but don’t despair … we will never abandon the SDP blog!  in fact, we’re in throes of giving this old girl a special makeover … it’s just taking a bit of work behind the scenes … but trust me, we’ll make it worth the wait.  in the meantime, here are some of the crazy, goofy, scruffy faces you may have missed on the scruffy dog facebook page if you’re not following us over there.

first up, handsome Raja … looking so … er … dashing? … in his Doggles.

these Doggles aren’t just his fashion statement, they are actually protecting this big boy’s eyes, as he suffers from a deteriorating condition, the name of which escapes me right now … i’m thinking it’s retinal atrophy.  but i’m not sure if many dog can pull these off better than Raj can!

and then there’s sister Vanda …

these two came from Toronto for their session and, like all of our clients, had a blast here in SDP territory.

Raj was certainly more than willing to tell me all about what he thought of his fun time …

… even if he wasn’t sharing his ball.

then, after stumbling through the archives on the search for some images in preparation for Woofstock, i shared a photo of little Ryder from his session last fall that put a smile on my face …

and, of course, nothing puts a smile on your face faster than a puppy … especially a puppy as cute as little Rosie!

i did have a few shoots with cats several weeks ago … bizarrely enough, they were all black!  this is Keeton. … i think!

i also shared a few images from Duke’s Honour Session^TM…

for an old man, this boy still has a lot of giddy-up.

and a lot of bark!

a lot of bark …

and of course, no blog entry would be complete without an appearance by the resident scruffies … matea and merrick goobernuts out for a hike  (taken with my not-so-great Blackberry) …

and the goober himself … with his most favorite thing in the world: balls.

hope you all have a fabulous monday and a rockin’ week.

but wait, haven’t had your own scruffy session yet?  and still want a scruffy image for your facebook page?  no worries.  we’ve already formatted and sized a number of scruffy dog images for public use and enjoyment!

you can find more scruffy dog Timeline cover photos in a special folder on the SDP facebook page.  and if you decide to use one, drop us a line and let us know!  we’d love to hear from you.

first  up we have young Sophie Rose … she’s a “miniature” bulldog, and one of the sweetest, snortiest snuffleupaguses you’ll ever meet.  and really, she’s not as grumpy as she looks!

like any respectable bulldog, this girl can catch some air …

and she loves the scruffy dog Cuz balls.

next up we have Chai.  although his session was a year ago, we didn’t work on his images until recently due to family issues and then Chai’s early passing from cardiomyopathy.

we had a very brief sneakpeek on the blog around the time of Chai’s session.

this big boy is very much missed and it is an honor to have had the opportunity to capture his happy spirit.

we also shared a few images of big, drooly boy Buddy from his session the other week.

and, no, in spite of his appearance, i’m pretty sure this boy is not part Bridge Troll …

then there was the very handsome Moose, posing in front of one of the Royal York murals …

i had an awesome time with young Beretta, a six-month-old Dutch shepherd who truly stole my heart.  this little drivey girl sparked a lot of memories for me — having grown up with german shepherds — and at one point when i took Beretta’s leash for a moment so mom Dorothy could get her things out of her vehicle, i swear, i felt something i hadn’t felt in a long time: the promise of an incredible drive ready to be harnessed and worked with, a young dog with the world ahead of her and so many amazing things in her future.  i was truly and deeply in love.

and the greatest part is that Beretta has two more scruffy sessions on the books before the year is out.  i’m so looking forward to working more with this amazing girl.

as with any week on facebook, i also shared a little before-and after … this one is of my latest love-interest, Beretta …

and then one of sweet old girl Penny from her second session a few weeks ago.

i shared a couple of sneak peeks of the ball-crazy Cooper from his session last week …

this boy o.w.n.s his ball.

