I have a soft spot for German shepherds. I’m not entirely sure why, to be honest with you, since I didm’t grow up with one and I’ve never even had one – but they’re some of my favorite subjects to photograph! I think it’s something about their silly, expressive personalities that live in such tough-looking, handsome bodies. They’re guard dogs & goofballs at the same time!

So when I got a call from Tyson’s mom, I was thrilled to learn that I’d be working with a German shepherd – and as she told me about their situation, I realized I wouldn’t have to wait long to meet him. You see, about a month ago, their vet informed them that Tyson only had a month or two left… and he’s only 9 years old. This unexpected news was absolutely heartbreaking to his parents, as you can imagine, and we found a date just a few days later when we could both rearrange our schedules to get together. The good news is that with some alternative therapies, Tyson has been doing really well! I’m so glad they found the best treatment for him, and truthfully, you can’t even tell that he’s sick! (This is the same dog who, years ago, was diagnosed with Lyme disease so severe that he shouldn’t have even been able to stand up – and yet he seemed completely fine! The bloodwork was the only indicator of his sickness, since he was just as energetic & cheerful as usual! Ha!) So Tyson is no stranger to health challenges, but he’s also one of the toughest dogs I’ve ever met, hands down. This dog is a fighter, and I felt so privileged to meet him – because something tells me he’s got plenty of life yet to live.

Does this look like a sick dog to you? Nope, didn’t think so, haha! We started our session by playing fetch at the park, since Tyson will do ANYTHING for his tennis ball! (It’s even better than treats!)

Oh, that handsome German shepherd smile. Tyson, you are gorgeous.

And then we headed to Coronado Beach, one of Tyson’s favorite places to play! We had the beach almost entirely to ourselves, and it was so much fun playing in the surf with this happy boy.

Jessica & Matt, thank you for introducing me to your incredible dog – he’s a champion. I had a great time with all of you! :)

Tags: beach, dogs, german shepherd, park, pet photography, pets, photography, San Diego, San Diego Dog Photographer, San Diego pet photography