You’d never guess that Grace, Albert and Ruby are all well into their senior years – they have so much poise and not a smidgen of their age shows! Though Grace and Albert have been blessed with a life of luxury, Ruby was rescued from a puppy farm just a few years ago. I had a fantastic afternoon in the company of these lovely dogs (and their even lovelier mummy Kimbra).

This gorgeous puppy-like face belongs to 12 year old Albert, who was very interested in me and my treats from the very moment I arrived! Luckily he also has some nice manners so responded fairly well to me asking him to stay (with just a little bit of creeping forward) and look gorgeous while I took some pictures on the deck of his home. He was certainly very comfortable being the centre of attention!

Grace is 10 years old and came into the family about a year after Albert. She is the princess of the family and a complete daddy’s girl!

Since their mum works overseas for most of the year, these guys live a life of luxury in her daughter’s house. Nowhere is out of bounds and they made themselves right at home in the sitting room, arranging themselves sprawled across the furniture gracefully as Poodles do best!

Ruby was rescued from a puppy farm about 5 years ago where she was used as a breeding mum. Who knows how many babies she had, but chances are, they were taken away from her way too young as she still displays maternal instincts at every opportunity. At 11 years old, she now lives a trouble free life where there are no demands placed on her. Still timid and cautious around people, she is a sweet girl who has the most beautiful soft brown “doe” eyes.

Moving outside to the back garden, I spotted a lovely hedge with the sunshine conveniently shining through – perfect for backlighting fur and creating some beautiful bokeh.

Would you believe that I didn’t have a hand in posing this shot? Yep, it all happened naturally. These dogs absolutely adore their mummy and it shows. Kimbra sat down and was immediately surrounded by their furry love, all wanting to be close to their favourite person in the world!

It wasn’t all about standing (or in most cases, reclining) around looking beautiful. We also had some fun and pretty Gracie and handsome Albert showed me all their best ball chasing moves. Good looks, smarts and athleticism. Poodles have it all going on!

There was even time for a bit of good natured wrestling between the girls. Somehow, they even manage to make this look graceful!

I think she must have been a model in a previous life, as I continually found Ruby standing beautifully in the most perfect light. Either that, or she just loves the warm sunshine, and who can blame her?

The dogs obviously miss their mummy when she goes away, as they were keen for cuddles at every opportunity. Sticking close!

Living on a large acreage block meant we could head down to the back area for a change of scenery amidst the long grass and gum trees. The Poodles poked around, exploring and sniffing, or just standing there looking gorgeous for me while I stalked them with my long lens, taking candid shots.

Right at the end of the session as we were just about to lose the sun, we sat the dogs down for some more formal portraits.

Ruby was a bit unsure about having me looming above her, so I quietly and gently bribed her with treats for a few close up shots. The fact she let me get this close is a testament to how far she’s come since her puppy farm days.