Like a lot of dogs, these three are very happy and love being with their humans. They love being part of the family and they like doing things together, but their personalities are still all their own.

Oliver is energetic and smart. He's one of those dogs who has taught himself to open doors. Only in emergencies please, Oliver. Not just when you're trying to impress the ladies.

Like most human kids, Odin wants your attention as soon as you get on the phone, but he's the most caring dog in the world. He loves everyone, and he doesn't even have a favorite between mom and dad!

Then there's Opie. Oh, Opie you're so dang cute! He runs around like a little rabbit with a huge smile on his face, and he has his favorite toy that he plays with before bed every night.

Kelsey said she wanted her images to show the "organized chaos" that is their family. So, we found a place out of the way where these three could play and be themselves.

They played and played, (and Opie barked a bit, ha) and then they played some more. But, we did manage to get them to stop for family pictures along the way.

Between all the running, jumping, chasing and posing I think it's fair to say they had a pretty good afternoon.

As a side note, I'd like to comment on how so very happy these dogs are. Kelsey and Donald adopted these pups one at a time and welcomed them into their family with patience and grace. They have found activities that let their dogs be their best doggie selves. Odin runs with mom, and Oliver and his dog dad are an amazing dock diving team. I love it when people are able to find something that their dog loves to do and then embraces it, letting their dog live their best life.

What do you get when you take three Frenchies to a photo shoot? A whole lot of fun followed by 3 very pooped pups. I don't know... something about having shorter legs.

Meet Henri, the big brother who considers himself a prince in more ways than just looking very handsome...

Jacques, the sassy one who's life goal is to get as many pets and belly rubs as possible...

and Louie, the newest edition who wants to be just like his brothers.

These three were happy to go anywhere and everywhere and around every corner was a new adventure. Louie had never seen a bicycle before and he stopped and turned every time one went past. I swear I could hear his little mind saying, "Did you see that??!!" He was so excited!

They ran, they played, they snuggled, and...well someone even grabbed a quick snooze.

In the end, all three were ready to nap, but they were all still smiling. At the first sign of the session's end, Henri took things into his own paws and led everyone back to the car. (Yes, he knew which one was his.) ;O)

Three dogs can be a challenge, but when they look after each other like these three do you can't help but smile. They adore their humans and they are very much loved in return.

Now, here's a dog who knows what it means to enjoy the life of a dog. Lambeau is fun, lovable, and most of all knows how to play. In fact, when talking with his dog dad at our consultation I found that I had written the word, play (or some form of it) 9 times! Can you see the smile on my face??

Lambeau is playful, Lambeau loves to play, Lambeau's job is playing, Lambeau is happiest during playtime, and one of the personality traits that Lambeau's dog dad likes about him is his playfulness.... you get the idea. ;O)

I was told that this dog will show people his goofy smile that shows his teeth. I was also told that when he runs he does the same thing. I didn't get the "say cheese" grin from him, but he did show me his toothy run. ha!

At the end of our session, Lambeau made his way back to the car like he was about to go on an adventure. I tell my clients that their dog will most likely sleep all the way home after a session, but I have to say I may have fallen a bit short on this promise when it comes to Lambeau. I think he could have gone another round... and smiled all the way through.

Keep smiling, Lambeau. It looks good on you. :O)

Luna's dog mom describes her as a dog who is gentle, goofy, a cuddle bug, and she likes attention from her humans. And, then she adds that she can be a bit dramatic. For example, when it's time to go to her kennel, she'll make a big effort to sloooowly stretch with added audible sighs. lol  

Luna, likes to be the center of attention, but then what dog wouldn't when it comes with giggles and butt scratches! She likes to make people laugh and if there's something in it for her, too then I say it's a win-win.

When Luna can hang out with her mom hiking, playing or just going for a walk, there's no place she'd rather be.  Her dog mom is her happy place and it shows from the shine in Luna's big brown eyes to the wag of her stubby boxer tail. 

Enjoy all the hikes, walks and car rides  you can with your dog mom, Luna. Soon it will be sweater weather and the two of you can snuggle by the fire re-living all of your adventure stories.

Boxer fans you're in for a treat! 

Meet Nala and Cooper. Their dog mom contacted me because she wanted to update the family photos to include Cooper and to get some photos of the pups together. It wasn't long into the session that I found out these gorgeous brindle boxers are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. 

​It rained until just minutes before the session so we walked around for a bit to let the dogs get use to their surroundings. Once I brought out the camera, just as with human siblings Nala and Cooper did a great job posing... until they didn't. ;O)

...After a few shots Nala subtlely let me know that she really wanted to do something else.  ;O)

So, off we went to find a good playing spot. Cooper is just a pup, and he can easily entertain everyone around him while entertaining himself, but sweet, calm Nala can match him head to tail when it comes to tug-o-war.

