They come into our homes and make a mad dash for our hearts.

They settle there almost immediately. And in an instant we are hooked.

They become part of our lives, part of our families, part of who we are.

And no matter how long a life they live - it is never long enough. And when we lose them we lose a part of ourselves.

Today we say goodbye to Juno; the spirited Vizla we had the honor to photograph this past February.

In Memory of Juno.

We had to postpone a shoot today. Skies were grey, thunderstorms loomed and our horse subject said "No thanks."

So, I grabbed my camera and spent just a few minutes with my own dogs in the backyard. There wasn't a lot of light. But what was there was soft and warm.

I didn't ask much of them. Just let them roam and I watched. It's always fun to watch. Mostly they kept watch themselves... running, barking, and running back to me. It's always a grand game for them.

So, not a profitable afternoon but a valuable one spent with my pups.

Saturday took us to Fredericksburg for a photo session with 2 spunky Portuguese Water Dogs named Hector and Tallulah.

Though Hector was rather tentative on the inside shoot - he became a rambunctious sporting dog once we hit the backyard!

After much romping and posing both dogs finally decided enough with the camera, we're taking a catnap!

We spent a lovely Saturday afternoon with two beautiful Portuguese Water Dogs (PWDs).

Hector, the striking male, let his goofy sister Tallulah break the ice as he was a bit tentative at first. In the end he couldn't resist those treats and he struck some lovely poses for us.

Here are a few from inside the house. Check back for more from the outside part of the shoot!

(Remember you can click on the images to enlarge!)