In between chasing after tennis balls he’s popped, and scarfing down milkbones, my nine-year-old German Sheppard Cohiba spent some time to strut his stuff for the camera.  On this rainy Saturday afternoon a few weeks back I pulled out my Cannon EOS Digital Rebel XTI camera and fired away.  I consider myself an amateur photographer at best, and remain baffled at how great photos can turn out when you own a high performance digital SLR camera like the one I have by Cannon.

Cohiba is a really funny dog.  He loves to talk, and sneak his favorite outdoor toy football into the house even though he knows he’s not supposed to.  At roughly 115lbs he is kind of like a bulldozer in a museum, but absolutely harmless.  When my nephew Darius was about eighteen months old he loved to ride Cohiba like a pony in a petting zoo.  I’m still confused as to why many larger breed dogs like German Sheppard’s get a notorious reputation for being aggressive when in fact they are amazing with kids, and are genuinely sweet, affectionate companions.

I know my time with him is somewhat limited since German Sheppard males live typically on average 10 years, but Cohiba is in great shape, maintaining vitality and a playful spirit despite showing some signs of aging (i.e – mild arthritis, and cataracts).  As my good friend Richard once said, “Pets really are an extension of ourselves.”  I couldn’t agree more.  I look at Cohiba as being a kindred spirit and really a special dog.

Now if I could only get him to not run into outdoor furniture…

Feel free to take a look at some of the other photos I have taken over the years.  If you have a special dog you would like us to meet please feel free to share!