Vote for my Ferdinand at the Cutest Dog Contest!

This is Aspen. She is 14 years old but you’d never know it from looking at her! Gorgeous isn’t she? Thanks for dropping by the studio for a portrait session, Aspen!

I got to teach a How to Take Great Photos of Your Dog class at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley’s Camp Muddy Paws this week and it was a blast! The class was made up of 40 kids, 11-12 years old and armed with digital cameras. We discussed tips for shootingat interesting angles, getting the dogs to look at you with interest, how to crop a photo to make it more interesting, and much more. The kids asked really well-thought-out questions and kept me on my toes. Then they broke into groups to put what they learned into practice with a couple of borrowed dogs from the shelter.

Here’s some of their photos – great work everyone!

Jackie's

Sophia's

Tess's

Tessa's

Thalie's

A few months ago I was asked to photograph Sgt. Allen Hill with his new service dog Frankie, a lovely yellow lab who had been trained in a program called Puppies Behind Bars then transferred to Loveland for her introductory training with Hill. The PBB program, Sgt. Hill and Frankie are being featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show sometime this spring (date TBD)!

Iraq War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, Sgt. Alan Hill, has been home from Iraq for almost a year now but still lives in a war zone in his mind. Hill is coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and has often been unable to function in his normal day to day life. Migraines have kept him in bed for as many as eight straight days. He is plagued with nightmares and “daymares” as he calls them; simple activities like going to the grocery store may reduce him to a puddle of anxiety.

According to a recent Rand Corporation survey, hundreds of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are dealing with PTSD. A plethora of treatments exist, including various forms of psychotherapy, group therapy, medications and EMDR, a form of hypnotherapy. Two weeks ago, Sgt. Hill braved a flight to Loveland, CO to become the tenth person to try a new type of therapy: a service dog.

Eight days later Hill is engaging in photo shoots and talking to reporters from Denver’s 9News with confidence. The remarkable progress is all thanks to his new best friend, a little blonde service dog named Frankie. “She does what she has to do to bring me back,” says Hill. At one point in the interview, Hill becomes emotional talking about his future so he pauses the conversation and calls Frankie to him for support. Almost instantly, he relaxes and is able to continue.

Frankie serves as a physical barrier between Hill and the interviewer, assuring that his personal space is never invaded. She also licks his face and offers a paw when she feels his anxiety level rising, thereby halting a panic attack before it can escalate.

Janet Bayless, one of the trainers who teaches the recipients how to work with their dogs, says the dogs are a safe zone because they’re non-judgmental. “When they begin to feel stress, we let that anxiety go down their arms, into their hands; they pet their dogs, the anxiety and those feelings go into the dog and the dogs just shake it off,” she explains. The effect on the human is nothing less than magic. Having a calm, faithful companion by their side is a vital ingredient that PTSD victims like Hill need to recover their confidence and their lives.

The idea of the Puppies Behind Bars (PBB) program is simple but life-altering for everyone involved. PBB teaches prison inmates to train puppies to become service dogs for the disabled and explosive detection canines for law enforcement.

Prisoners go through rigorous training to earn their way into the PBB program and are then assigned their own puppy whom they train to perform a minimum of 75 commands. Commands range in difficulty from basics like “sit” and “stay” to advanced commands like “phone 911″ or “get help” and the dogs are expected to analyze situations and make potentially life-saving decisions on their own. They are trained to open and close doors, pick up items off the shelf and put in grocery basket, basically to do anything a disabled person might need them to do.

Inmates who qualify to teach the puppies are considered heroes in the system and their fellow prisoners treat them with great respect. Even better, they begin to treat themselves with greater respect, appreciating the difficulty of their task and taking pride in having an ability few others possess.

Jasmine, an inmate at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, sums it up this way, “I might’ve did something before where I hurt somebody and now I’m doing something that is gonna help somebody so it makes you feel really good. Because there is a lot of personal growth in this program, I believe when I go home I actually can succeed in something.”

Billy from Mid-Orange Correctional Facility confirms Jasmine’s assessment, “I come here from max security after twenty years. I was really rigid. and now I just thank God I’m able to look back at that and see, ‘Man I was an ugly person.’ I’m a team player now; the dogs have really helped me become more compassionate. I’m looking forward to going home and doing the right thing.”

Sgt. Hill, who was paired with Frankie to manage Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, knows that her trainers did the right thing. “I am so very grateful to have Frankie so I have a chance of getting back to normal with my family.” His wife, Gina, agrees while she watches her husband playfully roll on the floor with their new family member, tickling her and being smothered in puppy kisses.

I just found out that dogs can donate blood.  I guess that makes sense, where else would the blood come from when a dog gets a transfusion? Duh.  But I never thought about it – did you?  Say no so I don’t feel so stupid.

