Fall is coming!

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The season of fall formally arrives on September 22nd (a mere 9 days away!) then carries into the midst of December. Winter formally arrives just before Christmas on December 21st (yeah I think it is odd as well…). Fall is coming!

Though the pumpkin spice push arrived early in August, subtly creeping on the fringes of back to school supplies. Halloween also began to creep in throughout the early part of August, though its arrival was more delightful than overzealous as pumpkin spice can be. 

Halloween Baking Championship is on Food Network, Halloween costumes & treats are at the big box pet supply places, and Dairy Queen has launched their fall treat menu. Who’s excited for fall? Or at least Halloween? (It will be Blue’s first Halloween!)

And with the arrival of fall, that means fall leaf colors! Minnesota DNR has started the leaf color tracking (oogle it here) for the season and way way way up north is starting to head into the change. Found this cool typical peak date graphic too!

Now there are tons of variables that can affect the fall colors, such as drought & moisture, weather and temperature! Who knew trees changing leaf colors was so in depth!

What’s the big deal about knowing when the fall colors are peaking?

For your photography session duh! Fall leaves add a ton of color and pizzazz to your images. Big bold reds, oranges and yellows make for epic and playful images. And if we happen to miss peak, or the trees have decided not to hold their leaves in display, then we’ll take advantage of the leaves on the ground!

Plus fall holds temperatures that are pleasant but not too hot or not too cold (though we’ve been a little closer to summer temps for the start of September…) which means dogs of all types will be comfortable as we adventure during your session!

That being said, when are the sessions that will land within peak leaf color?

The last two fall color sessions:
– Sunday October 2nd
– Sunday October 16th

We can still do a session after the fall colors peak and take advantage of the ground leaves, cool temps and possible dusting of s-n-o-w.  The only sessions available after peak colors are November 12th & 13th. Note, these sessions must take place in the St. Cloud area! This is also is the last time to order prints & product and to be able to get them in time for Christmas!

This fall season there will be weekly posts about the fall colors, fall adventures with Blue and there might even be some tasty recipes thrown in too! Heck I can even talk about tips & tricks if you want to attempt fall pictures yourself. Anything you’d like to learn?

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Blue at 10 Weeks

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Originally the blue collar boy of the Baked Goods litter of Tanger & Gus, Remington’s Pride Blueberry Buckle aka Blue is now 10 weeks old! And what better way to celebrate our growing pup with a puppy session?

Last Friday marked one week with us, while Labor Day Monday marked his 10th week age. Blue is full of personality and tiny little shark teeth. He’s becoming more comfortable with new people, as long as they don’t move fast, let him approach and have treats handy. We’ve adventured to Petco, Petsmart & Pet Evolution (no floor contact) as well as Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Fleet Farm. 

Blue is a champion napper, is learning the basics as well a dead, rollover and place. He’s smart and its fun watching him learn. But man those baby shark teeth!!! OUCH! He tends to bite when he’s overly amped up (enthusiastic play, brisk walking or running, or just being overly tired). Hands, shirts, pants are all open to be chomped on. We’re working on communicating that baby shark teeth and people aren’t compatible as well as some bite inhibition (bite pressure that’s ok vs too much). Being people and not fellow puppies or dogs, the communication isn’t always conveyed perfectly, but we’re working on it together!

He’s warmed up to Kris, is still getting to know Kellen, and thinks my mom is rather happy & pleasant (as a “grandma” ought to be!).

Oh did I mention how HANDSOME and CUTE Blue is when not in baby land shark mode?

For Blue’s portraits we hung out around our yard – the flowers are blooming and there’s a ton of variety for backdrops! We wrangled Hickory the fox for some grow with me images – Hickory will always stay the same size, while Blue will get bigger!

And check out the blips Blue is good at! A blip is when a puppy or dog’s tongue just sticks out very slightly haha!

And what is like doing Blue’s portraits? Half crazy! He got excited about each weird sound I made, which turned on the baby land shark. Luckily mere seconds are what are needed so the bouncy, squirmy Blue looks like a superstar poser! 

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The Rainbow Bridge

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The Rainbow Bridge is where our pet cross when they have departed from us.

Their landing point is a vast open area, brimming with every favorite landscape with ample opportunities to play, swimming, chase, fetch and nap. Each of our dogs who has departed and all the dogs before them live in harmony in this space, perhaps forever, perhaps until they return to the land of the living as a new dog in a new land, new time and with new people to protect, love, inspire and teach. This of course is based on your mythology of what happens to the spirit & soul once we depart. 

