I love my job

Looking down at my arms I smile at the scratches and band-aid on my hand. Seeing these scratches means that I have either 1. had a great gardening session which I love or 2. that I had a puppy shoot. These scratches were from a puppy shoot and she nailed me good. Those puppy teeth do it every time and to me they are remnants of a great shoot. I've been shooting a lot of dogs lately; I'm working on another book. I often feel the urge to pinch myself just to be sure that I'm not dreaming; my job is hanging with dogs.

As a trainer I'm there to teach or fix; but as a photographer I'm simply there to capture and have fun, nice. A couple of weeks ago I was headed down to the marina; the California sunshine was beaming in my Xterra window as I headed west. I arrived to meet a huge and lovable guy and his guardian. I couldn't wait to get started and we headed out to the boat; that's right I was shooting a dog on a yacht. I first got to shoot the boy on his yacht and then captured him riding in a boat with a huge grin on his face; it doesn't get a whole lot better than this.

There was the shoot the day before at the park; action shots of a dog having fun just being a dog. I spent nearly an hour watching this guy have a blast; running, jumping and retrieving his toys. He had an amazing red coat that flew in the wind as he tore by in pursuit of his ball. The shots turned out amazing. A couple of days before that had been my puppy shoot; a blonde bundle of squeezable cuteness. Sometimes I just cannot keep my hands to myself and I need to get a good fix of puppy.

Last week I had one of my favorite shoots; a walk in a wide open field to shoot a gal who loves to run. The task at hand was to capture her in motion and motion is what she gave me. How great is it to see dogs running simply for the love of running? Acres and acres of wide open space; canine companionship and great canine conversation with the guardian, darned nice.

To be a dog photographer you must have a bucket full of patience. It is not typical for things to run smoothly or without a good amount of challenge. I'm lucky that all my years of training have offered me a never ending supply of patience when it comes to dogs. I can easily shoot 300 or more shots in one sitting but I'm always aware when I've got the shot; that one I'm looking for. And after the shoot there is always time to chill with the model; a perk you could say.

Exercise; seeking the balance

With our busy lifestyles today; many dogs do not get enough exercise. Many behavior issues can arise from a lack of exercise for our pooches. As the canine conscious guardians seek out ways to get their dogs exercise requirements met; they may go overboard. Can one over exercise their dog? Yes. I've seen it often in the high energy breeds; Labradors, Siberians, Setters and mixes. Owners who never miss a day at the park; they arrive at 6:00 and don't leave until after 9:00. That is a lot of running and stimulation.

As with runners who become addicted to running; there is a snowball effect. The more you run the more you need to run to feel the exercise satisfaction. When you exercise your dog to extreme; it is important to allow their body to heal. Like our own body; exercise is great but recovery time is essential. Vast amounts of exercise without time to recover can be damaging to the body. Over exercising can actually become an issue of its own. A dog can become accustom to expelling monumental amounts of energy on a daily basis so that they crave more and more to reach a relaxed state.

Along with too much wear and tear on the body; a dog can become overstimulated mentally. Dogs need down time; it is a time when they can fully relax and recuperate. Just like over exercising the body a dog's mind can be over stimulated. Dogs that become adapted to high levels of continuous mental stimulation may be easily agitated by a lack of or lower level of external stimuli.

It is a balancing act; finding the perfect amount that satisfies but does not over stimulate both mentally and physically.