Cooperating For Photos 1, Lesson 2

Tail wags, students, it's me - Stormy! Welcome back to class here at the SZK SSS. I trust you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready to hunker down and work. I did a little blog-surfing and was really pleased with many of the photos I saw on your fine blogs. I'd like to give a specail "high five" to Echo for his Mother's Day post; way to make her work for it, Echo! And to Huffle Mawson for posing for a bee-roo-tiful picture for her mum - because she felt like it. Both really excellent jobs!

The first lesson of Cooperating for Photos is ... "Don't". Last week, Mom wanted to get a nice picture of the redheads by the Mohican Viburnum. (Please refer back to Ammy's great post about those from last year!) Here are some of the best shots from that session (remember, Am has the green color and leash; Zim has blue!):

As you can plainly see, Am and Zim had no desire to look at the camera. Zim was looking for his kitty friend and Am was checking the AO for Oswald. Mom did not have cookies or other treats on her ... so ... it was Sibes 2, Mom 0.

That's when she tried me and Dave instead. Ha roo. Check these out (I wear red; Dave wears purple):

I was checking the honeysuckle; there's a big honeysuckle patch on one of our walking routes that a relative of Oswald's uses as a nursery for her bunny-ettes. Mom pleaded me to look at the camera.

I refused. Then she said, "Please," which was a step in the right direction. I still didn't feel like it, so I shot her a "look". Check it out:

Ha roo roo roo! That's almost as good as one of Ammy's! Sibes 4, Mom 0.

You also may note that the Mohican Viburnum are barely visible in any of the pictures above. Mom didn't realize that until she downloaded the photos. So ... she decided to try it again this morning. This time, she took cookies with her. That's a step in the right direction. See how you can train your biped? Let's take a look at today's attempts! First, my puppies!

I love Ammy's pose in this first one! What's up there, Yammer?

Mom got them both to sit and gave them the cookie. They still wouldn't look at the camera.

She got them to do a "stay" with the other cookie, but they still refused to look at her. This is when Mom finally gave in and did what we've taught her to do. Get a picture of us doing something WE like to do! This one is one we can all agree is cool:

My kitty friend is out there, Am!
I wonder if Oswald is, too?!?

See how much more natural they look? And relaxed? And it's more interesting. AND... they got cookies.

Here's how today went for me and Davy. This is after Mom told us to "sit and stay".

Note I didn't feel like it. Then she asked me nicely and gave me a cookie.

Ha roo roo roo! That's better. Of course, I chewed with my muzzle open and Dave got up. It's really helpful to have siblings to help challenge your biped. One of you can cooperate, while the other one can ... march to his own tune. Like this:

I look pensive there on the right, don't I? It would have made a great photo! Meanwhile, Dave wanted to check out the Snowball Viburnum. That's when Mom went for the "single" shots. Here's Davy:

Again, a cool picture, because Mom got him doing something HE wanted to do. Will she never learn? Of course, it's all the same to us if she doesn't, since we get cookies along the way.

Here's a nice close-up of the Snowball Viburnum:

Mom said with the wind gusts we're having, the snowball was almost as "cooperative" as we are. Ha roo roo roo! Oh, and you might be wondering why there isn't a good shot of the Mohican Viburnum, what we were supposed to be posing by to begin with. Sadly, they aren't in bloom any more. Had Mom ONLY brought cookies out last week ... well, you know.

Tune in tomorrow for the next lesson: "Do it If You Feel Like It!"

Tail wags,
Storms