and in demand as a police and war dog.

6. Shetland Sheepdog: The “Sheltie” is essentially a miniature working Collie. A rough-coated, longhaired working breed that is keenly intelligent. Excels in herding.

7. Labrador Retriever: An ideal sporting and family dog. Gentle and intelligent.

8. Papillon: A happy, alert breed that isn’t shy or aggressive. Known as Dwarf Spaniels in the 16th and 17th centuries, they reach 8-11 inches high.

9. Rottweiler: Robust and powerful, the breed is happiest with a job. Suitable as a police dog, herder, service dog, therapy dog, obedience competitor, and devoted companion.

10. Australian Cattle Dog: Happiest doing a job like herding, obedience, or agility. Energetic and intelligent.

Part II: Starmark Clicker Training

Dogs can easily learn sit, stay, shake, leave it by receiving positive reinforcement in the form of praise or treats. Clicker training takes that one step further by using behavioral psychology to mark the desired behavior at a more precise moment. The “clicker” is a mechanical device that makes a short click noise to tell your pet when they are doing the right thing. It is much more clear using this to communicate “good boy” or a pat on the head because it sounds the same every single time. Clicker training was originated by two graduate students of psychologist B.F. Skiner who trained military pigeons!

I picked up a Starmark Clicker at my local pet supply store– really any clicker brand will do the job. I clicked and rewarded her with a treat 10 times for three sessions to associate the clicker sounds as a food reward. Then I proceeded to practice training her using a clicker instead of verbal or petting. First you click, then reward with food. Gradually you will just use the clicker alone as a reward, and use food sporadically to keep her alert.  See a simple instructional video here.

Foxy already knew how to sit, stay and shake. I’ve trained Foxy to fetch, retrieve, jump over obstacles, and close cabinet doors. She really enjoys the mental exercise and loves drills. I’ve found that after using the clicker, Foxy will still respond to all that she’s learned even if I don’t use the clicker.

Sources:

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/features/how-smart-is-your-dog

http://starmarkacademy.com/

www.akc.org/

Six months ago my housemate Minh got a puppy.  The tiny pup is an Australian Shepherd with blue eyes and a pinkish nose. He has a fondness for cuddling, jumping, and can drink gallons of water if you let him.

You always hear “Take lots of pictures” when you have a newborn baby or pet. We were so busy potty training, cleaning up accidents, and building doggie play spaces in the past 6 months! I finally got around to looking thru his first photos, and regret not taking more. He was half the size of Foxy, and now he towers over her. The little dog bed pictured below can no longer fit this hyper Aussie.

Austin is named after his owner’s hometown in Texas because he reminds Minh of “home”. Cute huh? Austin took obedience classes at Petco in his first few months, then Obedience courses with a private dog handler named Penny. He is currently taking Agility courses and learning more advanced commands. We can’t wait to show you more photos of Austin soon!

So take lots of puppy pictures! You won’t regret it.

Together Oh To Be A Dog and Foxy Pet Photos are making the world a better place for animals and their people. We are passionate about making the world a better place for both animals and people. This is our small way of giving back.

We only have 5 calendars left! Get them HERE

DOGS FOR THE DEAF: Rescuing and professionally training dogs to assist people and enhance their lives is what Dogs for the Deaf is all about. Placing professionally trained dogs free of charge to people with a variety of disabilities and to professionals who work with people with disabilities. DFD rescues dogs from animal shelters throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. All the dogs are trained with positive reinforcement. www.dogsforthedeaf.org

CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE: Founded in 1975, CCI is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. CCI is the largest non-profit provider of assistance dogs, and is recognized world-wide for the excellence of its dogs, and the quality of longevity of the matches it makes between dogs and people. The results is a life full of increased independence and loving companionship. www.cci.org

ASPCA: Since 1886 the ASPCA has been giving animals a “voice” through many programs with one goal in mind: to help animals. They provide local and national leadership in three key areas: caring for pet parents and pets, providing positive outcomes for at-risk animals and serving victims of animal cruelty. www.aspca.org

When I first started photography- I was very worried about copyright theft. However as I refine my skills, I am see that my skills then are nothing compared to what I know today. I know that in another year I will look back and think the same of the photos I take today. With this attitude of wanting to share my work, I contacted several dog magazines to see if they would like to use my work. I was thrilled to hear back from an editor at Modern Dog who liked my work and wanted to use a photo of DumbDumb and me at the dog park in Alameda, California. I wasn’t even taking myself seriously as a photographer, but I was so excited at the opportunity! I almost didn’t believe it would actually happen until I saw the posting today online!

The article is a well written analysis on the gender divide; what men and women look for in a dog, how dogs fulfill men and women in different ways, and why people with dogs are considered more attractive. Read it HERE.

