I’m so thrilled to introduce you to Chester! This handsome Encinitas shih tzu is a very happy, content boy. He’s not the type to get in your face and whine because he’s bored, he won’t beg for food, and honestly, he’s happy to simply be with his mom. You could say that he’s quite polite! And I saw his easygoing attitude from the first moment I met him, at my studio for our Pre-Session Consultation: he strolled right in, said hello to me, sniffed around a bit, and laid right down to relax while his mom & I chatted. He’s such a good boy!!

I wish everything is Chester’s life could be as even-keel as his happy attitude. He & his mom have been fighting against the c-word, and various treatments haven’t been successful… so our photo session definitely had a bittersweet tone. But leave it up to Chester to keep us laughing throughout the afternoon as he would run (well, trot) from place to place, and then get tired and plop down to catch his breath! He would look at us at certain times – clearly asking us “why did you put me on this big rock?” or saying “oooh that water is cold!” He’s an expressive dog, and incredibly devoted to his mom… so I loved working with them both, and Chester had a great afternoon in the process! :)

This is Chester’s sweet face! Don’t you love his soft, warm coloring?!

This moment came right before one of those “why am I on this rock?” looks – and then he jumped down to prove his point!

Despite the clouds’ best effort, we finished our photo session at the beach underneath a spectacular sky. Chester hadn’t been to the beach in a while, so he was pretty thrilled to run through the sand and wade through the surf again. And I don’t think this will be the last time Chester goes to the beach – but something tells me that if it is, it was time well spent.

Teri, thank you so much for introducing me to your sweet boy. I’ll talk to you again soon! :)