Meeting blog dogs face to face

Today Sheena of Red Dog Photography came out to do a photoshoot of my dogs. I have long been addicted to her blog (Three Woofs and a Woo; same link as above) and I love her close-up shots of her three dogs doing just what dogs do. So when I emailed her the other day to see if this Vancouver-based photographer ever came out to my area, I was delighted when she not only said she did but confessed that she would also love to shoot some pics of the piggies and alpaca.

Since my three canines tend to be couch potatoes unless there are others to play with, and since my place is a great place for city slicker canines to shake, shake, shake the willies out, I suggested Sheena feel free to bring her three buddies along for the shoot.

OMG THAT WAS SOOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!! I heard Woo long before I saw him ...he was in the van and I discovered his screaming "I want out" sound is almost identical to screaming piglets - and at least as loud. Woo and Piper were much smaller than I expected, but every bit as lively and funny and sweet. But the one who stole my heart was Tweed. And although this shy boy apparently doesn't usually make friends with humans that readily, in no time at all he was lying on the grass beside me and giving me the occasional little licky kiss or two. Aw, Tweed, you are a dog after my own heart!

Sheena meanwhile went to work taking shot after shot after shot of my three running, barking, sleeping, looking pensive, being coy, being brave, being silly. Later we took all the dogs up to the top of the pasture, photographing Martin enroute. When we returned to the yard, I put the barrier in place and let the piggies into the pasture.

One of the things I love about fostering pigs is watching others fall head over heels for them. My little piggies "hammed" it up for all it was worth - running, ears wiggling, snouties snuffling, caked in mud, getting belly rubs, going bonkers for watermelon, and being as cute as they could possibly be (well, except for Scotch who decided it was all too much for him, and took himself off for a nap in the long grasses until the whole to-do was over). Sheena was hooked - I think if we could persuade her to leave the city, she would adopt the whole bunch!

The funniest, funniest, funniest part was when we gave peanut butter to the dogs (for those peanut butter face pictures); the piggies must have smelled the peanuts and so they came running to the gate squealing for their share. So.... I fed them peanut butter too, and we got piggy peanut butter face pictures galore, until one pulled the end right off the spatula and ran away with it! Game over.

Hundreds and hundreds of shots later, Sheena was on her way. I can't wait to receive my disk of her selection of the best of the day, all to use however I wish as long as I give credit to her. Needless to say, you can expect to see many of them posted here!

Sheena is awesome, her dogs are awesome, my animals were awesome.....what a great day!