and in any given week on the SDP facebook page, i always share a couple of images of the resident scruffies, matea mcscruffy and merrick goobernuts mcscruffy …

if you don’t laugh at this next photo of the goober, you might want to check for a pulse.  a couple of weeks ago the Kong company contacted me asking if they could send a box of Kong toys to be used at scruffy dog photo sessions. upon opening the huge box, merrick, obviously, was under the impression that they were all for him. he was absolutely giddy with anticipation …

and here is a short video of the goober digging through the box of new toys for his absolute favorite Kong product … (and let me qualify that this is not the best video!):

and then my amazing, right-hand-girl matea …

she’s turned 10 this year, and in spite of being on a raw diet for the majority of those years, her system has been changing over the last year.  she’s not the first raw-fed senior i’ve heard of requiring a switch to a cooked diet, and honestly, given that she’s always had a sensitive constitution (even back in those early days of quality kibble), in the back of my mind, i always anticipated this day.  so, cooked it is.

what you see below is the meat-portion of the girl’s diet prior to cooking: a few pounds of wild salmon, 15 lbs of venison and 5 lbs of organs (including heart and lungs, which i don’t factor into my actual “organ” percentage as we’re not concerned about Vit A ratios as we are with liver and kidney). not sure why I decided to grind this batch, but i figured (a) it might cook faster (i’m new to all this cooked fare), and (b) i’d be able to mix in the organs more efficiently.  this will be the last time i cook organs though.  urg! they stank up the house!  i’ll stick to feeding dehydrated and freeze-dried liver and kidneys, and cook chunks of meat instead of the ground. (too much moisture is lost when cooking ground).

and for those inquiring … this will be divvied up, frozen, and then mixed with oatmeal and veggies before feeding.

i do still firmly believe that — for optimum health – a raw diet should be the first diet for dogs and the place to start in any canine nutritional journey, especially when there are issues with intolerances and allergies … however, in the case of special needs and requirements, raw is not always the best choice for some dogs.

i hope you’ve enjoyed this facebook recap.  if you’d rather receive more up-to-the-minute news and sneak peeks, consider joining the scruffy dog facebook page … truly, it’s fun!

we’ve got a great variety of dogs in this recap. first up, Emily and Kodiak … two huskies from Burlington.

we must have rescheduled their session at least a three or four times, if not more … waiting until we actually had snow this winter!

it wasn’t a lot of snow, but enough for us to make it look like a deep freeze … and Kodiak and Emily seemed to enjoy their session …

Nerian also enjoyed his wintry session during what is to be his first of several scruffy sessions to document his growth and development from gangly shepherd to the magnificent beast he is destined to be …

because the post production on a lot of the squeezed-in fall sessions wasn’t complete until February, i shared an image from a late fall session with repeat client Sasha.  you can see her “puppy” shoot here … and if you visited us at Woofstock last year or Poochpalooza, you might remember this little barkypants as our greeter since her mom is one of our fabulous staff who helps out at events.  but the real reason i shared this image of little Sasha on the scruffy dog chair is to show you the creepy guy who is constantly showing up at our sessions when shooting at our most requested location – the tunnel of trees.

i always have to look for “creepy guy” when finishing clients’ images and make sure he’s not hanging out at the end of the tree tunnel.  sure, a lot of people may never see him, but if and when they do, they won’t see anything else.  so, goodbye, creepy guy!

and here’s just one of two big canvases that mom Kim ordered of her little girl … this image was printed as a 28×53″ canvas with gorgeous floatframe.  for large canvases, i always recommend a minimum of 52″ for hanging over a couch or a queen-sized bed.

and then, well, it was March … and March is the goober’s re-birthday.  it was two years ago that we rescued merrick out of a six-year puppymill/breeding situation … he lived in deplorable conditions, was malnourished, underweight, full of worms and infection … but the physical condition of this boy was nothing compared to the emotional scars.  you can read more about merrick’s story here.   as i look across the studio here at scruffy dog headquarters right now, he is curled up, back-to-back with his big sister (and goddess) matea.  after six years of a miserable existence, this boy is finally home.  i couldn’t love anything more … my heart hurts when i look at him.

of course, in remembering my boy’s rescue, it’s hard not to remember his predecessor, morley.  in fact, merrick was rescued for morley.  as my old man faded under the influence of a brain tumor, merrick’s addition gave him a little more life and zip in his step, making his final three weeks as happy as his previous years with us.  still, with morley’s passing i was left with questions which still haunt me today, two years later …

did he know how much i loved him?

