Back home in MA

I'm back from my vacation and almost caught up with everything that was put on hold while I was away. For my trip around the south and back up north, I found dog friendly stores and places everywhere I went. It is a good feeling to know that even places that don't have too many places to eat while on the road, there is still places for dogs.

Every rest stop on the road had a place just for pets. They were all well maintained too. Some even had fenced in areas so you could let your dog off leash and stretch their legs. There were lots of small town pet stores and friendly pet owners. I did see one stray dog in SC but over all, every dog I saw was well taken care of. I know there are different ideas of what it means to keep a dog, especially down south. I did see a few dogs chained to a dog house on a small cement patch around a lot of grass but I was just driving by so I don't know for sure if that is a bad thing or not. For some it is but I hope not all.

I'll be back at the park tomorrow and am really looking forward to it. Toby is liking having us back and with my wife (a teacher) still off for the summer, he's getting lots of attention at home.

Dogwood Park, Knoxville TN

German shepherd, originally uploaded by phaird.

Well, I'm on my road trip and as promised, I'm stopping at every dog park I can find. A reader mentioned some dog parks in Knoxville and I was able to find Dogwood Park. It's a nice fenced in park that has the double gate to get in and out without loosing your dogs. Lots of people were there the day we went by. I got to talk to a nice lady who had 2 beautiful german shepherds. One she was training to be a service dog. The other she said was to scattered. He just couldn't focus.

There were quite a few dogs there but most were lounging in the shade with their owners. I think there were a lot of regulars. Many showed up with their folding chairs and just sat in the shade and let their dogs play. Some of the dogs were just hanging out. Others were looking for other dogs to chase.

I have to remember to bring my note pad with me when I go. I didn't write the names down of the dogs I met or the other park she mentioned. There is another park that isn't officially a dog park but a lot of people bring their dogs there. It is open and dogs are often running around she said. I can't remember where though.

This park is nice because it is right next to a long walking path, open fields, children playgrounds (where my son and wife went) and even frisbee golf. What is better then that.

I'm going to be heading to SC next and near Pickens County so if you know any place around there, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to stop by.

Anna - the sled dog reject

anna, originally uploaded by phaird.

Anna has become one of the regulars at the park over the past few months. She is only about a year and loves her time at the park. This weekend, her owner was talking about how she came about getting her. She was bread to be a sled dog but ended up not making the cut because she likes people more then dogs so she got to be adopted instead. She is also a little on the small size but she still has lots of energy. I often see her running with other dogs or just on her own. She'll jump in the water then through the bushes, picking up all kinds of stuff in her coat. Anna Really does love people though. She has gotten to know many of the regulars and will come up to get some attention when she can. Her owner takes good care of her to make sure she does become better socialized with other dogs.

Oscar's growth is back

Oscar all wet, originally uploaded by phaird.

Oscar is a wonder dog. About 2 years ago, Oscar was diagnosed with cancer in his leg and they were going to amputate. Oscar had lost lots of weight and the lump in his leg was getting big. He was given maybe 6 months if they took the leg. His owner decided to wait, and just give it a few days. Oscar was put on some meds and each day he did a little better. With in a few months, Oscar was running and going like his old self. He was only 3 at the time.

Now the growth is back. You can see in the photo the lump on his leg but that still isn't slowing him down. His owner is worried and is doing everything they can. Much of that is to see what happens. Oscar beat back the growth before, he isn't letting it slow him down this time. He is still running and swimming and playing with the other dogs in the park. His owner says he's sleeping more at night but he doesn't need much of a break during the day. Oscar has just decided that nothing will slow him down. He's 5 years old and wants to be as active as a 5 year old should be.

I'll be looking for you, Oscar, every weekend. We're pulling for you.

Keeping up with what's next

Part of why I started this blog was to keep me focused on publishing a book on dog parks. I've lost site of that a little bit lately but it is still in the back of my mind. I've been also trying to start a pet photography business while holding down my day job and taking care of my family.

So in the spirit of the book and keeping my readers up to date I thought I'd share what I need to do next. As you can see by just scrolling though my blog, I've got lots of photos. That is my strength and what I love to do the most.

What I need to do next is;
Collect stories by interviewing some more people at the park.
Find a publisher or agent who will take on the project. (SO Difficult)
Find a writer who loves dogs like I do and would want to help create this book.

Once these things fall into place, I can move to editing, designing and printing the book.

I've been sending out requests to different publishers but they don't make it easy. If you aren't already part of their world, it is hard to get anyone to listen. I'm not giving up though. I know this is a good project and you and others have agreed with me. Just getting my foot in the door is becoming the hardest part.

If all else fails, I will take it the into the fine arts process. I create a limited addition publication with limited addition prints to sell to a small audience and show it though a gallery.

The more I do this work though the more I want to do. My next project will be called something like "Working Dogs". I want to travel around and photograph dogs that work. Police dogs, circus dogs, dogs that sniff out cancer cells (yea wild huh), service dogs, etc. There are so many. It could be great.

Keep reading and I'll let you know what happens or if you've got suggestions, please let me know. I've gotten some really good responses from my readers that have helped.

What would Cesar say

Toby in front yard, originally uploaded by phaird.

I have just started getting the National Geographic channel and have really enjoyed watching Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. What a great show and I have been learning a lot on how to deal with Toby. I worry though that Cesar would judge me harshly for my actions. He has spent his life considering dogs feelings and lifestyle and I'm really new to having dogs around. Even just one.

For as much as Cesar can get done in one hour, it really does take a long time to communicate to a dog, even your own. The bond that Toby and I have grew very quickly but that's different. Toby knows that I love and care for him and he even knows I'm the "pack leader". It has taken a lot of time and practice to know how to communicate to each other. It even changes from time to time. Things that I would say or do, he would listen to before doesn't work as well now. But better ways come along as I learn how to better communicate with him.

I'd be really nervous to meet Cesar if I had to bring him to take care of Toby. I just know that he would point out all my flaws and show me all the simple things I should have been doing to be a better "dad" to Toby.

If Cesar ever did come to visit, he should come see Bruin. Now HE could really use Cesar's help.

Dodging rain drops

Dewey_w_mom, originally uploaded by phaird.

Today was a very late day at the park. By the time we got there, the park was mostly empty. It was raining today and I have been under the weather all last week so I wanted to wait till the rain stopped before taking Toby out. He is always very patient about it.

Going late was nice though. It was quiet with only a few dogs. I got to meet Dewey and his mom. A friendly little dog that really wanted Toby to play. Toby only wanted his tennis ball so Dewey had to find other ways to entertain himself. He's a cute little guy.

As I go back though my photos I have begun to notice my style. Some of the things I like are, being at the dogs level, narrow depth of field (meaning only a small area in focus), and giving space to the dog in the photo. I don't always get that and some times I try to break out of the process and do something new. I see lots of really great photos on flickr of other dog photographers that inspire me so often that helps. I don't go back and look at what I've done very much. I keep pushing forward and think about how the stories of the book will work out.

I'm still not sure how the book will come about but I keep plugging away on this blog in hope of finding a way of making it happen. Even once done, I'll keep posting because if this is called work, this is the best job ever.