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white dog in the snow | waterdown pet photography

family photography with a young couple and dog at estate in Waterdown, Ontario.

I have a secret.

You know those pet photographers who appear to have the most well-behaved dogs? You know, the ones whose pets are always going on shoots with them or being stand-in models during location scouting trips and you wonder if in addition to being pet photographers they are also dog trainers and/or dog whisperers? Yep, that’s not me.

We adopted Chloe when she was four, and her previous owners rarely took her for walks — her exercise took place in the backyard or at the dog park. So, when she joined our family, she was awful on a leash. Her recall was equally as bad and I think her ears really did just seal shut when we were out in new places — she would get so distracted and totally zone out.

Not much has changed. Last fall we enrolled her in a “refresher” training course that was intended to remind her of basic skills like coming when called, walking politely on a leash, and generally having good manners. The problem is that she was amazing in class, but when we worked on the lessons at home (using clicker training), she reverted to her old self. She’s turning eight this year, and I’m beginning to wonder if you really can’t teach old dogs new tricks. She is a wonderful dog — we love her dearly and her zest for life is a wonderful part of her personality. But it would be so nice to be able to take her location scouting without having to worry about her running off to find the nearest body of water to jump into. Suggestions are welcome.

This brings me to Roma, who I photographed in early December. She is a six-month-old Swiss sheperd rescue from the Guelph Humane Society and SO well behaved. As luck would have it, the first snowfall of the season occurred the night before our session, and we met at a beautiful, diverse piece of property in the rolling hills of Halton owned by the family. I was ready to move in and hang out my shingle — I could shoot all my sessions here!
white dog between legsfamily photography with a young couple and dog at estate in Waterdown, Ontario.White Swiss sheperd puppy and green barn.Winter pet portrait by Waterdown, Ontario pet photographerOntario pet photography in Waterdown.Profile of white Swiss sheperd puppy in long winter grass.White dog leaping through long brown grass at winter pet photography session.White dog in the snow by Happy Tails Pet Photography.winter swiss sheperd puppy portraitOutdoor pet photography with dog in wood shed.Ontario dog photographyDog in front of large house on Waterdown estate.At this point little pug Lucy jumped into some of the shots … well, more like snorfled her way into the shots. The property belongs to Roma’s grandmaw and grandpaw, and Lucy is their dog.

overhead shot of black pugOntario pet photography of pug

I often get asked about tips for photographing a black dog. A little more tricky is photographing a black dog next to a white dog in the snow! Totally doable though and I think these two make a cute pair.
Photographing a white and black dog.

I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the season’s first snowfall — gorgeous dog, gorgeous property, gorgeous couple!

Wags,