did he truly feel at home with me, with us, even though he’d belonged to another for 9 years before me?

did he know i didn’t give a crap about him peeing in the house when he was sick? and that i’d gladly clean up his pee today if he graced me with his presence, his calm and his wisdom just one more time?

did he know i tried my best to give him everything i didn’t think he’d had before? to let him be a real dog? to run free and chase and hunt with the big dogs?

did he know i rescued merrick FOR him, not to replace him?

did he know it was his last day?

did he feel my love and my incredible loss as i held him out in that field in the late afternoon sun and told him for the last time what a good boy he was?

did he feel peace?

and does he know i still miss him? that i would do anything to have him waddle into the studio right now and climb into the studio dog bed? or curl up at my feet?

does he know how much i wish we were hiking together again in those woods, down those trails, through those puddles that were lakes to his 3″ legs?

does he know how much i miss his bark, his courage, his expressions, and his joy as he’d race around the house with a Cuz ball?

does he know his photos will forever be on my walls? his photo album always lying at the ready on the coffee table?

and does he know he will never be forgotten?

but now for some happier photos …  Bella Rocketboosters Bulldog achieving lift-off …

and little Pyper, during her second scruffy dog session last week, showed off her extreme levitating skills …

and big sister Lucy … who never takes her eye — or ears — off the prize …

and then sweet, sweet Penny, for whom these sessions were primarily intended.  this lovely girl was finally let go yesterday, releasing her from the battle with cancer.  in the words of her mom, Caroline: “we made the decision that she had fought the battle long enough. The spark in her eyes that made her, her, was coming less and less and we did not want to see her suffer any longer. After a happy walk in the park, and a last roll in the grass, we let her go over the rainbow bridge. She can never be replaced, she was the best dog ever.”

I’m so honoured to have been trusted to capture Penny’s images both in the winter and again this spring. and i will work on a slideshow as soon as work on her spring images is complete.  here at scruffy dog, Caroline, our hearts are with you.

oh sigh … need more happiness …  how about a gargoyle on a caboose? er … i mean, darling little Indy on a train?

and little Sadie and her little-dog Wubba …

i also shared a little before-and-after from Sadie’s session …

and finally, no facebook recap would be complete without a couple of pics of the resident scruffies.  merrick accompanied me to the Royal York Animal Hospital several times for sessions and clinic photos there … and, as always, he makes a most excellent stand-in when it comes to testing the lighting.

and the two scruffies together on the studio bed … merrick had a tough night with our first thunderstorms.  even his Thundershirt didn’t help him too much that night … and it wasn’t until we were all in the studio later that morning, that he finally relaxed and caught up on some badly needed sleep, finding comfort under his sister’s leg.

hope you enjoyed this little scruffy dog catch-up … have a great week, everyone!

so even though we’ve been shooting up a storm and meeting some amazing dogs and cats over the past weeks, there have been a lot of behind-the-scenes work going on … stuff that a lot of people don’t even imagine when they think about a pet-photography business. because, yes, it is a business and there’s so much more than just those pretty pictures.  there are all new business cards and promotional materials to design and layout due to the rebranding earlier this year, updating of software and hardware, there are commercial and editorial requests, a huge undertaking of the updating of the scruffy dog stock images, countless orders and albums to prep …  sadly, as well, there have been numerous copyright and trademark infringement issues which i have been forced to pursue … there are always inquiries and bookings to respond to, files for new clients to be created, contests, marketing and promotion, and let’s not forget about … <cough> … taxes.

the other aspect that takes a small chunk of time out of each day is engaging with the followers of the scruffy dog facebook page.  THAT’S where all the action is … news, contests, client sneak peeks, videos, and general pet-talk.  it really is the place to be.  and rumor has it that merrick goobernuts mcscruffy is thinking of starting up his own facebook page … lord knows, like most children with a new pet, he’ll be excited at first, do all of his duties, but then gradually slack off … and i’ll be the one having to tend to yet another facebook page.  … not so sure that can be fit into the schedule.  we’ll see.

