Welcome...

To the Photohound Urban Dog Blog! This is where I post all sorts of everything dog, especially photos of those I've had the pleasure of meeting. I specialize in super fun, natural light, let-the-dog-be-a-dog photography. Here you'll find the latest sneak peeks of my fabulous fur clients as well as information on upcoming events, Photohound Dog Photography news and anything else I feel other animal lovers might enjoy.

For more information on my photography services, visit the Photohound official website (link above) or if you have any questions just give me a shout. *Please remember that the photographs on this and other Photohound sites are copyright protected. Please contact me if you are interested in commercial use of any images. Thanks and enjoy!

Doglympics USA!

- Avalon Park, FL pet photography -

Click here to view and purchase all Doglympics images (captured by Photohound’s John Taylor) or visit www.pictage.com/799833

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When dogs are flying, you know you are at Doglympics.  This was the second year of the event, produced by University of Doglando.  It was our first time attending and let me tell you…we had So. Much. Fun.  I’m not kidding, I was magnificently entertained for TWO WHOLE DAYS!  There was so much going on, we didn’t know what to do with ourselves.  Let’s start with the Dock Dogs competition and demo.

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I’ve only ever seen these sports on ESPN or Outdoor Network and I’m always gripped to the telly in awe and hysterics.  Watching these dogs live is ten times more exciting.  The intensity, the form, the fun…it’s a hoot!  Dock Dogs is an international organization with tail-wagging, dock-diving members who compete in water events all over the world.  It’s a fabulous activity to get your dogs involved in…Because an exercised dog is well-behaved dog who doesn’t chew up your shoes, yay!  We even got our Boxer, Mac, in on the action.  A $25 fee included all day access to the dock, in between competitions.  It also included one competition, if you were so inclined.  We signed our boxer up.  He wanted to.  He’s no long distance jumper but he got off of the dock and made a big splash.  We were proud of our little old man.  Anyway….I highly recommend that you attend next year.  You will not regret it.

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I couldn’t help but post this.  This was THE sweetest couple I’ve ever met in my entire life.  I kid you not.  The pit bull  (adopted from a shelter, yay) had such a kind soul and gently watched over his sister, the Yorkie, when he wasn’t receiving belly rubs from me.  ;-)   I really could have sat and enjoyed a picnic with them all day long.

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Below is Teena Patel, owner of University of Doglando, volunteering her life to raise money for the Orlando police dogs.  By opting to pose as a vicious criminal, she was promptly  and professionally mauled by a well-trained member of the Orlando police force.  Her bravery and mock law-breakery helped to buy protective boots for the Orlando K-9 units to protect their paws when searching, investigating and ultimately making our town a safer place.  Thanks Teena!  :-)

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There were also Flyball demos which, like dock-diving, can be watched all day long by me.  It’s hilarious and incredible to see the speed and precision with which these dogs perform.  I posted the photo below because, after having five other people look at it, neither of us can figure out the medical mystery taking place with this dog’s front paws.  I just don’t get it.  Wait..yeah, no.  I still don’t get it.  ???

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Another section of awesome-ness were the weight-pulling demos.  If Retrievers and Belgian Malinois can fly and Border Collies can relay FlyBall beyond the speed of sound, then it’s left to the Pit Bulls to haul their way to the weight-pulling circle of champions.  And they LOVE it!  If anyone has ever tried to walk an un-leash-trained Pit Bull, you know this is their cup of tea.  They wear a supportive harness and are guided to pull cinder blocks (loaded on a dolly-type platform) to their hearts content.  Each success at the end of the track leads to more weight being added, increasing the challenge and the huge smiles on those bully faces when that challenge is met.

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These demos also allowed anyone to participate, which was so cool!  Our friend Rainy below signed up for a go and impressed us all.  Guided by her Dad, Eric, she took to her first pull like a natural.  Go Rainy!  We couldn’t be more proud.  :-) doglympics_11

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This is what was so great about this weekend event.  Not only could you bring your dog and watch other dogs perform amazing feats but you could also let your dog give it a try.  Doglympics USA was designed to encourage people and their pets to come out, socialize and introduce activities that you and your dogs can share together.  Because, what was it that some expert said one time?  Oh yeah, “An exercised dog is well-behaved dog who doesn’t chew up your shoes, yay!”  Yeah, I think that was it.  ;-)

Thank you, Teena and University of Doglando, for inviting us to this amazingly entertaining and super-social event that we think every dog-lover should attend.  We had a blast!

Alley

- Baldwin Park pet and dog photography -

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Alley is the lab-iest lab that ever labbed.  She’s beyond sweet.  She’s unintentionally goofy.  She has eyes that make you melt and fur that’s SO soft.  And she doesn’t smell!!!  I don’t get it.  Even after being caught in a drizzle outside…just as neutral as can be.  Crazy.

