Spring is undoubtedly my favorite time of year. There’s a palpable sense of renewal and possibility in the air, it’s my New Years 🥂🍾🎉. The longer days, warmer weather, and the blooming flowers and trees make this season truly special.

I just got back from a walk with Believe and everything is so ALIVE! We passed trees filled with white and pink blooms, whole hillsides of forsythia and daffodils galore. Even the lowly dandelions look pretty at this time of year. And the birdsong – the woods are filled it. And with the return of Spring we have months of gorgeous days ahead to share with our best friends – laughing, adventuring and making amazing memories!

Basking in the Spring Sun

For me, the best part of spring is the warmth and sunshine 🌞. Gone are the days of battling icy sidewalks and shortened walks. Spring brings longer days, perfect for extended adventures with our dogs. Whether it’s a leisurely stroll through the park with friends (human and canine) or a challenging hike in the woods, our pups can finally unleash their inner explorer with more sunshine-filled hours to roam.

Plus, for our water-loving dogs, spring often means the return of refreshing swims in every body of water they can find (not that winter stopped the swimming completely, but I don’t have to worry about them getting hypothermia anymore 🥶). It’s the perfect opportunity to explore new trails, discover hidden natural wonders, and let our furry friends run and play to their heart’s content.

Bringing Back the Beauty

The arrival of spring also brings a stunning display of natural beauty. Vibrant spring flowers and the return of Mother Nature’s lush greenery transform the world around us. As a photographer, I relish the chance to capture the return of Nature’s beauty from the drabness of winter. There is nothing like capturing the joyful expression of a dog chasing butterflies in meadows bursting with wildflowers. But you don’t need to be a professional photographer to capture all this beauty. Make sure to take plenty of photos of your dog enjoying all that spring has to offer.

Dining Al Fresco

Another favorite benefit of spring is all the outdoor dining options that welcome our canine companions. From cozy breweries (like Nightshift Brewing in Everett and their Beer Gardens in Boston) to restaurant patios (including most of the restaurants with patios at Marketstreet Lynnfield and if you’re looking for a bit of day trip I’ve heard good things about Longboards in Salem, MA). There are countless opportunities to enjoy a meal or a refreshing beverage while our dogs bask in the warm sunshine. It’s the perfect way to savor the season and create lasting memories with our four-legged friends.

Putting on my “dog trainer hat” for a moment, please make sure your dog is comfortable and actually going to enjoy the bustle and crowds of a brewery or restaurant. Maybe grabbing takeout for a picnic in the park would be more fun for them (and you). My current girl, Believe, would hate the crowds and bustle so we stick to going out for ice cream where we can have much more space and peace (and ICE CREAM 🍦).

Spring is a season that inspires us to live life to the fullest. I can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude and joy during this time of year. The beauty, the adventure, and the opportunity to connect with our furry friends make spring a truly special season.

What is your favorite spring activity with your dogs? Let me know in the comments and let’s embrace the gorgeous days, the great outdoors and the chance to create unforgettable memories with our beloved dogs.

Warmly,

Donna

DonnaKelliher.com ~ Pet Photography for the best loved dogs of Greater Boston, the North Shore and beyond.

Because YOUR dog isn’t “just a dog”

Hi there, I’m Donna Kelliher, the face behind the camera at (you guessed it) Donna Kelliher Photography. Firstly you should know that I’m a little bit crazy about dogs. Ok, maybe more than a little.  My dogs are my family (possibly my favorite members of the family, but shhh, that’ll be our little secret).  I love every minute I spend with my dogs and I think being a dog photographer is the best job in the world💖. Right now I have one border collie, named Believe, who is my constant companion. We love to play agility, hike, swim and she is a world-class snuggler.

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So what qualifications do I bring to this dog photography vocation of mine? Other than being enthralled with every dog I meet walking down the street 😊. Well, I started off with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from NYU (my parents were SO happy 😏 when I switched from Pre-Med to art school…). Added in 20+ years as a certified professional dog trainer – positive methods only. And since I was blessed with an infinite supply of love and patience for our canine companions (and their shenanigans) – voila, I found my calling in life as a dog photographer.

