Sydney was my soul-dog, he was a kind, fun Labrador, Mastiff, Boxer cross. He got away with so much as he aged. We let him do things we would never have dreamed of when he was younger. The selective hearing goes unchecked. The best leftovers always made it into his bowl not juniors. We went on slower walks, the two of us just chilling in the morning sun whilst the youngster careered round the field after a ball. I took to the floor to cuddle him rather than him making the effort to climb onto the sofa. It all seems to be over too soon and even after 5 years their is still an empty space inside of me that I can't fill.
I take the upmost care of your dog on your photo shoot but for the more senior ones we take it even slower. No time restraints, no long-distance hikes to get the perfect shot. Just you and your woofer, me and my camera. We sit, we pause, we smile.
I have just done the most beautiful of sessions in a woodland with a very dear old terrier (17 years old in fact), she could barely see, her hearing was no more but she could smell a piece of cooked chicken and follow very close to mum’s leg. So that how I got the shots, relying on her sense of smell and wanting to be close to her mum. We had a tea break (her mum and I, she had water and a snooze) then we did a little bit more. The result makes me emotional, and I am so pleased to have been able to capture that moment for her mum to treasure forever.
This blog is a celebration of the life not about being sad, this blog is a bit of a ‘Paws for Thought’ – no apologies for the pun…maybe that is what I should call my end-of-life sessions? I don’t like calling them that, so any ideas really appreciated.
Interested in bluebells or maybe a short beautiful walk with your senior dog and a good tea rooms to sit and enjoy the view together, check out my blog on Fursdon House gardens.
If you want to chat to me about capturing the golden years of your aging woofer do get in touch, I would love to hear their story.
Bye for now, Fx