There aren’t any indications of if humans can visit, though the hope would be that we would be heartily greeted by each of our past pets with ample slobbery kisses, purrs and tail splashes (I will be greeted by some bullhead catfish haha!). 

To quote Will Rogers: “If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”

For us as people, the Rainbow Bridge means our pets are happy and healthy, in a better place as it is. For us though, the Rainbow Bridge signifies a massive loss. Our beloved dog no longer pats through the house, no longer gives us the eyes for a taste of what we’re eating, no longer is a source of companionship, giggles and snores. The house feels empty, and the moments of interrupted routine open up the waterways. (Ask me about how seeing grass this past spring opened the flood gates again.)

Our hearts hurt, our souls hurt, and we can’t hardly fathom how we can make it past the heartache. When we have the strength to stifle the tears, we remember their antics, their quirks and the fact that they are immortalized for our lifetime in images. We page through those images, remembering the younger dogs they were, the way they gained grey on a muzzle or freckles in their white colors. We remember the happy moments, the calm moments, the tough moments and the moments that they proved they were the bestest dog ever. 

(Ooof that was hard to write, I’m getting a little teary eyed which is not conducive to writing. Man I miss you Bender!)

It doesn’t matter if the images are from a cell phone, casual photography or from a professional pet photographer, their existence grants your dog immortality.

I’m so grateful that I have a knack for being trigger happy with my dogs. There is ample pictures from the early days of Mick, Icey, Axle and Bender with moments between as they aged, until they headed into their departure. Cueing up a single image of any of them brings up the memory tied to it, along with all the other memories that each dog left as a way to mend and make my heart stronger. 

And once our heart heals and grows greater and stronger, we look to add another pup or pet to enrich our lives again. Or we turn to the other dogs and promise to give them best lives ever until they too pass. 

(This is what happened with my quad pack. Mick departed, then Icey. Axle & Bender made two, until there was only one. And when Bender departed, the hurt in my heart was vast and the space in my house was empty. Losing each dog sucked, but it felt like Bender held the most pain as there were no other dogs to turn to for comfort. Cue the teary eyes again.)

If only we could request that our dogs remain by our side until we are well aged and they no more past the wiles of a puppy. Though, perhaps our dogs depart to teach us to handle loss, to learn how to love again, and give us to opportunity to grow as we add new personalities of dogs (or pets) into our household.

To all those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge, we miss you vastly and we love you eternally. 

This is a sad topic. Be sure to hug your dog and whisper to the images around your house how much you miss the departed ones. 

Being a blog ring, head to the next blog and continue until you return to us. The next post is Jessica Wasik with Bark & Gold Photography, sharing five self-care tips for those caring for senior dogs.

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Remington’s Pride Baked Goods litter portraits

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Who’s ready for puppy pictures??? EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK! I think the only thing more fun than seeing the puppy pictures would be hanging out with the said puppies. (Which I totally got to do!)

The day was perfect for weather, the light pretty. The puppies were from the pairing Tanger (Ch Remington’s Pride Fear Cuts Deeper than Swords) & Gus (Ch Crown’s Nothing but a Jenuine Raye of Light) – the first litter for both parents! 9 in total – 5 boys & 4 girls. And one of those boys will be added to our family on Friday! EEEEEEEEK!

And where did the name of Baked Goods come from? Yours truly! 

Sandra, the breeder of Remington’s Pride and I had been in contact early in the spring, just after Bender passed away. The plan was to photograph the upcoming litter and additionally get a chance to name the litter as Sandra was a little short on ideas. Brainstorming on my end and one of the results was Baked Goods. Who doesn’t like baked goods? Pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, yes please! Plus wouldn’t it be adorable to be at an AKC event and get announced as best of breed as Remington’s Pride Apple Pie or Lemon Meringue? 

Quickly I called dibs on Blueberry Buckle.

What the heck is the baked good that is blueberry buckle? 

This is a tasty dessert, frequently made by my mom throughout our younger years into the current day, that features blueberries and a streusel topping that “buckles” while the dish is cooking. It’s closest cousin is coffee cake, with buckles having been made since the colonial times. (Fun facts: If you omit the streusel topping a buckle turns into “boy bait”, while keeping the streusel and removing the fruit turns a buckle into a hearty coffee cake!)

Digging through my mom’s recipes I found a pair of this yummy classic – though I’m not sure which is the go to. Theoretically the one marked “mom’s recipe” is from my Grandmother (my mom’s mom) and ought to be old-ish haha. Pair with a cup of coffee! (Or even ice cream!)

