I know a few San Diego papillons whose cute faces are practically guaranteed to brighten your day! I recently met Mariposa, Benny & Sprocket at their home in Normal Heights, and their session was actually the second time I visited their house! You see, I normally do a Pre-Session Consultation for all my clients; it’s a fun meet-and-greet appointment where I can form a bit of a relationship with the dog(s) prior to the photo session, and it’s a great time for clients to ask me any questions they have and take a look through my entire product line in-person. I typically have these appointments here in my studio, but I spoke with these dogs’ mom beforehand, and she said that Sprocket & Benny (both rescue dogs) don’t do very well visiting new places – especially Sprocket. It turned out to be a much better idea to take the meeting to them – so I was happy to drive over to their house and meet them on familiar territory! Sprocket barked at me pretty much the entire time, haha – but his attitude quickly changed when he got a taste of the treats I brought to our session! His appetite is stronger than his fear of strangers, thankfully, so he went from completely suspicious & fearful to following me around like a shadow by the end of the afternoon. It was such a fun transformation to see… and on the other hand, the other two dogs don’t have the same trust issues that Sprocket does, and so they were much happier to pose for treats right off the bat! No “transformation” necessary; they smiled for my camera as soon as they got a whiff of the lamb treats, haha! I love working with dogs that have such different personalities… it keeps every session challenging & entertaining!

This is Benny! He’s by far the most treat-motivated of the entire bunch, haha. Don’t you love those long, flowing hairs on his ears?

This is Sprocket, a papillon mix. He’s got such a handsome “serious” face! Because of his rescue background, Sprocket thrives on affection – seriously, it’s practically all he needs besides food & shelter – and his mom makes sure he gets plenty every day.

And this little princess is Mariposa! Or perhaps I should say queen; she rules the house and lets her brothers run around barking while she calmly watches over whatever’s going on. Such a regal presence! (All built into just four pounds!)

Ricki, thank you for a fabulous afternoon! I had a great time during our session (and the hour and a half we spent together afterwards, haha)! Can’t wait to see you again soon!