Prior to our session, I asked his owner to think about some of his attributes that she really likes about him with the goal that I’d try to capture some of those things. Here is what she came up with:

1.  His eyes

2.  His soft ears

3.  His jet black muzzle

4.  His black markings – like the dot on his cheek and his black-tipped tail

5.  His Scruff and 6.  His Red Color  (this next image covers both)

and this last one was one of mine – his nose.

Oh, and there was one other one – he snores when he sleeps.

(More of Jake in the next post.)

“I’ve been around dogs all my life but Lobo was the first dog I owned myself.  He was a stray that I found in the middle of a major thoroughfare in Lansing, Michigan. He was thin, smelled of diesel fuel, and was obviously terrified as he dragged a long rope and avoided any human interaction.  It took nearly two hours to catch him and only after many offerings of lunch meat and quick lunges for his rope.  In time Lobo adjusted to his new life of regular meals, veterinary care and a warm bed to become the sweetest, most gentle and loyal dog I’ve ever known.  He had a special aura of tranquility.  I came to call him the Doggi-Lama and I think his extraordinarily peaceful, loving spirit is apparent in the photos.

If Lobo represented the peaceful side of life, Luna was emblematic of its chaotic side. My Mom gave me Luna a year after I found Lobo, as a birthday gift.  We picked her up as a seven week old pup and almost immediately she became ill.  I almost lost her to a terrible viral infection.  She demonstrated real grit in surviving and seems to have been determined ever since to maximize each moment.  I would throw ball or stick or bumper over and over and over again but could never wear her out.  She was go, go, go, all of the time.  If she wanted to play, she would sit before me and lecture me about the virtues of chasing a stick with barks and yips and other strange noises.  She’s vocal in other ways too.  She doesn’t like other dogs (she put up with Lobo only because I made clear she had too) and never misses a chance to talk trash to a passerby.  Like the photos of Lobo, the pictures of Luna capture her personality – her aggressive, driven and playful nature.”

We had a lot of fun at our session, working both indoors and outdoors, and decided a coffee table book was the best way to feature all of the images.  We just finished designing the book and I know it is going to be gorgeous. Here are a few pages.

UPDATE:  Safi was adopted from the Friends of Homeless Animals (FOHA).  Soon after this post, I received the following email which really made me smile: 

“I used to volunteer for FOHA when Safi was there.  I don’t live there anymore, but I still try to keep up with the shelter and the dogs I used to know.  .  .  I think Safi was already at FOHA when I began there in 2002, and she was still there when I moved several years later.  I think she was at the shelter so long because many people were intimidated by her.  People were afraid she might be aggressive, so it’s really great to see her in a home with two smaller dogs she clearly loves, lying contentedly on the couch with her people, and playing like a big puppy.  She looks so fit, healthy, and happy. ”

Well, she is fit, healthy, happy and incredibly sweet.  It’s sad that she was in the shelter so long, but she is one of the luckiest dogs I know when it comes to her adopted family.

Meet Safi:

This is her sister Daisy.  Daisy is older than Safi, but in pack terms, she’s the middle sister.  Daisy is gorgeous and very playful!

Daisy is also the queen of expressions:

Stay tuned for the rest of the family coming soon.