in the meantime, let me share with you some of the client sneak-peaks and images posted on the SDP facebook page …

first up is little Annie.  she and her siblings are finding themselves needing a home.  apparently response to their posting has been very successful and The Dog Rescuers Inc. are fielding applications.  if you are interested, you can contact The Dog Rescuers to find out more.

this little girl is the sweetest … such a soft energy, and real cuddler.  she’ll make someone an amazing companion.

another pet needing a new home is Sassafrass.  she is currently staying at the Royal York Animal Hospital in Toronto. this is her info: I was found as a young kitten and surrendered to TAS. I spent a few months there being nursed and cared for before moving to RYAH for a chance at finding my forever home. I am vaccinated and spayed and have been preventively treated for parasites. Please come see me! I super cute and love to play!

this little Siamese girl needs her own home!  although there has been some interest in her, the staff at RYAH report that Sassy is nervous meeting new people for the first time and then acts out … certainly not the right first impression to give people who might potentially give you a new home!  RYAH staff are working on her social skills.  in the short time i spent with her, i could see that she loves to play and interact, always trying to capture her caretaker’s attention … and i think with the right person, this girl could be a lot of fun.  i had no problems with her and loved her energy … and i know what you’re thinking: so why don’t you take her home, illona? trust me, even though RYAH has asked if i would, and even though i’d love to have her in our lives, i just can’t … i’m not confident that our resident scraggly cat, Aslan, would approve … even though Sassy seems to get along with both dogs and other cats … and i think the scruffies could be won over as well … alas, for some reason, i’m so much more allergic to Siamese than most cats.  in the short time i spent with this awesome little girl, my asthma kicked up something awful … so, sadly, she’s still waiting for a home.  could it be yours?  if you’re interested, please contact the Royal York Animal Hospital.

and now for some scruffy clients …

most of you probably remember big boy Bettis …

his session was a gift to owner Chris who was losing Bettis in a separation when Bettis’ mom had to move out of province.  this session was supposed to be a Starter session, but spending time with Chris and his boy on their last afternoon together moved me deeply … and since this was no different than any Honour Session™, i just kept shooting, determined to capture as many memories as possible for Chris.

i shared another image of cutey patootey Harlow from her puppy session … you’ll be seeing more of this girl when she has her next session in July.  i can’t wait to see how much she’s grown!

then there was Joy.  Joy was my “artist’s pick” in our facebook contest on the scruffy dog page.   she came from Toronto to scruffy dog territory for her session because Joy’s mom was determined to have her wonderful girl captured in some snow … and even though it was slim pickings, i did find us some!

then one of  my favorite shots from little Gizelle’s session late last fall … this one has actually just been printed as a beautiful framed canvas, and it’s gorgeous.

and then, well, it was the goober’s re-birthday … two years since he was rescued from deplorable conditions.  he was jumping for joy when he saw his birthday biscuit … and of course, he shared it with big sister matea.  if you don’t already know merrick goobernuts mcscruffy’s story, you can find it here, complete with links to more photos.

and finally, just a little something to get you itchin’ for summer!

and just a quick note: for those of you interested in a fall session … September and October are now booked, however every fall season we take a small number of “squeeze-in” sessions (sessions taken above and beyond our regularly scheduled sessions), but there are only so many “squeeze-in” sessions we can actually squeeze in, so please contact SDP as soon as possible if you are planning a fall session for your 4-legger.

hope you all have a great weekend!

i’ll never forget the day of our session … pulling up to Deb’s house and Zoey loping in her crooked, off-balance gait to greet me at the car.  for a dog with balance issues and already 14+ years of age, Zoey had a lot of giddy-up during our hike/photo session, and it truly was a memorable afternoon.  Zoey went on to share another three wonderful years with Deb.

here is a video i put together in memory of this sweet girl who will forever be Deb’s “one” …

but here’s something a little different …

i don’t often have the opportunity or time to share the commercial and editorial work that SDP is involved with, but when the Picture Editor of dogs magazine, from Germany, emailed me the .pdfs of the latest SDP images used in their absolutely gorgeous, extra-sized publication, i figured i’d share.  seriously, dogs is like Vogue, only it’s dogs!  big, rich, glossy, top quality publication.  there’s nothing like dogs, and i love it … well, i’m sure i’d love it a whole lot more if i remembered even half of the german i studied in school!