Modern Dog front page January 5, 2011

Here is a screen shot of the photo in the actual article. I’m waiting for the official magazine in the mail. They cropped the photo- but the original is in my blog post from October about Saving Lost Dogs (HERE). If the print version is different, I will post it later!

Modern Dog: Gender Divide

Seeing my name getting credit is stupendous! I am very encouraged by the results I am seeing in just setting a goal and taking action. Imagine what you can do if you set even more goals! Thank your to my friends and family for their support, photographer peers, and fellow creatives that root for me.

Two of her collections,  Dogs Shaking and Dogs with Disabilities are quite exquisite.

I am now brewing up ideas for my personal photo project collection. Ideas for my brainstorm are welcome!

Click to watch it HERE and share it with friends. It will bring a smile to your face because you see a brush of death, and simple kindness from these wonderful animals we love.

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In grade school, I once had the chance to save a cat that had been hit by a car. It was at an church event, and on the playground we  spotted an unmoving cat on the street. Everyone was afraid to touch it, but it hurt my heart more seeing it not get help. I remember finding a blanket and picking it up and placing it in the kitchen counter. The other children were afraid of the bloody eye and broken paw. I don’t remember how bloody it was, just that it was almost hopeless. All I could do was wash it off, calm it and speak to her soothingly. We handed her to the care of some parents.

In the past years, I’ve picked up a couple stray dogs off the street. Here’s Dumb-Dumb, a simpleton sweet white fluffy boy who loved to snuggle. Foxy was so jealous of him! He had been living near a Car Wash for a week according to the employees there. He was covered in soot, his fur was dread locked, and he smelled really bad! Turned out he had been micro-chipped and I delivered him to his happy owners. They hadn’t seen him in six months! Here he is after his bath and haircut!

At work a few years ago, my boss came in and asked if my dog was lost. nope, Foxy was with me at the office. Turns out he had spotted a small dog running along the busy road near our warehouse. Foxy and I went out to find her. She wouldn’t approach me right away, until I let Foxy out to calm her down. This big puppy girl had beautiful light green eyes. She was a little fearful but got along with Foxy (pictured as a puppy) and the foster dog I had at the time (Nacho the Chihuahua). We took her to the local shelter where she was sure to find a home since she was an adorable puppy.

A few months ago, I saved a dog after she’d already been injured. My roommate and I were driving home from visiting the pet store when we saw a stray dog wandering in a busy six lane street. “Oh no..” we uttered together as she walked amongst the traffic and darted cars as they slammed on their brakes. We stopped the car and decided to try to capture her. She ran from us both, and when I grabbed at her, she snapped at me lightly. My adrenaline pumped as cars started pulling up behind us. I worried they’d honk, but at least they slowed down. Another woman coming from on coming traffic also stopped, got out of her car and called out to the dog. Even with treats she was hard to catch. When I finally got her we took her home and gave her a bath. Her eye was injured with the skin flipping out a little, we guessed she’d been hit already.

I immediately posted these pictures of her on Craigslist. She looked like a Corgi sized german shepherd. I called her Lola.

While I was at work, Lola started barking non stop. This caused the other 3 dogs in our house to also bark. It was not tolerable, and finally my roommate took Lola to the Pasadena Humane Society. The happy ending was, that although no one came to claim her, someone took interest in her from the Craigslist ad. This gentleman went to Pasadena Humane Society and tracked Lola down. Although it didn’t end the way I expected (lost dog reunited with loving family), life has a way of giving you better happy endings right? The best ones are the ones you didn’t expect!

Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drawn out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.

They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

-Steve Jobs, Stanford 2005

This is a speech that I will often reflect on- only because it is so easy to listen to the noise of others, and to waste your life. Having the courage to follow your heart and intuition can be scary– but is it comforting to know that we already know what we truly want to become. The discipline, determination and focus are required to follow the path to your destiny.

Today I read the TIME articles dedicated to Mr. Jobs. A brilliant and inspiring man- I found this segment most interesting. Jobs asked Isaacson to write his biography. The last time Isaacson saw Jobs he said: [Jobs] had moved to a downstairs bedroom because he was too weak to go up and down stairs. He was curled up in some pain, but his mind was still sharp and his humor vibrant. We talked about his childhood, and he gave me some pictures of his father and family to use in my biography. As a writer, I was used to being detached, but I was hit by a wave of sadness as I tried to say goodbye. In order to mask my emotion, I asked the one question that was still puzzling me: Why had he been so eater, during close to 50 interviews and conversations over the course of two years, to open up so much for a book when he was usually so private? “I wanted my kids to know me,” he said. “I wasn’t always there for them, and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did.”

It’s interesting to see that one cannot have it all. It is either worldly success, or family success– to excel in one, the other must suffer a little. We only have so much energy and time in our life, in each day. Some are clear on what is important to them. Some are in self discovery. I think the part of finding your path, trying different avenues, learning your strengths and working on your weaknesses are a beautiful purpose.