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She loves fetch, of course, and she enjoys playing with all of her toys.  She is also part Holstein Cow, I’m sure of it.  She wants to lick you all the time.  Your arms, your hands, your face.  And it’s not an excitable licking.  It’s more of a habitual, easy-going, methodical, but warm-hearted, if-you-didn’t-move-I’d-eventually-hit-bone licking.  She’s pretty hilarious.

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She also LOVES snuggling and lolling around in the sheets.  She turns upside-down to look at you with her amber eyes and pink nose and you just snuggle back.Alley4

I most enjoyed getting to know her and appreciating her kind nature, charming naivety and the bath she gave me.  ;-)   Thank you, Molly and Chris, for letting me spend time with your dairy cow.

Scamp!

- Windermere, FL pet and dog photography -

His personality merits an exclamation point as a permanent part of his name.  Therefore, as his self-proclaimed publicist, I am hereby designating his name as “Scamp!”  (If Prince can have an Ankh symbol as his name and Madonna can be Madonna, Scamp! can surely qualify.)

Anyway, let me just say this, Scamp! is the character of all characters.  Seriously.  He is an absolute riot.  Self deprecating; joker; a courageous coward (yes, it makes sense if you met him); a big dog in a five pound body. He has been renamed by his Grandpa as “Schmendrik” which fits him perfectly.  Schmendrik, a Yiddish word roughly translating to a “foolish person”, is defined more simply by his Grandpa as “pain in the a–”.  LOL!  I see Scamp!/Schmendrik as more of a pain in the funny bone because he’s downright hilarious!

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He has a little apple head and these matchstick legs that swat the air as he tries to balance on two of them.  He loves to perform and anything can get him going.  He loves attention.  Hee hee!

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And here’s the interesting part.  This Brussels Griffon was found wandering in the middle of a busy intersection during rush hour!!!!  Every attempt was made to try and find his original owner.  A microchip scan finally determined that, well, he had a microchip that had never been registered.  So, alas, he has found his forever home with two siblings whom he loves to antagonize.  Oh, you’re interested in what this soup bowl-sized tyke has for siblings?  Nothing less than a GREAT DANE and a BOXER!  Could it be any funnier?  Anyway, this was Scamp!’s  personal session in which he performed his antics on his chair and made it hard to hold the camera steady through all of the laughter.  :-)

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Thank you, Scamp! / Schmendrik, for letting me tire you out and showing me all the chutzpah you clearly posses! :-)

Charlie & Lily – Oviedo dog and pet photography

Charlie & Lily are both adorable little buttons, rescued from less-than-desirable situations, that are now spoiled to their hearts content.  They are too cute!!!!

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So, Charlie is a Yorkie/Lhasa mix with an easy-going attitude.  He just wants to be your friend and be accepted and look at butterflies and hang out with his mom.  He doesn’t ask for much, just a nice warm lap or a stroll in the garden.  Chasing lizards is a fond hobby of his.  He stuck his tongue out at me more than once.  I took it as a token of affection.  ;-)

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He has a dignified little character and a fun-loving way of looking at life.

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Lily Grace, (a Yorkie/Schnauzer) balances out Charlie’s universe and she rules the roost, as the female of any species often does quite well.  She has an incredible ability to collect all of the attention in the room, especially if someone else (ahem) happens to be receiving any.  She does what she wants and tells you how things are going to be.  And you’re going to like it. ;-)

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She’s so funny because she’s all over you with kisses and “pet me” until the camera comes out.  She’s not scared of the camera at all.  She’s like my Boxer in that the “me, me, me” dog becomes completely aloof and too cool for school.  I swear!  She’s gazing into your eyes and you’re sharing a moment and then the camera comes up and she looks to the side with her nose in the air.  “Dahling, you bore me so, why don’t you make yourself useful and fetch me some truffles” she seems to be saying.  It’s hilarious.

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And I loved every minute of it.  She’s an incredible little girl.

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With all the sticking-the-tongues-out and eye-rolling you’d think I was the substitute teacher for the day.  However, there were no thumbtacks under my chair and I absolutely loved my cozy class of two.  The friendly expressions and sweet souls behind those eyes completely made my day.

Takara

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I have the honor of introducing her highness, the fabulous Miss Takara!  At 13 years old, this salt and pepper, headstrong beauty reminded me a bit of “Sophia” from one of my favorite shows, The Golden Girls.  Yes, the Golden Girls is a favorite show of mine.  Be quiet.  Watch a few marathons on Oxygen and you’ll remember how hilarious it was too.  Anyway, Takara is an independent, free-thinker who will do as she pleases and make you love her for it.Takara3

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She never stops moving, she’s always on the go.  She’s got yards to cross and lizards to see and if you want to have lunch, well then you’ll have to call her assistant and make an appointment.  She loves a good game of fetch and although I was briefed on her favorite past time of ripping toys to shreds, she was impeccably polite with the ones I brought…bringing them back ever so gently.  Her own toys on the other hand, consist of a pair of shredded cloth ladybug wings and a unfortunate-looking octopus that gave in some time ago.  She loves the scraps, it’s hilarious – hee hee!

