Finley Turns 6 Years Old
When we were younger, people would tell us that time goes by quickly, and we never seemed to believe it! We are always waiting for our next milestone; being old enough to drive, graduating from High School, being old enough to drink, or graduating college. You get the idea. But now, at this point in my life, all I want is for time to slow down. Unfortunately, it only seems to speed up more, especially when spending time with those you love, like my sweet girl Finley.
For this month's edition of Toni’s Tail Talk, I want to spotlight how Finn has touched my life and share a unique look at a behind-the-scenes photoshoot of Point and Shoot’s Birthday Pawty photo session.
I am sure you all can relate to having that one pet that seems to fit your personality perfectly, or maybe they just come into your life at a time when you needed them. This is how I would describe what Finn is for me, a bundle of fur who came to me at a time in my life when I didn’t even realize I was missing something until she came along.
I’ve had dogs throughout my life, but they were always family dogs; I had always wanted to pick my puppy and raise and bond with it as my own. When my husband finally gave in to my nagging, I was quick to find a breeder and put in a deposit. Finn’s breeder is terrific, I honestly got lucky when I found her, and I am honored to be part of her family.
I had never done formal obedience training of any sort with a dog; I just knew I wanted to ensure Finn got a solid foundation. I went to Petsmart for her first two levels of training. They were not horrible, but from what I know now, I would leverage other facilities based on their skills and knowledge. Also, facilities are where I got to experience the bulk of what kinds of things you can do with your dog.
Once I got a taste of the “dog” world and its community, I knew I had found my people—wonderful humans who love spending time with their dogs. I fostered so many new friendships that I still cherish today. I was amazed at what you could do with your dog; I quickly became obsessed with wanting to expose Finn to all options and see what she loved. It was not cheap, but it was worth every penny.
Over the years, I learned that Finn loved to learn; she learned quickly and with very few requirements. She loved all activities but most of all Dock Diving and Agility. She also loves anything that taps into her natural instinct of hunting, so Scent Work, Happy Ratters, and Tracking. I also learned that, like her human mom, Finn has zero patience and hates sitting around waiting for anything. So when we do trials, I must ensure she has other things to do. Otherwise, she loses interest quickly.
When Finn came into my life, I found that I could never get enough photos of her; she is so beautiful (in my opinion) and photogenic. So naturally, she inspired me to take my photography to the next level. While Finn is very well trained and can do so many things to make photographing her easier, understand that this is not one of the essential elements of a fantastic photo. Your dog or pet can be crazy, have a horrible sit or stay and still take beautiful shots. So don’t let that be why you don’t book a professional photo session for your pet.
As I wrap up this blog dedicated to my beautiful best girl, Finn. I want to share a peek into the behind-the-scenes of one of my photoshoot packages geared to celebrate your particular pet and honor them on their special day. During the shoot, your pet will enjoy a birthday-themed package of decorations, a dog-friendly cake they can enjoy (and take any leftovers home), and you, as their human parent, get to remember the day with an 8x12 Fine Art image. Check out the video here.
Happy Summer, Everyone!