I don’t know about you, but I love big dogs. There’s just something about their oversized paws, sweet eyes and low-hanging tongues that I can’t get enough of… so imagine my delight to meet Gracie! This San Diego Saint Bernard is actually a bit small for her breed – her mom calls her a “teacup St. Bernard”, haha – but she seems plenty big to me! She’s an easygoing dog with gorgeous eyes, and when she visited for her Pre-Session Consultation she was intent on emptying my studio toy basket in search of a nice, chewable bone! This silly girl (who was a surprise gift for her mom, and greeted her at the airport upon return from a business trip wrapped in a big bow, courtesy of her dad) is active in the community, too – she works as a therapy dog at local nursing homes! She’s a big hit (no pun intended… well, okay, I guess it was) with the senior citizens who light up when she comes to say hello – and her mom tells me that Gracie loves the work of being a therapy dog! She took to it completely naturally, even in puppyhood, and I’m so honored to have met this lovely girl. I know she’s destined for big things! (Okay, okay, I’ll stop with the “big” jokes.)

Are you serious, Gracie?! How cute can you get??

 … posing for photos is hard work…

 I’m pretty sure Gracie wanted to get up close and personal with my treat bag! It was pretty funny to see her eat the treats we’d give her – they’re the Zuke’s Mini Naturals bite-sized ones, and they’d get lost in her jowls as she attempted to eat them from my hands! I like using small treats in sessions, so the dogs don’t fill up on them – but in this case they were a bit too small! I think I owe Gracie a few Saint Bernard-sized treats, haha!

Jodi, thanks for a wonderful afternoon with your gorgeous girl! I can’t wait to show you the rest of our photos soon! :)

Tags: dogs, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography, studio