Search Results for: blog pet portraits by michael chatting about pet photography

Hurt Paw = Sympathy Windfall

I mean to tell you, Murph has not minded his hurt paw very much. Another title for this blog could have easily been: “Murph Makes Out Like a Bandit.” That’s what’s happened ever since Murphy’s fan club got word of his demise. The Vet It all started when my friend Brenda sent Murph a care package. Inside was a note from her dog Mocha hoping Murph would get well soon, as well as a stuffed vet toy. When I thanked her, Brenda emailed me back and said, “I wasn’t really thinking. I guess he can’t really play right now.” “Oh … Continue reading →

Anatolian Shepherds

I had never heard of an Anatolian Shepherd until yesterday when I accompanied my friend Karen to the Nashville Humane Society. (Karen wanted to see if they had a photographer doing fund raising for them like the Josephs do for the Humane Society in Jacksonville.) Turns out the NHS does have someone who does that, but their events person was very nice and gave us a tour of the facility. That’s when I saw this big white dog who was desperate to get my attention. And when she did, there was such a spark…I just may have to take Wayne … Continue reading →

Why I’m Shopping for More Pet Halloween Toys

I know in another blog I admitted that one way I could ease my worries about the economy and its affect on my pocketbook would be to cut out buying toys for my pets. But I had to make an exception for Halloween. See, a couple of weeks ago Murphy’s best friend Tucker came for a visit when his parents had to come through town on their annual trek to Indianapolis for the pet shoot they do up there every year. Since Murph’s down and out with his cast, he wasn’t able to play with Tucker. (Not because he didn’t … Continue reading →

A Collection of Cat Toys

As impressive as the collage of cat toys to the left might be, it’s only a small representation of the entire collection of cat toys my cats claim. (Wayne’s decided if we’re looking for ways to cut money in case of a depression, cutting out my pet toy spending is a place to start. Sadly, he’s probably right.) But the purpose of this blog isn’t to show off my cats’ impressive collection of cat toys. Rather, it’s to discuss the names they know their toys by. (As I wrote in another article, I’m big on naming things.) See if you … Continue reading →

Appreciating Pet Photographers

I got the brilliant idea of a “family portrait” the other day — Moose, Lally, and I all in the same picture for once. (It’s rare that I can get that to happen.) Moose is the easy one. He’s pretty happy to lay there and pose for pictures without a problem for quite some time. All it takes is a little petting and you’ve got a Moose in place! I’m probably the second-easiest one out of the family trio. I’m not usually fond of pictures of myself, but I’m willing to pose and try not to blink. Lally is the … Continue reading →

Beware…There Are Monsters About!

At least from Murph’s point of view. Anything that looks out of the ordinary or is otherwise strange and unfamiliar to him is a monster. (A word he knows courtesy of his Aunt Karen. That’s what she says when something catches Tucker’s eye on a walk and startles him.) The Making of a Monster Of course there aren’t really monsters about. There are just things that sometimes appear scary to Murphy. An overturned trash can that wasn’t there on a previous walk. A tangled hose left askew on a lawn. A piece of trash, like some of the black landscape … Continue reading →

If I Had To Do My Wedding All Over Again…

Was your wedding absolutely perfect? Or do you ever think, now that you’re older and wiser, that there might be some things you’d do differently if you had it to do all over again? I’d do a couple of things differently. The Date When it came to picking a date, I really didn’t put much thought into it. I know at one point I’d thought maybe May 15 might be a good date, because that was the first day we met. However, we ended up rushing matters thanks to Wayne’s aunt. (Who I adore, make no mistake.) If it wasn’t … Continue reading →

Win $300 in the Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Photo Contest

After I wrote the article about Grandma Dorothy’s top Doctors Foster and Smith cat catalog picks, I placed an order for some of her suggestions. (Specifically, the cat grass and the catnip bubbles, which I’ll be writing about in another article.) That’s when I noticed their pet photo contest. The Anniversary Photo Contest As part of their 25th Anniversary celebrations, Doctors Foster and Smith launched a pet photo contest. Each month they award 10 First Place, 10 Second Place, and 10 Third Place prizes to winners in 10 different categories. The neat thing about it is that all First, Second, … Continue reading →

Murph’s Progress with the PoochIQ Test

Yesterday morning Murph and I put the PoochIQ.com dog IQ test kit I received to the test. Part of it anyway. We haven’t completed the whole test yet, but we’re having a lot of fun working our way through it. So often the word “test” invokes dread and a dragging of the feet, doesn’t it? But not in this case. The “tests” are fun. More like games for your dog if you approach it with a spirit of fun, enthusiasm, and playfulness instead of a purely clinical air. Murph and I certainly had fun for the seven questions we completed. … Continue reading →

The Dangers of Retractable Leashes

As I wrote about in Deciding to Use a Retractable Leash, I never would have used one with Budly. He would have liked to have more freedom to dash hither and yon, but he was such a wild, bad listening dog I feared nothing but disaster could come of it. But Murph was different. Walking him on a retractable leash was nice. However, we learned retractables come with their own dangers. Leash Burns Our first retractable was the thin string kind. Get a dog racing past you with that line zipping across your bare flesh and you’re going to get … Continue reading →