Rusty’s camera shy
He may not be quite all grown up, but yesterday Rusty turned 1. I’m not the type to celebrate human birthdays, much less animals, but I did take time (once I remembered) to buy him a special treat of a pigs ear and to tell him Happy Birthday (and to make him sit and pose for posterity).
The camera is still annoying
It’s kind of a big milestone for a little pup. He’s probably as tall as he’ll get (the perfect height, obviously) but still is getting more muscles every day (he could stop at any time). He’s also getting better at impulse control (he could get a LOT better IMHO – especially around the chicken run and all birds) and obeys most simple commands within an acceptable time of them being barked at him. I’ve been told that at his 2nd birthday he’ll be perfection personified which will be nice when it happens.
I do try to be patient and I remind myself that seeing eye dogs don’t start their training until they’re 1. Before that, they’re just little kids and too easily distracted.
Luckily Rusty’s a natural sweetie and does the right thing just because – and to make me happy. It’s hard not to be happy when this darling young dog stares adoringly at me. I hope I repay him with a bit of adoration and I try to make him happy. I think I succeed.
Isn’t he handsome!
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Our dog ignores my camera and I can make good action photos of him even from very close. He hates my wife’s camera and looks a little like Rusty in the first photo when she uses it near him. He sometimes simply goes away when she uses her camera near him.
The difference is in the focussing mechanism that produces ultrasounds that we cannot hear but that dogs can hear. These sounds are at various frequencies depending on brand and model. Obviously he hears my wife’s camera and hates that sound. He probably does not hear my camera.
My wife can still take good photos of him, but only from a good distance.
For whatever reason I just pulled up this old post and see my response to you isn’t here. Where’d it go??
Anyway, that’s an interesting thought – the camera might be making a noise he doesn’t like. If he’s distracted he doesn’t seem to mind me taking photos but if he’s sitting still, he tends to make funny faces. So it might be a mildly irritating noise but not enough to stop him playing.
He is a handsome dog.
Everyone tells me so, I certainly think it’s true but what really matters is if he knows it. I’m of two minds about his camera shyness – either he thinks he’s not attractive enough to be photographed or he’s tired of all the attention from the paparazzi (me) like some movie God. He’s not stupid so it must be the latter 🙂
Adorable pup! Happy Birthday Rusty.
He’s wagging his tail in thanks 🙂