When ‘Letting Dogs Be Dogs’ Goes Wrong
This male Rhodesian Ridgeback came to sniff my dog, another male and that’s when the saga started. A pleasant afternoon turned into chaos.
My own dog and I were enjoying a quiet stroll when this Ridgeback appeared, nose to the ground, clearly on a mission. He came to investigate, a perfectly normal dog greeting. Then, bam. He decided to mount my dog. Usually, I prefer for dogs to sort things out for themselves, like with kids but up to a point. But this wasn’t about sorting things out. This was about bullying my dog. And the owner? Nowhere to be seen. When I eventually tracked him down, he had the gull to say, “Let the dogs figure it out.” Really?
Of course, I protected my dog. I wasn’t about to let him be subjected to that. I didn’t use any force. I just did ‘the dance’ by placing myself between the Rhodesian Ridgeback and my own dog. It wasn’t really the dog fault, it was the owner who didn’t care because his dog is bigger and stronger than mine.
Dogs are not just pets, they’re individuals with each their own quirks, their own confidence (or lack of it!), and their own way of navigating the world.
And that’s what I try to capture in my portraits. Not just the pretty picture, but a glimpse of the real dog. Something you can hang on your wall and smile at, remembering all the joy (and occasional chaos!) they bring to your life. Something to remind you of that look, that character, that is uniquely yours. A timeless piece of art that celebrates the bond you share. If you’d like a beautiful, timeless portrait of your beloved companion, get in touch https://www.sritch.com/contact.
Camera: Canon 70D ISO 100 and 1/500
Lens: Canon 70-200mm f/4 @106mm and f/5
Processed with Darktable: https://www.darktable.org/