Flickr: Our dogs are Best in Show

By TheGiantVermin on Flickr

When Ryder came home from the Humane Society, she was feral and smelly. She grew up scavenging in the fields and didn’t know what humans were. We stared at each other uneasily for the first hour. Then she lazily got up from her blanket and peed in the middle of the living room. Adorable!

She was my dream of dog ownership come true: cleaning up messes, chasing her down the street, cuddles. It took us a while to learn to ... more 

By TheGiantVermin on Flickr

When Ryder came home from the Humane Society, she was feral and smelly. She grew up scavenging in the fields and didn’t know what humans were. We stared at each other uneasily for the first hour. Then she lazily got up from her blanket and peed in the middle of the living room. Adorable!

She was my dream of dog ownership come true: cleaning up messes, chasing her down the street, cuddles. It took us a while to learn to get along: I had to teach her to behave like a dog instead of a feral beast, and she had to teach me to behave like a better human.

She also taught me to be a better photographer, to see the right glimmers of light, to wait for the right moment. It turns out I didn’t just have a dog on my hands, but also a demanding model; she expects lots of patience, lots of delicious treats. Though she looks like an educated dog, Ryder’s still partially feral and loves to run through fields and forests while I chase after her with my camera.

And sometimes when I’m not paying attention, she rolls in poo. less