Good morning everyone and happy Aloha Friday! I am a little late posting today because my place has been without electricity for 24 hours due to a burned out plug in one of the rooms. Yep, one little power plug affecting all the upstairs, which is where my big desktop Mac is located. But all is well now, and if anything, it made me grateful for electricity all the more.
I have been meaning to share these Golden boys with you for some time, and since the photo shoot was Christmas themed, I thought the Holiday season would be the perfect time.
And for as much as I love all the Christmas decorations and lights, sometimes I feel like Sammy boy in the image above: in need of a nap.
These adorable blondie boys are the furry kids of a client turned dear friend in Honolulu. She is one of us, meaning she is a dog person. Or I should say an animal person, because I know she would treat all animals the way she does her beloved dogs: with the utmost love, care, consideration and respect.
Their names are Samson, who is now about ten years old and does his best to come and say hallo and play despite a bit of arthritis (he gets acupuncture every week among other treatments) and Buddy, who is about five and the sweetest goof ever.
The way Buddy came along is both a sad and happy story. Once upon a time – as in a mere few years ago – there was Samson and Max (image at the top of the post). Then Max became ill and flew over the rainbow bridge, leaving Sam and Mommy Anneliese lonely and heartbroken.
Not long after, Anneliese was offered the opportunity to foster a rescue Golden Retriever, who, she was told, was about four years old. Being the kind and loving person she is, Anneliese said “No, I am not going to foster this dog. I am going to adopt him!” And Buddy came to join the family, helping to heal Anneliese’s heart, and sparking a forlorn Sammy back to life. Except it turned out he was not an adult dog at all, but a puppy, not even two years old. So, he was a bit of a handful like any puppy full of energy would be, but a sweet and adorable one.
We did this photo shoot planning to use some of the images in Christmas cards, hence the cute Christmas collars. The boys are sweet and mellow like all Goldens I have ever met, and they just let you put on them any decoration you like. We started out with some indoor shots, and then went out for a walk in the neighborhood. Aren’t they gorgeous boys? I love them to bits!
For two years in a row, Sam and Buddy have been calendar boys in the Paws in Paradise calendar published by The Islander Group, including the 2016 one, which might still be available for purchase at one of the Don Quijote store locations around O’ahu. Miss Hokulani is also featured in the calendar, and she is the most elegant Pomeranian in Hawai’i.
Adorable, right? Well, let me tell you, the image above took forever to pull off. Getting two dogs with their own agenda to both sit in the same spot, look in the same direction and be more or less in a similar position, while at the same time being tangled up in lights, is a challenge even with mellow Golden Retrievers. The hats kept sliding off, even with elastic bands, Buddy would come over to play with me while Sam kept putting his head down for a nap. Treats, lots of them, were the only thing that helped. I got about three usable shots out of twenty from this tangled set, and this is one of them.
Pawsome Holidays everyone!
Other Tales of Tails you will enjoy:
And these are my Boyz:
