Tinsel, Spruce & Keepsake (& friends!)

Tinsel, Spruce, and Keepsake are ridiculously adorable Australian Shepherds who were born on Christmas Day, hence their festive names. When I met them they were nearly eight weeks old, plump and fluffy and constantly on the move. Honestly, words will not convey their scrumptiousness, so I won’t even bother to try. Pictures are better, but still not quite the real thing…hopefully you’ll get the faintest whiff of puppy breath and hear that little puppy squeak while you’re looking at these!

(So as not to give puppies all the attention, I’ve included some of their older housemates throughout this post, as the adult Aussies – and one Border Collie named Pi – are stunning in their own right!)

Tinsel (the female of the trio):

Keepsake:

and Spruce!

Big boy Rowan:

Sweet gentleman Brinkley:

Frisbee pro Jonah:

And four-month-old Pi the BC!

Getting an early start with agility!

Bayley

Bayley is a 12-year-old terrier mix who is as cute as they come. He charms everyone with his sweet face and rock star hair, which he can wear as a mohawk or combed neatly for a gentlemanly look. :p He loves nibbling on his plush toys and making friends at doggie daycare, but more than anything he loves his mom and dad. He has to be wherever they are, whether that means napping in the sun on the patio, going for rides, or snugging on the couch.

He tore his ACL last fall and has been on crate rest for quite some time (which is why we couldn’t do any action shots for this session) – but luckily he has an amazing family that is going above and beyond to care for him and help his recovery along. Please send lots of healing thoughts to him and his family!

Ella, Chloe, Millie, Violet & Mia

I was so excited when I got the email about photographing a mini Golden Retriever (as some of you know, two of my dogs fit that description to a tee! You don’t see mixed breeds like them every day.), and I was not disappointed. I actually have to admit that Ella is probably cuter than both of mine, though, because she looks less like a mini Golden and more like a perpetual Golden puppy! When you see her photos you won’t believe that she’s 13.

Not only is Ella from the same rescue as my blond twins (Atlanta Pet Rescue, now called Best Friends Atlanta), our furry families are both composed of three dogs and two cats. Chloe is a four-year-old beagle/heeler mix and Millie is a two-year-old spaniel mix, and together they are two peas in a pod. They love to chase and play, and Millie is especially interested in getting to know the cats, Violet and Mia.

Ella is deaf now, and has always been quiet and low-key. She likes finding cozy places to snooze and is a total mama’s girl. Chloe is the daddy’s girl who is always on the move, playing and exploring. Millie just loves everyone and everything and even though Chloe always beats her to the ball during fetch, she’s always a very good sport. As for the cats, Violet is a snuggler but Mia, with the mousy pink nose, is a typical diva cat who is still convinced she’s being held prisoner, ha!

I had so much fun spending a morning with this crew. They were all basking in the attention the camera brought and I couldn’t have asked for cuter subjects!