Not that it has always been a smooth journey. I was actually TERRIFIED of dogs for a decade or more after I was bitten as a child. But a friend’s Irish Wolfhound, sweet, goofy Benjamin, helped me learn to trust dogs again and the rest as they say is history. Sometimes I marvel at the fact that I now help rehabilitate “aggressive” dogs as a trainer when the sight of a Chihuahua 50 yards away would make me quake in fear, but life can be funny that way I guess.

My experience as a trainer has turned into such a huge benefit as a dog photographer. Because of the knowledge I have, I can read a dog’s body language, gauge what they’re thinking and feeling and now how to make them comfortable and happy during our sessions. I can anticipate the special moments and capture the expressions that showcase who they really are. Nothing makes me happier than when clients tell me that I captured their dog the way they see them. Especially for dogs who may be shy or fearful and need a little more help relaxing and enjoying their session.

One of my favorite client testimonials reads:

“Donna did a portrait session with my old girl shortly before I had to let her go. The pictures are beautiful and I’m so glad I got them before it was too late. Ariel was never a super social dog, and by the time we did the session it was hard for her to get around. Donna was so good with her. My cranky old lady was relaxed and enjoyed herself. Having someone who knows dogs as well as photography made all the difference. The result was lovely afternoon and pictures that I will always treasure.” – Chris M.

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Now maybe your dog isn’t into sitting around and posing. Maybe they’re super active and never stop moving. And you would love images of them flying across a field or plunging through the surf. I’ve got you covered there too! I spent the first 10+ years of my photography journey almost exclusively photographing dog sports – agility, herding, lure coursing, dock diving, etc. If dogs played the game, I photographed it.

So I have tons of experience photographing dogs enjoying life at top speed. Not to brag (as I brag :-), but my dog sports work has been on the covers of multiple international magazines (I can’t tell you how cool it is to walk into a shop and see your work on a magazine cover😎). I’ve also photographed several books as well, so if you’re dog does it, I can photograph it!

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What about life outside of photography and dogs? Is there life outside of dogs??? Ok, I’ll try and come up with a few things that don’t revolve around them…

Here are 15 (non-dog) Fun Facts about Me

1. I LOVE the water! My parents always said I was part fish. You get me near a body of water and I’m in it. And you’ll have a hard time getting me back out. I even did my first Polar Plunge this January 1st! It was SO MUCH FUN!
2. I’m a night owl. I can stay up editing until 1 am, no problem. It’s getting up for those sunrise sessions that are painful 🌅
3. My favorite color is purple, in all it’s shades. (You may even see it in my hair if you book a session)
4. I meditate and practice yoga every day. I’ve grown so much in mindset and self-confidence in the past few years because of these practices.
5. I love to read. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories, I love it all. I never wanted to go to an e-reader, I was a “real” books girl, but now I don’t go anywhere without my Kindle.
6. I’ve been a vegetarian for over 30 years. I was a vegan for probably 15 of those, but discovered that I missed pizza and ice cream too much 🍕🍦😋
7. I’m the youngest of six kids. My mother was a saint and I love my bi-weekly cut-throat game nights with my sisters.
8. My favorite season is spring. I love the warmer days, the SUN returning after the dreary winter, the flowers everywhere and all the possibilities of the year stretching out ahead of me.
9. I stop for ice cream after almost every session 🍨. I try to find a small local shop wherever I am for a special treat before heading home.
10. My favorite band has always been and will always be U2. I’ve seen them live on two continents and their shows are always incredible!
11. I LOVE dark chocolate. Gimme chocolate chip cookies, the super fudgy cake at Caffe Nero, chocolate martinis, YUM! And it has antioxidants, so it’s a health food, right???
12. I love being out in Nature. Hiking, camping, kayaking, biking, the beach. In the warm months here in New England, I spend as little time indoors as possible 🥾🌄🌞🛶
13. My favorite t.v. show, that’s a tough one since I don’t actually own a t.v anymore. But it would have to be between the X-Files(mmm, David Duchovny) and Schitt’s Creek(mmm, Daniel Levy – and yes, I KNOW. But he would be SO fun to hang out with and his relationship with Patrick is so sweet 💖).
14. I was agoraphobic in my 20’s. For almost 10 years I could hardly leave my house. I’m so blessed to have recovered and be leading this amazing life now.
15. My dream vacation would be a beach house with a bunch of my friends where we could swim in the ocean, go on adventures, go dancing or hang out with cocktails talking late into the night. Hear that ladies, let’s make this happen!

