Every so often I get the bug to get all five dogs together and posed for a family photo.  Every single time I ask myself by the end of the photo shoot what the heck I was thinking and this time was no exception.  Getting five dogs that are all incredibly toy motivated to sit still while your other half is squeaking and tossing their ZOMG! FAVORITE TOY EVAR! (only when a person has it) to get their attention is a barely contained chaos ready to explode.  We always end up with bloopers and very grateful pair of people who are glad we have a digital camera versus the old 35mm film I used to shoot in.

The photos always start out with someone refusing to look at the camera or the toy.  Luna’s usually pretty darn good at fulfilling this because she thinks having her photo taken is beneath her being the princess and all.

Then we end up with someone breaking their sit stay.  It’s usually either Lyric or Duo because the road to temptation is paved with good intentions and they think that Daddy needs help with squeaking the toy.

Then we usually get one or two other dogs thinking or starting to break because one of them just had to set the bad example.  (There’s always one bad apple in the pack, right?)

And finally the perfect shot happens.  It usually takes a lot of repositioning, repeated commands and curse words made to sound happy so that I can keep the mood lite even if I want to strangle my wonderful dogs for being such naughty brats but it happens.  Once it is all said and done, it’s well worth the frustration and antics of the crew because I have a lot of silly memories to laugh at when I start thinking it’s time for the next “perfect” family photo.