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Buddy | Ontario dog photography

Pet photography in Burlington, Ontario.

When I was heading our to meet senior golden Buddy, I figured I could expect a fairly straightforward and leisurely session. Golden retrievers by nature are pretty easygoing and happy about everything, and at 12 years old, I thought our time together would be pretty low-key.

Now, I learned long ago to not assume or expect anything from a pet – you never know how a pet (or owner!) will behave in a new setting with a new person.

As I discovered, Buddy is a lovable, sweet, friendly dog, but he isn’t a typical golden. He doesn’t like other dogs at all – he barks and gets anxious when a dog is in the vicinity. And he had a hard time settling during our session – he just didn’t want to stay still. This is just part of Buddy’s character and how he was feeling on this day.

Buddy | Ontario dog photography

I think some photographers would be a little freaked out by this. Happily, I have very specialized training with senior golden retrievers that don’t act like senior golden retrievers – I own one myself! My dog Chloe isn’t the biggest fan of other dogs, and she’s a little high strung. I also have many sessions with surprises under my belt that I knew how to evaluate the situation and what steps to take with Buddy to ensure his comfort while we got great photos. This included lots of patience (his session was a little longer than most), working quietly with him, finding less travelled areas to photograph in, and giving him breaks between set-ups.

Custom, authentic Ontario dog photography.Senior golden retriever pet photo by Ontario dog photographerPhoto of girl and her dog in the flowers along a Burlington trail.Kerncliff Park senior dog photography.Burlington pet photo of golden retriever dog in Halton park.Golden retriever senior dog photo in GTA, Ontario.Photo of an old golden retriever on Halton trail by Happy Tails Pet Photography.

In the end, I got lots of beautiful photos that show Buddy’s personality. And that white senior face set against the pretty early fall colours … perfect for a golden of any kind!

 

 

Happy Tails Pet Photography captures the authenticity and character of pets for the people who love them in southwestern Ontario. Get in touch to book your own custom Ontario dog photography experience.