Sunday, February 14, 2010

I think I'll just change the name of this blog to "Neverending Pictures of Loki's Puppies"


It was too cold to bring the Cane Corso pups outside for their photos so instead I brought some lights to Toronto Animal Services South, set up a little studio, and shot them inside. I was going to do all twelve of Loki's pups but it turned out that four had been returned to TAS West, where they originally came from, for TAS West to adopt out. That's okay. The remaining eight pups kept me busy enough. Thankfully, I managed to talk a friend into helping out (thanks Rachel!) so we got through them all pretty quickly without me having to worry about pups falling off furniture or getting tangled in cables.

Pup 1

The personalities of the pups were just starting to come out and already we could tell the shy ones, the explorers, the laid back, the rambunctious. One trait they all shared, though, was that as soon as they were separated from the group, all except the most fearless, immediately lost any bravado they may have had and looked for comfort in our hands.

Pup 2

That was, of course, adorable but I have to say they were quite stinky. They've got a whole room to themselves at TAS South but puppies being puppies basically eat, drink, poop, piss and then run around in it gleefully. The staff don't have the time to pick up after the pups 24/7 and Mom tries to clean up but, well, that too is kind of gross and a seemingly impossible task.

Pup 3

I was using flash for the photo shoot and wasn't sure how the pups would react to the light but there was no need to worry. They were fairly oblivious to it. The only thing they did seem nervous about, other than being away from their mom and siblings, was the height of the stand they were on. They would peer down from the edge and look at the floor, which was about a foot away and become distressed. I read somewhere once that one of the innate fears we are born with, along with cold and hunger (and a few others), is height. I guess it's the same with dogs.

Pup 4

Rachel managed to keep them mostly corralled in the box. Only one managed to slip off the edge and then when it realized it wasn't such a big deal getting to the floor, it's sole purpose in life at that moment became to escape. That's Pup 6, the fearless one. You can tell just by looking at her that she's going to be a rascal.

Pup 5

These eight pups were brought to the Adopt-a-thon at Petsmart over the weekend. I hear that people were fighting over them. Six were adopted out on Saturday and I understand that two were held back for the Sunday crowd. I hope the adoptions are good ones. Sometimes, it's harder for the pups because people's emotions get the better of them and cuteness trumps reason and practicality.

Pup 6

These little tykes are going to grow up to be big, strong dogs. Their mum is a resource guarder when it comes to high value items (although I had no problems with her when I was hand feeding her doggie cookies) and she's already passed that on somewhat to some of the pups. That kind of bad behaviour maybe isn't difficult to overcome, especially in a pup, but the owners have to be aware of the behaviour and know how to nip it in the bud and hopefully in a positive way.

Pup 7

But never mind all that for now. For now, let's just celebrate the good fortune of these pups to have found their way into a shelter that has cared enough to give them a warm place to grow, kept them healthy, speutered them, and finally found them homes.

I'm really hoping that at least some of the owners will send in update photos as the pups get bigger. I'm hoping they will all become splendid creatures.

Pup 8

Boxed Sets:








Update on one of the pups here.

For adoption information on these (well, these guys might all be gone) and other dogs (and cats and other animals), please visit Toronto Animal Services.

22 comments:

Ian said...

Those are beautiful pictures.
I really hope the new families do send updates.

Will the mother go up for adoption after the pups are all gone?
I hope the resource guarding doesn`t prevent her from getting a chance.

We`ve adopted dogs that had resource guarding issues before and we worked with them to either resolve it or manage it.

Social Mange said...

Great photos! You're right, #6 looks like a monkey in a dog's body, that one will be a handful! So sweet...hope people are prepared for the size and will commit to proper training.

And don't for cryin' out loud take them anywhere near Brampton

Laura HP said...

Ohhh my goodness, Fred! These photos are absolutely GORGEOUS. They are just too adorable.
The last two pups were adopted at the adopt-a-thon today, and there were some people who were seriously into mom Loki for when she's available.

Anonymous said...

2nd last photo is my fave..

These photos are incredible Fred...you are such a talent

Susan

smallstream said...

I love your blog and have been reading it for some time now. Do you mind if I link to it on my new one I just started? It's http://spottedstripedsolidandfluffy.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Brooke :)

Fred said...

smallstream, sure, feel free and thanks for reading.

Fred said...

Susan, I bet that's how she's going to look on the way home hanging out the window of the car.

Amy said...

Love the pic of pup 3.... what a doll!

Tigerspirit said...

I vote for the photo of Pup 3! There is something so very ... dawg ... about him/her. And, do I know about supermacro closeups of noses!

Sharin Barber said...

OMG ...so cute!

SusanA said...

These are really fantastic. I'm sure you've heard this before but I'd love to know how often people adopt a dog because of your pictures Fred. Your blog is a joy to read as well. Thanks for that.

Fred said...

Hi Susan and thanks. It's hard to say if the photos help the dogs get adopted. I hope so and I think so but since there's no tracking done, I can't be sure. Although, in this particular case with the pups, these newest photos didn't help much as most of the pups got adopted before the pics even went out.

Melissa said...

Hi Fred, do you mind if I post 2-3 pictures you took of Loki's pups along with the one's I took in my own TAS album? You took great pics. My camera is obviously crappier than yours hehe. I'll be sure to give you credit for the pics I use. Let me know if this is alright with you.

borderjack said...

LOVE THEM! I can't pick a favorite, I love them all!!! Where do we sign up for photos of our own pets??? :)

Fred said...

Hi Melissa, yeah, feel free to use whatever pics you want.

Cute Addict said...

that's cute! (and we're cute experts, so you know it's true). i'll take 2 boxed sets please.

Siobhan0327 said...

Hi There,

We adopted one of these puppies (I think pup #4 because i can see his little hernia repair stiches) he is too cute and learning very quickly. I will send in photos as he is growing up if you like!

Thanks for posting this blog!

Fred said...

Hi Siobhan, congrats and yes, please do keep us updated.

David0016 said...

What exact breed are these puppies because they look like a mix of some sort. It says that they are Cane Corso but when you look at other cane corso pups online they look different. They are super cute by the way!

Fred said...

David0016, yeah, they're probably a mix. I'm never that exact about breed because a lot of the dogs that come through the shelter aren't always identifiable, especially if they're pups. I think in this case, the mum was a Cane Corso and the dad was a Cane Corso cross.

David0016 said...

Can you please let me know what kind of mix this cane corso mix the father is because this is the ideal puppy/dog that i have always wanted to own. I have been searching for the mix but have not been able to find out what it is. Anything helps

Fred said...

David0016, wish I could help you but the owner of the father isn't around to ask - I think that's why the pups were brought in in the first place.