so here you go … a few pages, starting with none other than the goober …

and my main girl, matea…

what i love about working with European editors and agencies, is that European style … they’re always choosing some of my favorite images from the SDP portfolio.

i’ll share more as i have time.

have a great weekend, everyone!  now walk your dogs!

if and when you are finally using the Timeline format, you’ll know that the main attraction to this format is the banner photo across the top.  some users incorporate their own photo, while others download photos already sized for the Timeline banner.

by popular demand, scruffy dog is offering a handful of images for public use.  these images are being provided as a courtesy for our scruffy dog followers and should be used in no other manner than your Timeline banner.  images should not be cropped or altered, and the copyright/credit must not be obscured or removed in any way.

you’ll notice that a lot of these are weighted more to the right … that’s to make room for your profile pic in the lower left corner …

and yes, a cat too!  that’s our resident, scraggly cat Aslan.

this is just a sampling.  you can find all of them on the SDP facebook page …

so how do you use these banner photos?  well, in the Photos section on the SDP facebook page you will find the folder for Timeline banner pics.  once there, simply right click on the image you want to use, and download it … then upload it to your own FB page and use it for your banner.  and then …

… drop us a line and share, so we can see it!

if there are any other SDP images that you would like to see as a facebook Timeline banner, drop us a line and we’ll see what we can do.

with a little bit of snow on the ground – finally – we had a lovely session with three sweet girls.

Penny is a 13-year-old lady …

i was told that this lovely girl was losing some of her giddy-up, requiring a lot of rests while on walks, but at our session there was a new pep in Penny’s step and almost no slowing her down.

Penny’s sister Lucy was a sweetheart as well … i’ll need to post more of this gorgeous, long-legged girl …

and then there was little tiny Pyper … and i do mean tiny.  this wee girl weighs less than even one of the SDP cameras.

Penny, of course, needed a little nap time in between her get-up-and-go …

then there was Bettis …

this big guy was a wild boy …

and when i say “big”, i mean B.I.G.  at only 22 months old this Dane/Mastiff cross hasn’t even started to fill out, but with the legs of a Dane, well, he’s a monster.  and i should note that dad Chris is no shortly like me!

we had a lot of fun at Bettis’s session …

it was a honour to photograph this gorgeous boy on his last afternoon with his dad.  due to a separation, Bettis is going with his mom out-of-province, so although it was lovely to spend time with Bettis and his dad, there was a sadness as well …

as usual, i also shared a little before-and-after from Bettis’ session.

another handsome man i met last week for his first scruffy session, to celebrate his one-year birthday, was Nerian …

and then there was five-month-old snowball girl, Nala.

Nala is a keeshond/chow cross … who, like any respectable puppy, loves to chew.

i also shared just one of several large canvases that came into the studio last week.  i don’t think the scruffies were overly impressed by some other dogs taking up what is designated as “their” wallspace.

of course, sharing this on facebook caused a couple of comments about how cool it would be to have this photo framed and hung over the couch, which led me to share an image from four years ago of a couple of scruffy clients — Reese and Rio.  the second i walked in the door of Reese and Rio’s home and spotted the pristine white  leather couch and shag rug, i had to ask whether we could let the dogs up there.  and then, as their walls were bare, i made my own little suggestion …

and staying in the vein of canvases, this image of the stunning Duke and Daisy will be printed in another large framed canvas …

and no week would be complete without a few shots of one of the resident scruffies … here is merrick goobernuts mcscruffy, doing what he does best …

but one photo of this mad-boy with his chicken isn’t enough …

and this is just a fun little video shot low-res with poor quality and no editing ability with a Bloggie … not something i’d generally share on the SDP blog, but it’s pretty funny …

yup, that’s the goober. and i should note that matea mcscruffy — lying there so patiently waiting for dinner — was wearing a t-shirt due to some surgery. i don’t normally dress up the scruffies!