Pretty straightforward on ingredients (notation of Bev 1 tsp references an adjustment that my Aunt Bev – mom’s sister – had changed at some point in the recipe’s life.)

Flipping the card gets us into a vague mix & bake method (because the recipe has been done a bazillion times before). Beat everything together, fold in blueberries, greased pan, spread mixture into pan, let set. (Not sure what the “only” notation means…) Make the topping, bake and enjoy! Let me know if you try this version!

Ok ok, I know you want to see the puppy pictures! And man were these guys MEGA adorable and full of personality at 7.5 weeks!

We had a cute basket, red gingham tablecloth, faux cupcakes & donuts, and some wee little kids baking utensils quaintly set up for themed pictures of each pup, plus we were going to take advantage of Sandra’s yard for non themed pictures. Each puppy’s new owner will be getting copies of these pictures – their puppy’s first portraits!

The first puppy and the most easily recognized was Mr. Green. He rocks a slim streak of white on his nose making him easy to find amongst the broader white blazes of his siblings. He LOVED the cupcakes and would hardly leave them alone haha! 

Luckily we got a couple of split moments where he wasn’t happily engaged with the cupcakes!

The second puppy was the charismatic Mr. Black. He was a charmer, had no concern for the cupcakes and props, but instead got hilarious puppy zoomies! Not one to spend a lot of time with portraits, he told us he was done by trotting back to the pen of his siblings haha!

Puppy number 3 was Mr. Red. He rather liked the cupcakes, but was happy to chase Sandra and meander around the yard as well. 

The boys club was interrupted by Miss Purple. She loved the cupcakes, but really loved chasing Sandra and pulling on the hem of her capris! In fact she totally forgot the cupcakes were there as she ran about!

The second girl and puppy #5 was Miss Pink! She was cute, happy to chase and mildly interested in the cupcakes. Look how happy she is strutting her stuff! Plus she has beautiful markings!

A totally charmer and photogenic pro (he made photographing a puppy EASY!) was Mr. Blue. This handsome hunk wanted little to do with the cupcakes until he noticed them after trotting about the yard. Man he cracked me up with his reaction of “what the hell is that?!?” – it reminded me of puppies trying veggies for the first time like this Berner puppy video! What a hoot!

Following him was Miss Light Blue (have you been counting? We’re at number 7!). I had remarked that none of the puppies had grabbed and run away with the cupcakes. Until Miss Light Blue! Granted she didn’t go running with the cupcake, but instead instantly went into play mode, batting the cupcake about like a cat!

The last of the boys, Mr. Brown, brought out the charm. He sniffed the cupcakes, trotted about the yard but preferred to chew on leaves and sticks (he prefers organic toys hahaha!). 

Final, and littlest, but not lacking in personality was Miss Yellow. The peanut was very in love with the cupcakes, happily picking them up to chew on them. She also gave Sandra sass when she was repositioned into the basket, so we sent her on a jog & chase in the yard then reset her into the basket for a lovely portrait. 

All puppies photographed, light waning, we shifted locations and brought out Tanger for an attempted group shot. Tanger was excited, ran laps, played with a couple of her pups and when we got her settled, the whole pack of puppies thought the snack bar was formally open. 

I made the call to re-wrangle all of the puppies and to photograph them individually then work some magic so it looked like they were all sitting alongside their mom. 

Check out this superstars! Plus having the pups lined up with Tanger you can really see the variations of blazes on their faces as well as the white on their bellies. 

Have you guessed which puppy will be coming home with me on Friday?
(Hint: It’s one of the boys and it’s not Mr. Black!)

Remington’s Pride Baked Goods litter portraits Read More »

How to over plan for your puppy!

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If you know you’re adding a new 4 legged (or perhaps tripod) to your family, here are some ways to over plan for your puppy:

  • Do a MEGA MEGA TON of breed research. 
    – Find every source you can about the breed (or breeds) your puppy will be. If you get a wicked cool Heinz 57 puppy, then this part is rather hard to do, especially if both mom & dad are of assorted heritage as well. (Opt for a genetic test like Embark or Wisdom Panel to get an idea of what your pup is made of!)

    – Once you’ve read every source of breed information – breed books, breeders, Reddit, Google searches – reread each at least 5 more times. Bonus if you purchase breed books.  

 

  • Read ALL the dog & puppy training books! (And buy them too!)
    – Borrow them from the library, collect them and if you want total overwhelm then head to the Google machine. There is TONS of information out there. 

