This was… ahem… an eventful session! Don’t get me wrong – it was lots of fun, the dogs were total sweethearts, and their parents are wonderful people! – but a few road bumps near the beginning of our session made for slightly slow-going at first. In fact, the issues were pretty unpredictable, and Cheri & Jim (the dogs’ parents) were nice enough to send me an email after the session which read:

Hi Allison! We figured out that you would probably add a few questions to your questionnaire after today:

1. Does your dog have any type of training at all?  Any? Obedience? Potty? Leash? Anything?

2. Is your dog likely to pee/poop/vomit in my studio?

3. Is there any chance that all of your dogs will be able to pull out of their collars at once on a busy street in downtown Pensacola?

4. Will your dogs ever look at a camera, for any reason?

5. If not, do you mind having hundreds of photos of your dogs asses?

Haha! I love it when my clients have a sense of humor! Yes, our session was chaotic, the dogs’ strong suit was not obedience, and we used up our fair share of paper towels. But Cheri & Jim, I think you’ll be in for a surprise when you see the photos we still (somehow) managed to get!

This is Louie, in the foreground. He’s a rescue from a puppy mill, and has the notch in his ear to prove it, poor thing. But with Cheri & Jim, he’s learning how to be a dog and not just a breeding machine. Thank goodness they saved him – look at that sweet face!

This is Bitsy, an old chihuahua whom Cheri & Jim found on the streets. Her cataract remains, but she used to be in much worse shape: thoroughly flea-ridden and diseased. They nursed her back to health and now she’s a happy (if slow-moving) member of their family!

Here’s Reese, a cute girl who seriously knew how to work the camera! Her back legs don’t work so well, but she tries not to let that slow her down at all – she is such a sweetheart, and a kisser too!

Last but certainly not least is Blackie, the doxie-beagle mix. Can you believe that he used to have a wheelchair for his back legs? We brought him to the beach, and suddenly he was zooming around everywhere! The boy loves the sand, I guess!

Cheri & Jim’s house has been dubbed The Isle of Misfit Toys, because each of their dogs comes from unfortunate circumstances, and some still bear the scars of their past lives. But together, they make an incredibly beautiful family, inside & out. Thank you so much for allowing me to meet your pack – and Happy Birthday, Jim! :) I can’t wait to see you both again soon!