Difficult Portrait Session

[rpcrowe]

We received 11 rescue dogs at my house. A puppy mill was busted by an adjoining county animal control and the called us to get the dogs. Contrary to my experience with puppy mill dogs, these females were clean ad decently groomed as well as physically healthy.

However, like all puppy mill dogs, they had received no socialization and were terrified of people. The Maltese and Yorkies will often deliberately not look at whom they are frightened. That makes shooting their portraits a difficult proposition. Compounding the problem was that I had to get the portraits done quite fast because we were turning some of the dogs over to foster volunteers and others were going to the vet.







Treats didn't work and a squeak toy held no interest for them. In fact one of them was so frightened that she pooped as I was shooting her picture. I usually have some time to get the dogs used to me or I may have a foster with whom the dog has become comfortable. These poor dogs were terrified.

[Shadowman]

It seems you've done well in the short amount of time you had. Nice portraits.

[IzzieK]

The third one seems to look terrified. Was she the one who pooped ? Second one looks cute...they can all be rehabilitated...

[Nat]

Nicely done. I hope they find homes with loving people who will have patience and love to give them....poor babies!

[KimC]

Nice job Richard, you somehow got all of them to look at you.

What a shame... I'm glad they were rescued. May they all find loving homes.

[Barbara Ponder]

All well done especially given the circumstances. #3 looks like it will be full of personality once given the love and attention it deserves! I admire your work, and know it is not always easy but it is very rewarding.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Nice work Richard.
My brother has a Chihuahua(sp?) that was terrified of people when he got her. She's still skittish around strangers. You've done well with these dogs if they're half as scared as Ruby is/was.

[rpcrowe]

I have a puppy mill dog who had spent eight and a half years in a cage producing one litter after another with no human contact...

She was so frightened of people that I had to sit on the floor and toss her bits of ham to get her to even approach me. She was never able to be adopted, she has stayed with us and is thirteen and a half now.

Although she is still skittish around strangers, she actively loves me and tolerates my wife. I can call her, "Melody, come to bed" and she will come into the room. However, there is only one spot on the floor that she has decided is the safe spot to be lifted up from. She will always walk to that spot and wait to be lifted into bed. If I try to lift her from another spot, she will run to the "safe spot".

Although she is still kind of kooky in her attitudes, she has improved drastically. Even after five years with us, she still shows noticeable improvement regularly. She is becoming more loving to my wife. She absolutely loves our Goldendoodle and will spend hours grooming the doodle by licking her...