Graduation Photo

[Hector]

Now that you three have successfully finished your two week course in Dogs and Cats Getting Along in a friendly manner, I would like to take a graduation photo of y'all.

 

So will you please line up on the floor... Bailey on the left, Sadie in the center, and Skiziks (the Border Kitten) on the right.

 

OK, thanks for lining up -- now let me snap the photo.

 

Good work, kids! Here it is:

 

 

Biographical Information:

 

Bailey: 3 year old Border Collie / Sighthound Mix (77 lbs.), obtained from a rescue group at 8 weeks old.

 

Sadie: 10 year old Sheltie Mix (45 lbs.), found abandoned on the street at about 1 year old with her three puppies. The pups were taken to the County Shelter where they were adopted; we brought Sadie home and kept her.

 

Skiziks: 11 week old kitten (2 lbs.), obtained from a rescue group at 8 weeks old.

[Tassie]

Well, hearty congratulations to the 'gang of three' - and to you Hector, for getting this great photo set up. Skiziks is one handsome kitty.

[Lunar]

Wow, you actually got everyone to sit still? Congratulations! That kitten is just SO darn adorable!

[Hector]

Thanks for the compliments on Skiziks. The little guy has grown a lot in the three weeks since we got him, despite having been sick for a week. He is now totally healthy and he tears around the house at full speed. The biggest training trick has been to get Bailey to just sit and look at the kitty, rather than try to herd him. Although I can tell that Bailey still wants to do the herding thing, he is getting much better at kitten watching.

 

I wish I could say that I planned the photo and got them to all STAY in position to take it. The truth is.... it was dumb luck!

 

The photo was taken in the computer room, where it is standard for both dogs to hang out with me. But last evening I had been sitting in the chair by Skiziks for a half hour when I looked down and all three were there on the floor. I knew I wanted a photo, BUT... I also knew there would be three major challenges. One - Bailey is camera shy and any time I pull out the camera to try to get his picture he does a hasty exit of the area. To get the camera out of its case and turned on meant I had to leave the room and walk down the hall to the living room before turning on the camera, in order to not spook Bailey into leaving. Two - meanwhile, when I normally leave the room, Sadie will follow me. I don't call her my "velcro girl" for nothing. Three - finding Skiziks in a down-stay ANYWHERE is very very rare. The only reason he was there doing that last evening was he had worn himself out charging around the house like a wild man at full speed for an hour.

 

Fortunately DW was sitting in the room with me, to the left of Bailey. I picked up the camera (in its case) from my right, hid it behind me so Bailey wouldn't see me, stepped over the dogs and walked to the living room. Bailey didn't know I had the camera so he stayed put. Because of DW's presence, Sadie also stayed put. Because Skiziks was so tired from running around, he stayed put.

 

I got the camera out and turned on. I walked back to the computer room and in three seconds snapped off three photos. The photo in the first post is the third one of the three. Following is the first photo, which shows Skiziks in his original position relative to Sadie, and shows Sadie in her standard position of lying down on her side.

 

After the third photo the pose came to an abrupt end, as Bailey left the room, and Skiziks took off to run around some more, leaving Sadie by herself there on the floor. But at least that third photo worked. I was pleased with the composition that just luckily occurred. That's the truth behind my photographic composition skill.

 

FIRST PHOTO OF THE THREE:

 

[Dixie_Girl]

Hector those are great shots! And hey, luck is a very good thing! And usually the reason for many great and sometimes famous shots!

 

BTW I just love Baileys ear!

[Allie Oop]

Great looking furry family, Hector! Love the look of "peace and harmony" on their adorable little faces. Those are the kinds of shots I try to get -- just before Allie nudges Spike (the cat) and she turns about and swats Allie, and they both go running around.

 

Too bad you're not in SLC today -- we just attended the annual "Strut Your Mutt" at Sugarhouse Park. It was a kick!

[Joe Anne]

Wow! sounds like the beginning of the original "Mission Impossible", series, .....

"todays Mission, should you choose to accept it..........."

G R E A T Pics! What a beautiful fur family you have!

TAAA DAAA! Mission accomplished!!!

[Hector]

Linda -- yes, luck was what I had in getting that photo of them nicely lined up. I could try for the next year and probably not be able to duplicate that setup.

 

Deb -- I would have really liked to be in SLC at "Strut your Mutt". I spent a lot of time in Sugarhouse Park on a bike. The view of the mountains is so pretty from there.

 

Joe Anne -- I hadn't thought of the Mission Impossible analogy, but it fits. You know Bailey and the fact that he is a BIG boy. It has been amazing to watch 77 lb. Bailey and 2 lb. Skiziks play together. They really have become good buddies. It can't be called wrestling because of the size difference. Skiziks will roll around on his back on the floor with Bailey standing above putting his snout down near the kitten's belly. And then Skiziks swats at Bailey's snout, but with claws retracted. They are gentle with each other as they play. It's really fun to watch them.