So that’s me. Outdoorsy, chocolate loving, dog photographer to some of the best-loved dogs of Greater Boston and beyond. Tell me a little about your dogs in the comments or connect with me on IG and share a photo of your pup to brighten my timeline 🐶💗

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Winter blues got you down? Fear not! Dive into the heartwarming world of funny, sweet, touching dog social media accounts to add a dose of joy and laughter to your day. These adorable pups are sure to turn even the dreariest winter day into a warm and fuzzy experience.

My Top 5 Dog-loving Instagram Accounts

1. @_layla_the_boxer: This is a must watch for me. Every one of their reels are hilarious and the quality of these mini-movies is amazing. Layla (boxer) and Luna (her Aussie sidekick/partner-in-crime) are always up to something behind Mom’s back. Whether it’s shopping on Amazon with Mom’s credit card, doing battle with the Elf on the Shelf or competing to see who mom loves best, you will love all of these. And now with the addition of a human “sister”, the girls have an accomplice -in-training
2. @good.boy.ollie Ollie, is the epitome of a “good boy”. Whether it’s sweetly visiting his “Nanny Biscuits” (you can probably figure out how she got her name) to trying to civilize his “baby raptor” of a brother, you can’t help falling in love with this gentle soul 💖. Check out their month of December Advent Calendar reels for a month of fun and adventure with these two boys
3. @ladyandtheblues This account follows the sweetest Golden Retriever EVER! When I first started following her, it was just her and mom and dad. But the addition of her human “sister” has taken the cuteness to a whole ‘nother level. As a dog trainer I usually cringe at dog/baby interactions on social media, but this is the most wholesome, beautiful relationship. Check out the matching outfits for a dose of high-fashion for us dog folks 🎀
4. @grizzly.bane Pair a wise GSD with a goofy Bernese Mountain and hilarity ensues. Picture the wise parent talking to their crazy child (in cute dog form) and you get all the laughs without any of the parenting angst 😁
5. @whiskeybearthelab All December we watched Dad mix cocktails (alcohol free for Whiskey the Lab of course) with Whiskey “helping” and slyly lecturing Dad about his alcohol intake. Now we’re onto cooking matching meals. These two are just so sweet together. And who knows you may find a great recipe or cocktail idea for yourself too 🍸

As the dark days settle in, let these furry comedians be a source of warmth and cheer. Follow their adventures on Instagram, and let the laughter thaw away the winter blues. Who knew that a simple scroll through a dog’s Instagram feed could bring so much joy?

Does your dog have a social media account? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to follow along on their adventures!

As pet lovers, we are blessed to share our lives with furry companions who bring boundless joy, love, and loyalty. While every stage of our dog’s life is precious, there’s a unique magic that radiates from a senior dog—the gentle grays around their muzzle, the wisdom in their eyes and the deep bond that time has forged. Beautiful Daisy here was 18 years old during her session. Her mom was 21, which means she had literally shared almost her entire life with Daisy. What a gift 💖.

Moments Fleeting, Love Eternal

Our senior dogs are truly priceless. With age comes a special kind of beauty and charm. Their personalities are fully developed and their quirks and habits are endearing reminders of the years spent together. And everything from leisurely strolls to heartwarming cuddles on the couch is a precious treasure.

