Yeah, she's warming up to the idea of playing in water. This year at the lake should be interesting!This puddle is usually found at the dog park after a rain, and this week it was there for a few days. The good news is that it makes Magda happy. The bad news is that many dogs pee in this puddle, so any playtime in the water requires an immediate bath upon returning home. The even worse news is that our genius dog loves to drink from this puddle EVEN THOUGH WE BRING HER FRESH WATER. So she's usually a touch sick the next day. Nothing too severe, but enough to gross us all out.I don't know about where you guys live, but where we are it is STICKY. It's like we had one week of glorious spring, and now it's summer. So we've been sleeping in the basement these past few nights (I know, I know, I owe you photos of that part of the room...), and that has been a wonderful option. Today we're installing our window a/c in the bedroom so that we can sleep up there when Jamie's mom comes in a few weeks. Also? I'd like to point out that normally we put in our air conditioners the week of my birthday -- about a month from now. So yeah, we were behind all spring due to our long winter, and now suddenly we're ahead.For your internet share of the day, I'm sending you to this article that ran in Sunday's paper about the hidden moral code of dogs. It says dogs can sense inequality and injustice. I could have told them that without the study, but the article is still fascinating!
Sometimes I get so excited about teaching Magda new tricks and poses (and attempting to wear her out) that I forget to give you guys updates on Merlin, aka, the best dog on the entire planet.He has been doing great. As he gets older, his walks are shorter and there's a lot more mosy-ing and sniffing around and much less running and barking, but his spirits are high and he's eating all of his food and he greets us with a wagging tail at the door when we return home. We really can't ask for much more of this old man.Now that it's spring, he's a bit more interested in the open windows and new scents, but not quite like he used to be. He recently started a true pain medication to supplement his acupuncture, and it seems to have him a bit more comfortable -- especially on warm days (the cold really bothers his joints).Anyway! Today I thought we should try him out with props in the studio, and as expected, he was a total star. He just sat there patiently while we put more and more props on him and shot more and more photos. I think this took about 5 minutes. The tricky part about shooting Merlin is that he doesn't give me a lot of expressions like Memphis or Magda, but on the flip side he stays super still and is amazingly patient. Seriously people. Collies are the best.For your internet share of the day, I'm gonna show you 
So tomorrow marks one full year that we've had Miss Magda up there. Can you believe it? Can you believe that a year ago she was trying to eat our faces off, scratching the hell out of our arms and clawing her way through the house? And now she's posing in a stupid hat while we throw confetti at her? Holy cow, has this girl grown up!When we first brought her home, there were more than a few moments of, "Oh shit, what have we done?!?" This dog did NOT calm down. Jamie and I were taking her for hour or two walks each morning AT FIVE THIRTY OR SIX A.M. The energy was astounding. And now? Now, she wakes 
For your internet share of the day, how about 
I might have had a ton of fun planning this week's Monday with Magda... I mean, you guys have no idea how many goodies Party City has! I will *have* to post outtakes this week because believe it or not, this was not the only sombrero we tried! It was so much fun! For everyone except Mags herself... If you look at the outtake shot below, you can see the drool gathering as she waits for a treat. My poor little señorita.
For your internet share of the day, how about 
Aw, poor Magda had no idea how much she'd have to work it when she was adopted by us almost a year ago. But look how far she's come! This was one of the toughest shoots because she *really* didn't like having to look through the sunglasses, but nothing like a little chicken skin to get a girl motivated, eh? And bless my man Jamie for stepping in as the dog trainer extraordinaire.I don't know about where you guys live, but here in Minneapolis it's been raining for days and days and days and days. We tried to get Mags into daycare a few times, but they were full! So she has a reservation tomorrow. And yes. I have a reservation for my dog at daycare. When did I become this person? When I adopted a Vizsla, that's when. I don't know who will be more thrilled about that, Mags because she can play all day or Merlin because he'll finally have some peace and quiet around the house.And speaking of Merlin! He had his annual vet checkup today and is doing great. He's in a touch more pain now though, so we're going to try some mild pain relievers tomorrow. And we're waiting until tomorrow morning to try them because apparently they have the unfortunate side effect of causing hallucinations in a small percentage of dogs. So, you know, Merlin could start barking or howling at the wall tomorrow. Ah, should be entertaining around here at least.
For your internet share of the day, how about we all go check out 
Remember last week when I had 
So last week I was at Target (of course), and I spied these bunny ears for ONE DOLLAR. Since I have a few kids shoots before Easter, I thought it would be fun to throw one or two in for the holiday... and to force a pair onto Magda. So I purchased one and then left it on my bedroom dresser.And then we found Magda eating the ears yesterday. SERIOUSLY.So then I got two MORE pair (thank god they're cheap) and now they are stored up high in the closet of my photo studio studio (which is shut off from the rest of the house). And then I forced them on the dear pup today. Obviously, she's quite pleased about it.For your internet share today, how about this post on 
What a goof! Today, I christened my brand new, remodeled studio with a Magda-plays-fetch photo shoot. It was so much fun! Except for that part where I got the studio all cleaned and set up, lights on, camera ready, dog in the room... and realized I had no tennis balls. She had eaten them all.And then my AMAZING and WONDERFUL husband offered to run to Target to get me some more since I was so tired from working all day. You guys? I stole the best husband. Sorry ladies! He's mine.So back we were, with the tennis balls this time, and Mags here had a blast. I couldn't choose just one image, so I thought I'd collage them for you. Originally I thought I would photoshop them all together onto one image, but after 13 hours of straight work today, I just didn't have the patience. Maybe later. For now, I think you get the idea.So what else can I tell you about Magda lately? She ate another block of cheese this week. This time it was very expensive Manchego from Spain (she has champagne taste like her mother), but since it had no onion or garlic flavoring I'm happy to report that she did not get sick. She also got tons and tons of walks now that the weather warmed up, and soon, once it's completely dry, she'll be back at the dog park. I think Magda is just about to learn how precious summers are in Minnesota.For your internet share of the day, how about this issue of