I Paid Tribute To Dogs By Making Them Stars Of The Day (37 Pics)

When I started my canine photography activity, my second client was a very special Australian Shepherd dog who came from Belgium. His owner contacted me and explained the following: "I would like to do an outdoor session with my dog but I wonder if it is feasible for the following reasons: My dog is deaf from birth. She doesn't like male humans, let alone bearded ones (which I do have). She only lets herself be approached by one other woman who is the only one who can walk her apart from me and so I wonder if this session is possible despite these constraints".

Being someone who likes challenges I decided to do this session although it is only my second client and my experience with dogs was nascent. I explained to this woman that anyway it was up to me to adapt to her animal and not the other way around and that I would go at the pace of the. I was still discovering this universe but it pushed me to find solutions to meet this important demand for my client.

I tried to communicate at a distance solely through looks and gestures, aiming to reassure the dog. I allowed her to live her own life while doing my best to convey my benevolence toward her, and this respectful approach yielded positive results.

At the end of the 2-hour session, she agreed to come and get treats in my hands. Then gradually, I offered her a treat at the level of my neck. On several occasions, she came to get and quickly understood that I would not try to touch or caress her, because of her trust, she allowed me several times to offer kisses on the head during these acts of food reward. I then saw stars in the eyes of her owner who told me verbatim: "You managed to do in 2 hours what no one has managed in 10 years".

It's been 2 years and yet I remember it as if it were yesterday, I speak fluently about this experience so rich in emotions and I regularly have contacts through the net. At that moment, I felt tenfold the certainty of being made for this job.