As much as we wish our beloved companions could stay by our side forever, the reality is that their time with us is so heartbreakingly limited. Having just lost my beloved Border Collie, Twister, I know all too well the heartache when our constant companions leave us. Twister’s “fancy” agility champion name was ADCH Bronze, LAA Bronze Talisman’s Force of Nature. But above any ribbons and titles he was my best friend, my constant companion, my shadow. He was literally never more than an arms-length away from me.

He has been gone for 3 months now and I miss him every day. I miss his sweet presence, beautiful smile and his joy in everything he did. The house is painfully empty without him. But thankfully I have the countless photographs I took to capture our days together. These images make me smile and remind me of the wonderful bond we shared. And the artwork I have in my home of my sweet Twister has become a source of comfort and a celebration of a life well-lived.

Remember to Capture the Everyday Moments

That’s why I want all of you to take LOTS of photographs of your dogs🐶. Cherish and capture all their wonderful quirks and the love that shines in their eyes when they look at you! And then don’t just leave them to languish on your phone or in the depths of your computer. Print them out, make a photo book, create something tangible that you can see and enjoy every day. Because in the end, these photographs become more than just images—they become timeless testaments to a love that transcends time itself 💕.

Now maybe you’re struggling to capture the types of images you want. Or you want images of you and your dog together to celebrate your bond. Even as a professional pet photographer, my dogs have always been my toughest subjects😊. That’s why I want to offer the services of professional pet photographers to help you preserve these moments.

Through the lens of a professional dog photographer, the unique personality of your senior dog is captured in every glance, every wag of the tail and every soulful expression. These images will tell the story of a life filled with love, companionship, and shared experiences. These photographs become more than just images—they become timeless testaments to a love that will never end.

I Would Be Honored to Create Portraits of Your Senior Dog

I always feel incredibly honored when someone contacts me to photograph their senior pet. It’s a privilege to photograph dogs at this stage of their life. That’s why these sessions are very special to me. Senior dogs are given priority scheduling and I make any accomodations needed to assure the dog’s comfort and respect any physical limitations they may have.

The best piece of advice I can offer, if you’re considering a professional portrait session, is to schedule NOW. None of us can know what tomorrow or next week or next month may bring. . My Twister was only 10.5 when he passed and while I knew it was coming, it was still much too soon. And it breaks my heart when I meet people and they tell me about the dogs they’ve loved in the past and how much they wish they had more or better photographs to remember them by.

As the years pass with our special senior dogs, their companionship becomes more and more meaningful. As they age, their presence becomes priceless. Capturing these moments is essential. The images of these days hold memories, experiences, and the love that defines their lives. In a photo, their story is saved, reminding us that their time is short but their influence is lasting – a tribute to the bond we’ll always share.

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Would you like to read about keeping your Senior Dog happy and healthy, click here for a blog on that very subject.

I’d love to hear about your special senior dogs. Please share their stories and photographs on my Facebook or Instagram page 💖

a pet photographer’s baby dog turns 10, WHAT!!!

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I still remember when he came home. He was so squishable and sweet and definitely an old soul. He was also extremely handsome (you may think I’m a bit biased, but I don’t think so). And being a pet photographer means that I photographed him ALOT. You can see how thrilled with modeling he was in the third photo – he had perfected his bored supermodel look. I’m so glad that I have so many images to remind me of those early days. Those days when he was tiny and new and when neither of us really knew anything about the other. Images to chronicle time passing and the love growing.

• April 12, 2020

On this Easter Sunday, we enter another week of social distancing, working from home and our new lives with a scary pandemic. I think all of us, our dogs included, could use something new and different as a little distraction. As much as our dogs are enjoying having us around more to let them out of the house and back into the house and then back out of the house ALL day long, I thought I’d share some fun ideas for different ways to keep our pups entertained. So, I’ve complied a list of ideas and resources to get you started. Feel free to add something new you’re teaching or doing with your dogs to the comments below.

