The Dogs of Doginhaus
If you have pets and you live in or around Park City, Utah, you probably know about Doginhaus, the luxury doggie daycare that also provides grooming and boarding. If you don't know about Doginhaus, you should definitely visit them in-person or online to learn more about their services. With an in-house groomer, you can drop your dog off for day care or boarding, and pick up a clean, trimmed dog. But schedule in advance - Doginhaus is justifiably quite busy!
Last week, I had the opportunity to photograph dogs of some of the staff members at Doginhaus. It gave me a chance to introduce many of the staff members to my photography sessions while also creating some wonderful images of their dogs. I have a portable studio with a variety of backdrounds, so we decided to go with a studio setting for these photographs. It was also great opportunity to meet some of the staff members' dogs and associate the owners with their pets - I can't think of a better, or more enjoyable way to get to know people better than through their dogs!
The first canine visitor to my studio area was Shasta, a Bernadoodle. Being a doodle owner myself, I have a great appreciation for all doodle dogs, and while I have heard a lot of great things about Bernadoodles (a cross between a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Poodle), I had never actually met one before. Shasta is an excellent ambassador for her breed - fluffy, well-mannered and oh-so-cute! Shasta is fairly young, but she took to the whole studio setup like a seasoned supermodel!
After Shasta came Blu. I'm not 100% certain what Blu's lineage is (nor do I care - purebred, mutt, young, old - all dogs are beautiful in their own unique ways), and it really doesn't matter; Blu is gorgeous, and those eyes of his (which gave him his name) are as captivating in person as they are in the images.
My next guests were Cosmo and Nigel. These two boys are siblings, and it was very amusing to observe the dynamics between the two of them and figure out the best way to photograph them. Nigel is VERY treat motivated, while Cosmo is more mellow - which led to a lot of juggling treats, squeaky toys and the camera - we all had a great time together!
In addition to a 'siblings' photo, I photographed each of them individually. Nigel was up first - so thoughtful and soulful!
Then came Cosmo. I love everything about Cosmo - his face, his personality, and those eyes that make it clear Cosmo knows the secrets of the universe!
Finally, I met Ruger and Moose. These two canine siblings probably couldn't have been more different - and so they complemented each other perfectly. Moose is a French Bulldog and is very easy going, while his brother Ruger is a Vizsla, and is more energetic - as you would expect from a Vizsla. Again, there was a bunch of juggling squeaky toys and treats and the camera, but with the help of Moose and Ruger's mom, we were able to get some perfect portraits of the boys!
Vizslas are such regal dogs, and Ruger was no exception!
Moose! What isn't to love about Moose? He has fabulous ears, a wonderful personality, and did I mention those ears?
It was a lot of fun to meet the dogs of some of the staff at Doginhaus - and the next time you go into Doginhaus, be sure to look for photos of the dogs of Doginhaus and see if you can match up the staff with their dogs!
For more information about Doginhaus, visit their web page. If you'd like photographs of your own pets you can get more information about my pet photography sessions, or contact me directly for more information!