Working with People-Reactive Dogs: Odin and Freya’s Snow-Filled Portrait Session
Odin and Freya, two fantastic German Shepherd’s, got to enjoy a magical portrait session in the snow. Their mom was referred to me by a dog trainer here in Tacoma that I had worked with in the past. Marianna of Amani K9 specializes in working with reactive and aggressive dogs, and when her clients were concerned about saying goodbye soon, she reached out about gifting a Celebration of Life session to them, knowing that we can handle dogs of all personality types.
“As a behavioral trainer who specializes in working with all kinds of behavioral issues, I feel more than confident this photographer has enough experience to guide an owner through a photo shoot properly regardless if their dog is anxious or fearful.” - Marianna
You can read her full review here
Knowing time may be short, we jumped right in to planning the big day.
Odin and Freyja’s mom told me the sweetest story about how they ended up with not one but two German Shepherds. Apparently, they’d been planning for a GSD for ages, and when the day finally came to pick up their pup, Odin, they were so excited.
She recounted that as she was loading Odin into the car, her husband, Patrick, came over carrying the tiniest little girl shepherd. Turns out, someone else had originally chosen Freya but backed out at the last minute. And there was Patrick, just holding this sweet, tiny pup like it was fate. She said that in that moment, they both knew they couldn’t leave her behind. Without even really talking about it, they just knew she was theirs, too. So, they drove home that day with not one but two new pups, and from then on, they were a complete family.
Just one of those perfect little twists of fate.
Being reactive dogs, we talked about their triggers and how best to approach things. For this, our assistant Tyrah did not attend so as to have less new people at their portrait session. This was also one of those sessions where I never got the chance to pet them and had to keep my distance.
Which is 100% a-okay with me. Their comfort is more important than my need to pet their adorable little faces.
During our consultation, mom told me how much these two just LOVE playing in the snow (and mentioned her husband loves the snow, too). And they sure did!
We decided on a lovely and quiet spot in the mountains about 30 minutes east of Issaquah, somewhere I personally have only ever seen 1 other family in all my visits. So I knew this would be the perfect spot for their session.
We started with a short hike in the snowy woods, before having some fun out in the open. Lots of cuddles and sweet moments to be had. There was even the slightest little bit of snow falling, making it extra magical for this loving family.
After the session, Odin and Freya’s parents had a teary image reveal and had a tough time narrowing down their favorites.
They ended up with a beautiful custom album full of photos, a trio of wall portraits, and a total of THREE acrylic blocks!
Delivery day was yet another tear-filled event. They flipped through their album while my husband, our professional wall art installer, was in the other room installing their portraits for them.
While initially mom and dad thought they would have their wall art in the bedroom, they later decided on having them in their home office where they both spend more of their waking time. The above photo was the concept design and how they are now installed in their office.
There’s no official installation photo as I only took them on my phone and the quality is terrible haha
After a long battle with cancer, Freya earned her wings only a few months after that delivery. It’s never easy to say goodbye, but her mom and dad have these beautiful keepsakes so they can still see her shining face every day.
After their experience, here’s what Odin and Freya’s mom had to say:
“Marie is incredibly talented and a is a wonderful human being. Hiring and working with a pet photographer was not something I ever thought of doing before my baby girl was diagnosed with a terminal cancer.
Marie is patient, kind, and empathetic as she asked me questions on why I was interested in these photos, what my expectations were, and as she asked about my dogs to learn more about them.
Both of my dogs have dog and human reactivity, and Marie was able to work with us in a way that made both of my dogs and me feel at ease. The session itself was so fun and Marie truly captured the essence of my beautiful inter-species family. Her hands-on and personal approach to how she conducts her sessions, how she presents the photos to you, and shows you all the ways in which you can enjoy your photos was also something I did not expect and really enjoyed.
Our final products brought tears to my eyes. Marie also provided full-services by hanging our photos once we had a chance to inspect them and say we were 100% satisfied.
This is a long winded review, but if you take anything away please take away this: Marie has a genuine talent for capturing you and your loved ones. She is knowledgeable in how to work with all sorts of dogs and their reactivity or ailments. She is incredibly professional and her priority is to ensure you walk away happy with the finished products. Now that I know Marie, I will be budgeting for more photos.
Please do yourself a favor and book with her.”
Whether your dog is a rambunctious pup or a sugar-faced senior, it’s never too early or too late to schedule a portrait session for them. Let’s get you scheduled now.