    – Modern dog training has many approaches, though the most common you’ll come across are positive reinforcement, balanced training, and alpha/dominance (this is an outdated approach). You’ll also come across different tools, from clickers to electronic collars. Do AMPLE research and decide what method you will employ. 

    – Note that different generations of the same training books will have different approaches to training. The “Puppies for Dummies” method in 2000 leans on the corrective approach (correct the bad behaviors) whereas the 4th edition 19 years later focuses on positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement started in the 1940s, but didn’t really gain until the 80s. Now it is easily the most common dog training method. 

    – Reread as much as you can & revisit during puppy days especially when your puppy is napping or if there are any naughty behaviors that start to become habit in your pup. 

 

  • Buy all the basics you NEED & then buy all the cutsie things you can for your pup
    – the basics: collar (of course you need at least 2…), leash, crate, food, food & water bowls

    – everything else: treats, tons of toys, puppy Kongs, beds, washable puppy pads x2 (so you can wash one & have one on the floor), carrying methods for when you’re navigating the world before your pup is fully vaccinated, baby gates, brushes, nail clippers, enzyme cleaner, outfits (I’ve been collecting patterns… and baby clothes to turn into puppy clothes!), name tags, seat belts, blankets, more toys, more treats, bins for food, and AMPLE ideas for future things – collars, harnesses, coats & clothing – that you have to wait to get because you won’t be sure how big your pup will be when the fall arrives, the snow buries us, the spring thaws or the summer heats us. The first year (a few months less for those small dogs, and a few months more for the giant pups) will bring tons of changes in your puppy as they grow up. 

    – duplicate items as you see fit – double everything seems appropriate haha!

 

  • Pick your puppy’s color for collars, leashes & accessories!
    –  Obviously you’re in charge so there’s no wrong route to go here. Pinks, purples, seafoam & mint as well as pastel colors are great for girls, while richer bolder colors and blues, greens, red, black and grey are wonderful boy colors. Though feel free to mix and match to fit your style. Girls can rock bold colors as easily as boys can rock pastels. 

    – Your pup’s coat color ought to be neutral enough to go with every color, though black, white & brown toned dogs look best when not wearing colors that match their coat colors. 

    – And…. pick a theme if you have ample time on your hands haha! For our puppy we know he’s a boy and he has a baked goods name. Aside from baked goods & what makes them, I lean towards sharks & dinos for patterns for him. And definitely blues for his color!

 

  • Prep for cold weather & plan indoor adventures
    – Unless you’re in an area that negates winter by staying in the 40s or 50s or warmer in the winter season, you’ll be in an area where winter will arrive. The farther north you go the more brutal the winters can be (MN is notorious for sub zero winter temps). Cold temps and snow can be hard to handle for not only us, but our young pups too!

    – April pups will be 6 months in October, while a June puppy will be 6 months in December, and pups born September through March (at least here in MN) will experience winter in their youngest days. 

    – Prep, prep, prep and research a bazillion into indoor adventures you can have when the weather goes north for the winter. Look into training & further training especially if the lessons are held inside. Occasionally you can find “open gym” style playtime for your pup. Look into indoor dog parks (Minneapolis area has at least 2!), indoor patio spots (The Block Food + Drink in St. Louis Park has an enclosed dog friendly section with an epic Instagram wall and cozy fireplace!) and dog friendly breweries (if you happen to be in the Minneapolis area there are TONS of options that allow your dog inside, food trucks pending). Obviously pet supply stores – Petco, Petsmart, Pet Evolution etc – are dog friendly indoors, but did you know that most hardware stores are dog friendly? The general rule of thumb: if they don’t sell or prepare food, they may be dog friendly. Always call before you head out on an adventure!

    – Prior to your pup being fully vaccinated AVOID: pet supply stores, indoor dog parks (most require your pup to be 4-6 months old at least) and places that are heavily frequented by other dogs such as the über popular brewery or indoor patio. Once you’re clear with vaccines def add these places as spots to work on training, stretch your legs & build your dogs manners. 

Repeat each of these things at least twice paired with ample overzealous planning. Count down the days (10 days before our boy comes home EEEEEEEEEEEK!) and realize that for all the ample preplanning you’ve done, nothing compares to having your puppy home. You get to snuggle, absorb the puppy breath and learn your puppy’s personality.

From there the learning and teaching begins, the over planning lending to insight on how to lead your pup into adulthood. 

Best of luck! Congrats! And if you need puppy pictures, we’d love to coordinate for a series to capture your pup in his or her first year!

How to over plan for your puppy! Read More »

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