I found out because the Great Dane Assistance League, Inc., is holding a Great Danes Giving Blood Drive on Saturday, March 28, at 9 am at the Animal ER in Littleton, CO (see address below).  GDALI is a Denver organization dedicated to the welfare of the coolest breed of dog in the world (I’ve had five, I’m somewhat biased).  They take in abandoned, abused and owner-surrendered Danes and help them find loving, permanent homes.  

GDALI has a plethora of exciting events scheduled, including several PetsMart Dane Days, a day at Elitch Gardens and their annual picnic.  See the full schedule with dates and details here.

If you’ve ever considered bringing one of these magnificent dogs into your family, you should check out any of GDALI’s events.  Meet some Danes, get to know their amazingly gentle, dopey personalities, fall in love, adopt.  I know from experience, once you go Dane, you’re never the same. 

Info:  Animal ER is located at 221 West County Line Road, Littleton.  Phone: 720-903-9667.  Blood drive starts at 9 am, March 28th.  Adopt a Dane or donate to GDALI here.

Wanna see a baby giraffe being born? This video is really sweet. It’s kinda gooey of course, but you also get a rare opportunity to watch a Masai Giraffe baby take it’s first precious, wobbly steps.

Nikki Smith, the Safari West giraffe handler, explains that they are encouraged by their parents to hop right up and start walking as soon as possible because if they were born in the wild predators would be lurking nearby.

I know, I know, this is not a dog story, but OMG it’s cute. Watch Here:  Birth of Masai Giraffe

Winning photo by Lanmana of Idaho

Oh!  You have GOT to look at these photos from the Humane Society of the US’s Spay Day pet photo contest! As a professional (and might I add, award-winning) pet photographer, I was blown away. These photos are just amazing. Check out the Top 11 winners here. More than 45,000 pet photos were submitted and judged by a panel of celebrity hot shots.

The judges — Matt Grant (TV’s “The Bachelor”), Tamar Geller (author and dog trainer), Patrick McDonnell (“MUTTS” cartoonist), and Christopher Ameruoso (professional photographer) — were looking for entrants with a winning combination of an eye-catching photo and a creative written response that gave insight into their pet’s personality.

I try to accomplish the exact same thing through my photography and I have to say, these folks hit it right on the cold, wet nose! I’d love for you to see my photos too — just click to visit the Doghouse Studios Gallery.

The Top 11 finalists all received prizes, including a shopping spree to Humane Domain, the online store featuring products and gifts for pet lovers. Check out their collection of spay and neuter t-shirts – they’re an easy way to promote the fight to end pet homelessness, and you’ll look great doing it!

Boulder is a very dog-friendly town and for a few lucky folks that means being able to take their pooches to work with them.  But most of us have to leave Fido at home and figure out a way of coping with the guilt and anxiety.  We wonder what he’s doing right now, if he’s bored, if he’s lonely, whether he’s eating the sofa (again).  This is why doggy daycare centers have become so popular.  They provide peace of mind for the working parents of dogs just the same as the peace of mind offered to working parents of human tots.

But doggy daycare also encounters the same problems we face with daycare for children. Yes, we are told they’re having a good time, making friends in a safe environment,  but do we know that for sure?  And if they are having fun, well… great for them but we’re missing out on it.   

Wouldn’t it be gratifying to see them enjoying themselves with your own eyes?  A couple local doggy daycare centers have arranged for exactly that.  When you drop your buddy off at Dog City or Camp Bow Wow you not only get daily report cards, you also get live Doggy Cams so you can check in on them any time you want from any computer or handheld with online capabilities.  

Is Max actually sleeping during naptime? Tune in at noon and find out.  Is Fifi playing well with other dogs?  Peek into the play yard and see for yourself.  Debbie, a Dog City patron, says, “I love getting the comment card at the end of the day and being able to see Lucky throughout the day with the dog cam!”

It’s an amusing way to verify your dog’s safety and get to share in their good times while still getting paid – assuming you can tear yourself away from the Doggy Cams long enough to get your work done.  They are a bit addictive.

Dog City is located at 2907 55th Street and Camp Bow Wow is at 3631 Pearl Street.  Both daycare centers require that all dogs be completely up to date on all vaccinations, be spayed or neutered if over seven months old, and of course, all dogs must be friendly.  Prices average about $27 a day (per dog) for daycare to $41 (per dog) for an overnight stay.  

Check out the doggy cams at Dog City here and Camp Bow Wow here! 

OMG I have never been disliked by a canine the way this little Bichon Frise disliked me.  Her name is Izzie and her buddy’s name is Lily.  Lily loved me as you can see – she totally cheeses it up for the camera!  But Izzie could barely stomach glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.  They make a great pair, a study in contrasts like the comedy/tragedy masks

To check out Ashton Kutcher checking out my doggie photos, click here!    Okay, it’s sort of a form letter where you can upload your photos into Ashton’s little video and he has canned reactions to them, but if I hadn’t told you that, wouldn’t it look cool?