Client Session ~ Holly & Russell the Australian Cattle Dogs

Looking at Holly, you wouldn’t guess she’s close to 16 years old! I just love the older dogs as they always seem so wise and in tune with the ways of the world.

They seem to have everything sorted and know their place in the world, spending their days relaxing and enjoying what life has to offer.

Still obviously enjoying her time with her devoted family and little bro Russell, she cruises around checking stuff out and is always up for a cuddle!

I just loved her beautiful thick coat, discovered while giving her many pats and scratches throughout the session. Cattle dogs have a rain-resistant outer coat with harsh long guard hairs, then a short dense undercoat. They really are a hardy dog – bred to withstand harsh and varied weather conditions of this country as well as the rigours of working cattle in the scrub.

Though she’s a bit slower these days, she still gets around fine on those sturdy Cattle Dog legs.

Always accompanied by a wide doggy grin!

Holly has a wonderful acreage property to roam around on and enjoys little trips down to the paddock where there are lots of things to sniff and take in. Here she is by the pool, checking out the goings on in the paddock further down.

I love how alert she looks in this one!

Although Holly was meant to the be main subject on the day, I just couldn’t ignore her ‘little brother’, Russell who was insistent that he should also be recieving treats and getting lots of attention.

Another Australian Cattle Dog, Russell is no spring chicken either at 10 years old. What a gorgeous smiley matching pair they make!

We concentrated on Holly for a bit longer before letting Russell have his moment in the limelight. Our session was quite slow paced but I do tend to ask a lot of my doggy models in terms of attention, so I’d say she slept well for the rest of the day! Here she is getting a head start on the resting, looking regal and totally the boss of ‘her’ backyard.

Just like his big sis, Russell is a lovely happy cuddly boy.

He was very attentive to treats and made my job so easy.

Just one more of the two of them. What a lucky family to have two beautiful dogs like these!

Client Session ~ Spartacus the Dalmatian / Cattle Dog Mix

Spartacus is an interesting mix of Dalmatian and Cattle Dog and spends his days hanging out at my day job workplace, owned and loved by my boss. He’s a pretty special boy with many endearing traits. He has the biggest appetite I’ve seen and is a constant underfoot companion at our work lunches around the picnic tables, hassling his favourite suppliers for scraps of roast lamb with a well timed ‘woof’ and a melting look with those big brown eyes.

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His toothy grin is a common site around the place.

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He often much prefers the comfort of the plants and bushes which he ‘renovates’ to suit his needs, rather than his bed (but posed in it nicely for me regardless).

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His best chameleon impersonation (gotta love those spots and blotches)…

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Although this lovely smiley boy is most often friendly and companionable, he does have a serious side. There are signs outside that say ‘Beware of the Dog’ and they aren’t just for show! We have lots of visitors throughout the day and Spartacus has a finely tuned sixth sense about exactly who it is standing outside the front gate.

If it’s someone he knows or has been here before, he doesn’t even bat an eyelid. But if it’s someone new (or someone he’s decided he doesn’t like!) he barks and carries on like the best of them until his Mum reassures him they are safe. Who needs a Rottweiler or German Shepherd when you have the mighty Spartacus!

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