• Scent Games

Our dogs sense of smell is 40-50 times greater than ours. We all know of the amazing feats search and rescue dogs perform. So why not teach your dogs some fun games using this amazing ability of theirs. I enjoy playing a version of “Hide and Seek” with my dogs by hiding treats around the house and then sending them off to find them. I start by letting them watch me hide them in pretty obvious places and then fairly quickly make the hiding places more challenging. They think it’s super fun and it can keep them busy for a long time. For more scent games you can play I’ve included a couple of links below.

https://suzanneclothier.com/pdfs/Scent%20Games.pdf

https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/indoor-scent-games-for-dogs/

• Tricks

Tricks are not only fun for our dogs to learn, they’re fun to show off to your friends. Some, such as “sit up” and “bow”, are even great to keep them strong and limber. Try a few from the list below.

https://dogtime.com/reference/dog-training/34027-10-fun-impressive-tricks-can-teach-dog

Need more ideas and in-depth instruction, “The Everything Dog Training and Tricks Book” authored by my friend and guru Gerilyn Bielakiewicz and photographed by me 🙂 is an awesome resource.

https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Dog-Training-Tricks-Book/dp/1605500224

• Training Games

While my dogs love to play fetch and chase their frisbees, we all especially love brain games. Shaping (the process of teaching a behavior in little steps) games are great since they are such an amazing mental workout for our dogs. “101 things to do with a box” is one of my all time favorites. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

https://www.clickertraining.com/101-things-to-do-with-a-box

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• Food Toys

There are more ways to feed your dog than in a simple, boring old bowl. There are puzzle toys, slow feeding bowls, snuffle mats and the classic stuffed kong toy. You can even just scatter their food in your house or yard and let them hunt it up. These ideas are perfect for when you have work to get done and want to keep your dog quiet and busy. Below are some food toy stuffing ideas.

https://www.kongcompany.com/learn/stuff-a-kong

• Virtual Training Group

Looking for a positive training group for more enrichment and play ideas. My friend and fellow trainer Jenny Stieglitz has started a FB group just for you. Check it out at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SavvyCanineClub/

• Reading List

What? You haven’t taught your dog to read yet…. what have you been doing all this time :-). Okay, these ideas are for the humans here. Two of my favorite non-fiction dog books that will offer great insights into our dogs and how they feel and think are: The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell and Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier. For some other ideas:

https://us16.campaign-archive.com/?u=4c2848b623ab6cf1f28959e5a&id=b9120b0fa0

• March 22, 2020

As I sit in my yard with my dogs this afternoon, I can feel that spring has returned. The sun is warm on my face and the birds are singing all around. I’m watching the dogs romp and roll in the greening grass with huge smiles on their faces. Spring has always been my favorite season. A time of hope and infinite possibilities. But this spring is so very different… this year it’s a time of fear and uncertainty for the future. It’s really scary not knowing what the next weeks and months ahead may hold. But I also see reasons to hope – our dogs and their boundless optimism, all the families out walking and spending time together, neighbors checking in and chatting (from respectable distances) and people running errands for those who can’t go out safely. These small gestures remind me not to give in to despair. That we must take this time to reach out, more than ever, to those around us. Times like this are so stressful and the isolation (and loneliness) this pandemic brings only makes these days even harder. So let’s make sure we’re looking out for and taking care of each other. A text, or even, gasp, a phone call (you know those things we used to make with our phones in the “olden days” 🙂 can help us all feel less alone. I know I’m incredibly grateful to have my dogs at my sides right now, but let’s face it, they’re not the best conversationalists. So if you find that talking to your dogs isn’t enough, reach out. I am always available for some “virtual” human contact. Feel free to message or call (my info is below) and we’ll (remotely) share a cup of coffee (or a chocolate martini) and lift each other up. We are all in this together and we will all get through this together.

So, in the interest of keeping connected. Tell us what you and your dog are doing to stay sane? Getting fit? Teaching a new trick? Working on a rock solid stay for a future portrait session :-)? Cuddling on the couch eating popcorn and watching mindless, sappy movies? I think I’m working on all of the above. Let me know in the comments. And I can’t wait to SEE you all soon!