I love that although Cooper and Nala have different personalities and energy levels, they're both such fun loving dogs and kind of complete each other. They seem to have a yin and yang thing going on. They like to do their own thing, but they also watch the other and silently praise them (I'm sure Nala's probably rolled her eyes a few times, too).  ha! They love going for walks, playing a game of fetch, or keep-away (It's all about the games, isn't it guys) but, these dogs are genuinely happy just hanging out with their humans.

Nala and Cooper I wish you lots of fun adventures with your humans in the months to come! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Oh, these two dogs! What a pair. They are the perfect example of all that's right with rescue pups. 

Madi is a dedicated dog mom to every pup she brings into her family, and she called me before she even picked up her newest from rescue! That's how sure she was that she could make this new girl happy. 

Jankins is a six year old pup who was described to me as a "grumpy old man... if you're not my mom don't talk to me."  Well, it's obvious that he's got a soft side, too.  From the minute they got out of the car, he had one eye on his new sister, Jackie.

He seemed to be quite protective and there were a couple of times I couldn't decide if he was coming to say hello to me or to tell me, "Look! I've got a new sister!"

While Jankins was happy to explore, Jackie was more apt to stay right next to mom, after all she had only found Madi not even 2 weeks earlier.  You would never have known that Jackie had not always been with Madi and Jankins. (And, this is where I start smiling all over again...) Even though Jackie was a rescue with not the best past, it was very clear that she knew she had found her family and she was quite comfortable with them (and, dare I say thankful... because along with comfortable and happy that was another word that I felt described Jackie as I watched).

I love seeing families grow, and I especially love getting to witness how the first dog welcomes the next. On the walk back to the car I told Madi all the things I saw in Jackie that were just so amazing to see from a dog who had been with a family for such a short time. If you ask me, just like humans, dogs can feel when it's right. 

Jackie I'm so happy for you! It's obvious you're where you belong. (And, you make a wonderful big brother, Jankins.) ;O)

What can I say about this 8 month old bulldog? Well, his name is Gerald and he has more personality than his wrinkles can handle.

He's got so much spunk, and loves to play with his dog mom (sometimes with a sly twinkle in his eye).  And, if he isn't getting his point across he won't hesitate to give you his puppy dog pout (which I'm sorry Gerald, but it's absolutely adorable).

During his session Gerald played fetch with his ball and tag with his stick (any stick actually), and he showed off his repertoire of tricks which were pretty impressive for an 8 month old.

Then after lots of playing, a drink of water, and a little rest Gerald posed like a pro.

He's so full of spunk and personality, and obviously thinks the world of his dog mom. Wishing you and Taylor lots of fun adventures, Gerald! Oh, the face of a bulldog... one of life's unexpected joys. ;O)

I've been a bit scarce on social media lately, but I have a good reason... I became a gramma! It's so much fun for me, but one of the grand-dogs is not sure about it all yet.

This is Birdie. She's a one year old Greater Swiss Mountain dog and not only does she have lots of energy, she's also been a little pouty since she's no longer getting 100% of the attention, 100% of the time. (The baby may have toppled her princess crown just a bit.)

During my latest visit we took Birdie to the park and she had a ball. Since this week's prompt for the blog circle is action, I thought Birdie's pictures from our little trek would fit perfectly.

Here's a series from what she would probably call the best play date ever. When she saw this particular dog, it was like she'd spotted her long lost buddy. They had so much fun!

I love seeing such unbridled joy in dogs. And yes, I'm usually grinning from ear to ear watching them, and I may end up saying their thoughts out loud to whoever is near. (Come on, I know you talk for your dogs, too.) ;O)

​Have a great weekend!

This is a blog circle post so if you'd like to see action captured by other pet photographers, just continue around the circle starting with Linda Perdue of VPShoots Photography serving the Tampa Bay Area in Florida.

Happy came to Sioux Falls from over two hours away to celebrate her 3rd birthday. She had a rough first 2 years of life before her dog mom found her, but she's now learning that a dogs life can be a beautiful and fun one. Being that this was Happy's first birthday with her mom, it was a special one with a special celebratory day.

Happy had all the frills of a princess party, but she also got to have tons of fun doing all the things she loves to do. The list included dressing up (she loves dressing up), playing fetch, destuffing toys (we made do with a new ball), and hanging out with her mom.

At the end of the evening, I commented to Happy's mom that this was one of the few times that a dog didn't seem to be tired after a session. Happy walked out of the park with a grin on her face and I swear a little skip in her step. Happy is definitely with the human she is meant to be with. Wishing you many more memorable birthdays, Happy!

When I talked to Ted's human on the phone, I knew that this was going to be a fun session.

...then she said that Ted likes to be in everyone's business. From her comments I gather that Ted feels that at the dog park, fun is in direct correlation to how dirty you get. He's "the fun dog" and one that Annie describes as gregarious. She says he's the one who would be setting up the keg at a party. ;O)

(This picture cracked me up. Never one to miss an opportunity. Just sneak up on them and act like you're the perfect dog when they say "come." HA!  I'm on to you, Ted.)
​
Even though he's a social butterfly, Ted loves more than ever when he's got his pack together. Hanging out with his humans is what makes his heart smile.