No such thing as a perfect dog

Vancouver Island dog photographer on why all dogs are worth celebrating

You might think the dogs I photograph have always been the apple of their pet parent’s eye. But that’s not always the case.

Early set backs

Some of these clients have had relationships with their dogs fraught with challenges such as resource guarding and reactivity. Many of these owners have faced days wondering if they’ve made a horrible mistake bringing the dog into their home, doubting if they have what it takes to train the animal. They consider rehoming the dog . Days go by and they keep pouring everything into the dog in front of them while grieving the dog they wanted.

Hard fought victories

Then one day they start to see that trust build between the dog and themselves. They keep working on things. They notice improvements in the dog’s behaviour. They realize the dog will never be the one they pictured for themselves, far from it. But that’s ok. Because the also realize they’re totally and utterly in love.

Worth celebrating

This was me a few years ago. At the time I thought I was alone in my experience with our new puppy Polly. Since then I’ve been so many people like me and dogs like Polly. We’ve done tremendous work with the dogs and realize our dogs will always have certain limitations. But it doesn’t mean they don’t enrich our lives every day. That’s why I love capturing these hard fought relationships and these special dogs that teach us so much.