Ellijay & Knuckles

Ellijay and Knuckles are a pair of handsome and very laid-back brothers who were rescued a few months apart from each other when they were just puppies. Knuckles, the blond terrier mix, was found in a rental home after the tenants moved out and abandoned him there at only three months old. After adopting him into their family, his mom wanted to add a second dog, but her husband thought one was enough. They were actually arguing over this very issue as they were driving back from a trip to Ellijay, but just as her husband was declaring “No more dogs!”, he had to slam on his brakes because in the middle of the road sat a tiny, fluffy brown ball of fur that looked like a baby bear.

Of course they were wise enough to accept that the universe was telling them something. 🙂 They took in the little guy, with a cut on his head and a broken rib, and named him Ellijay. He was terrified of people and it took him months to settle in – but with Knuckles it was love at first lick. When they met they immediately bonded and have been inseparable ever since. Knuckles showed his little brother how to love and trust his new family, and ever since then they have been living the life. Now, after a decade of trips to the lake and mountains, Knuckles is twelve and Ellijay is eleven. Ellijay was just diagnosed with cancer on his leg and will be undergoing treatment soon.

Knuckles is very attentive to his brother’s needs and doesn’t leave his side. He is quite the stoic, serious gentleman, but it’s still easy to see how much he loves his brother. Without knowing Ellijay’s history, you would never know he had been skittish and fearful at the beginning. Nothing phases him now – not even a stranger with a camera and a big silver reflectors! He is a loving, trusting, beautiful boy who has such a unique look. We think he’s part Golden Retriever and part Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the latter for the texture and color of his fur. To me he looks like a chocolate Golden Retriever, if ever there was one!

Please send lots of love and positive thoughts to Ellijay’s family as he begins treatment. We’re pulling for you, sweet boy!

Ellijay was so determined not to miss anything during our session that he started to doze off while sitting up!

June 25, 2014 - 3:28 pm

Beth | Daily Dog Tag - They are indeed handsome! Sending good thoughts to Ellijay that he has a fast and complete recovery!

June 19, 2014 - 2:51 am

Adriana (mom) - Thank you so very much for the beautiful photographs!!! They could not have come at a better time, Ellijay had his surgery yesterday and is finally home w us, it will be a long recovery process but we look forward to seeing him smiling again like in the photos. Thank you and can’t wait to see the rest of them!

June 18, 2014 - 10:58 pm

Auntie Erin - I fell in love with Knuckles and Elijay from the moment I met them! They are the sweetest boys and I love every momen when I get to take trips with them and watch them over the weekend. Elijay, you are a rockstar and I am so proud of you for being so brave! I will see you this weekend! ♥♥♥♥

Ollie

Ollie is a stunning English Labrador Retriever who was professionally bred and trained as a hunting dog in England. He’s six years old now and was brought Stateside last year, and already he’s forged an unbreakable bond with his new owner. He is by his owner’s side always and accepts commands only from him. It is a wonder to see the discipline and focus of a dog at work. Ollie’s eyes shine with intelligence and determination, and his regal posture and glossy coat denote years of traditional and history.

But at his heart, he’s still a dog just like any other, who lives to please his master and loves a good dive in the lake! One of his favorite rewards after a successful drive is getting to put his paws up for a hug and nuzzle, and when he retrieves his prize his tail wags a mile a minute. Aren’t dogs the best?

Austin

Austin is a handsome seven-year-old English Cocker Spaniel whose nickname is Velco, as he is always by his mom’s side. In all these photos, it looks like he’s posing away like he’s in a furniture commercial (he and his mom have a bee-yoo-ti-ful home!), but she’s just slightly out of the frame in each one. He has amazing eyelashes, and lovely unusual coloring – blue roan with tan.

He was very excited to have all the attention on him for a full two hours, and you could tell – he would hop up on each piece of furniture without us asking and start posing away like a pro. He also loves his doggy door and was so proud of himself that he was prancing in and out of it like he was doing a demo! I had so much fun getting to know him and his mom, who have a wonderful bond.

These last images tell the story of a typical day in Austin’s life: watching his mom get ready for work, then going to his favorite window to watch her go and also await her return. Then he naps on the couch and greets her at the door as soon as he hears the tell-tale signs of her homecoming!