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She has most adorable feet, standing all first-position-ballet-style, and when she runs…those back feet belong to a rabbit-hee hee!  It’s soooo adorable!

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Thank you Amie & Richard for a wonderful day spent with your golden girl! ;-)

Cookie Bakers wanted for SPCA Skinny Dogs!

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You don’t have to be the Ace of Cakes to help out in a big way.  Here’s the haps on what a group of dedicated shelter volunteers have self-organized to support their friends in need.  It’s super simple to help out, here’s how.

  1. Visit this site SPCA SKINNY DOGS
  2. Pick a recipe (or sewing pattern)
  3. Bake some cookies (or sew a few bandanas)
  4. Bring that batch of cookies (or fabulous fashion) to the SPCA of Central Florida by February 9th.

The cookies (or bandanas) will be sold at Paws in the Park on February 13th to raise money for much needed supplies for shelter dogs at the SPCA.  This is an effort/idea conceived entirely by the loyal volunteers who spend hours caring for these animals in their free time.  Some people just rock my socks.  :-)

Sheldon

Sheldon, a lab mix, is a totally awesome playmate.  And, I might add, a shining example of what can come from adopting a dog.  She was adopted from a shelter in Tampa, after being found with her litter mates at the intersection  of Gardner and…Sheldon.  She has blossomed into a dazzling young lady with a coat you want to snuggle up in.  She’s just gorgeous.Sheldon1She loves chasing the ball because that’s where the fun lies.  If you raise your arm, she immediately bolts in the direction it looks like you’re about to throw.  When the ball makes  landing, she is already there…waiting for you to come fetch it from her.  :-)

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She’s super smart too.  She even learned a new trick during our session.  She is now proud to showcase, in her repertoire, “roll over”.  Hee hee!

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She has striking golden-amber eyes that make you want a piece of hard candy and her expressions are just as stunning.  She’s beyond friendly and there is no end to her kisses either.  My dogs were SO jealous when I got home.  ;-)   She showed me her semi-private playing field in her community where she practices chasing her squeaky tennis balls.  She loves climbing on the bench too. She’s pretty much an acrobat.

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After we played and dug and chased, she relaxed on her comfy fleece bed and the couch and let me admire her beauty and kind spirit.

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Thank you Sheldon and Stacey!  I thoroughly enjoyed my morning with you all.  :-)

The Konold Family

No, you don’t need glasses.  There are people featured below.  ;-)    A family, in fact.  A family that consists of three amazing dogs (all rescues), two gorgeous (and equally amazing) children, two fabulous (and equally gorgeous) parents…and one stunning (and oh-so-soft) kitty cat.  Whew!  Talk about fun!  While I typically focus on the animal world, because that’s where my cup of tea lies, the Konold’s were an awesome reason to shake it up a little bit.  They are huge animal lovers and are suckers for homeless pets- hee hee.  They are laid-back and fun-loving.  The outdoors is a favorite place of theirs (mine too)!  They are full of life, love and an appreciation for one another.  Does one need any more reasons to want to photograph them?  I didn’t think so. :-)

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Thank you ever so much Jodie & Steve (mum and dad), Lily & Elle (sisters), and Scout, Kingston, Murphy, Leland (three doggies and a kitty).  You were all awesome!! :-)

Adoptables } SPCA of Central Florida

They are ready, waiting and honey it’s COLD outside!  So, open up your doors and bring some love into your life.  All cutie beauties are available at the SPCA of Central Florida.  Visit their website at www.orlandopets.org for more information.  Names are listed ABOVE each set of images.

“CHANCE”

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“SULTY” & “MAX”

(How insanely adorable are Max’s little stick legs positioned so poindexter-ey?!)

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“KALIOPE” & “STRETCH”

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“SASHA”

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“SOLAY” & “TIGER”

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“CHOMPER”

For the record, he doesn’t chomp on anything.  He is SO super chill and laid back.  And I could not stop laughing at his hairdo!

Is he not the most uproarously, pathetic little cocker you’ve ever seen?!  Someone please adopt him and whisk him to a salon, pronto!

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“JACK” & “SNOOPY”

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Pet Planet Magazine cover hunk, Monty!

Pet Planet Magazine Winter 2010 Cover

Remember Monty?  Of COURSE you do because he’s the cutest little thing in the world of doxie mixes, especially when engulfed in a winter-ey scarf!  His wags to riches year was made by being adopted by a wonderful family, having his first Photohound session and, in turn, ending up on the cover of Pet Planet Magazine!  Soon he’ll have his own star on the boulevard, I’m sure.

If you haven’t checked out Pet Planet Magazine, you should.  To get your copy, visit any one of these fine establishments. The issue is available in both central AND south Florida so to my friends down south, grab one the next time you’re out.  Happy New Year!