You've heard of shark week, but have you heard of Chihuahua Week?

 At CPR we are celebrating chihuahua week by featuring one of our pocket-sized puppies every day. Today, I am honored to introduce you to Puppy #870 our Chi-Weenie Mix Boy.

He's a little boy with a huge heart that just wants to love you all the time.HeI loves to play with his toys and other dogs but he really just wants to snuggle up with you. Will you please adopt him so he can give you puppy kisses and snuggles?

Our boy is about 12 weeks old and about 8 lbs. He can fit in a shoe box, in your lap, in a purse, in your shirt....

Puppy #870 is happy sleeping in his bed (or yours.) 

He likes to chew (he's teething) but pretty much only on his toys. He does love to play with his toys.

               

        He likes to chew on sticks too.

He loves roll around in the grass and hang out in the sunshine. He's also working on perfecting his stink eye.

Our boy is will be available for adoption at our Saturday adoption event at The Hopeful Hound. (www.coloradopuppy.org) or by appointment. Email brook@coloradopuppy.org.

Friday Fix (1/11/2013) - Photos

By Christy Hess

In case you haven’t seen my previous blogs, I LOVE working with our puppy photos. I finally caught up on our pictures from our previous adopters (alum) and our before and after books. These photos are just so much fun to look at; I must say the best and most interesting looking dogs come from Colorado Puppy Rescue. So check out our current photo albums here.

The last couple of years I have been helping with the website. Our criterion for puppy photos on the website is to have at least one good full body photo (to give potential adopters an idea of size and coloring) and one good close-up of the face.

I am not sure how many people have followed our website over the years, but I can tell you first hand, that the photos that we have posted to our website the last two years are consistently better than photos from any other rescue that I have seen. The bar has been set.

The past year I have helped with taking photos. Intake is so busy, that there is no time for touch-ups to photos, just crop and go. I am a beginner photographer at best, and although all puppies are adorable subjects, capturing that in photos is an art that I am still learning. Puppies move FAST!!!!!

I try to take 10-30 photos per puppy – hoping to get 2-4 that show our adorable puppies at their best within about a 5 minute time frame. There is an art to setting up for puppy photos, then being able to get out of the photo. I have been so lucky to have some fabulous photo assistants.

I am sure that people who watch a photo session crack up. Not only are we trying pose the puppy and snap as many photos as possible, but we are also making all kinds of weird noises and holding up toys to try to get the ears perks and the puppy looking straight into the camera.

So as you look at our website and see all of the adorable pictures of our available puppies week after week, I just wanted to share that it takes a lot to get there. Here are some of the photos that didn't quite make the cut.

Peek-a-boo

Nope - not gonna look!

Ohhhh - what's that?

Whoops - hands.

Curious puppy!

Framing of the photo is important too.

Focus

They just move so fast.

This is an adorable photo, if only I could see the face

Maybe they will go away if I don't look.

Got an itch!

This doesn't count as a full body photo.

Let me get closer to you!

We get a ton of these that would make great T-Shirts.

When a puppy has to go, they have to go!

Awww - shy!

Ummm - are you done yet? 

What is that WAAAYYYY up there?

Thank you to everyone who takes photos and assists with photos – you make finding homes for our puppies effortless. Thanks to Colorado Puppy Rescue for supply great props for the photos.

Friday Fix - Breed Identification - Before and After (6/22/2012)

By Christy Hess

Poll Results from Last Week

Well the results are in (even thought the percentages are more than 100%) the overwhelming response is that people are looking for the puppy personality in photos. Yeah - those are my favorite puppy pictures!!!!

Thank you for voting.

Breed Identification

The other things that the photo is helpful in seeing is the breed. At Colorado Puppy Rescue (like other rescues and shelters) breeds and ages are our best guess based on coat, color, teeth, tail, size and feet. We use our many years of experience, books and the opinions other volunteers to help determine. Sometimes we just get it wrong or the puppy's look change drastically as they grow.

Here are some examples:

I still have no idea what Budja's breed is but what a great looking dog.

Look at how much the facial markings changed on Blake!

Spot's spots changed as well.

Koli's markings completely changed the spots on the face slid down to the back.

Tucker's mask disappeared.

Haz-Mat grew!

Sadie grew as well. I would say now that she is a Catahoula Leopard Dog.

Fritz lost that thick Chow Chow like coat!

I can't even venture a guess on Kiko - what is your best guess on breed?

Terrier of some kind? Grizzley is gorgeous!

The face on Melo really changed, almost makes me think Dane.

Be aware that even the color can change as puppies can grow. Bruce demonstrates a drastic change, but what a cutie!

I never never would have guessed looking at the puppy that Bubba was part terrier.

See all of our photo albums on Zenfolio!

If you have a before and after photo you would like to share with us - please send them to me at info@coloradopuppy.org so I can get them posted.

Friday Fix - Photo Controversy (6/15/2012)

By Christy Hess

Over the last year we have made some drastic changes to the website. Brook did a complete update and redesign and Daniel created a new logo. With those updates we also changed the way we did photos.

We started off with head shots.

But then we found you could not always tell size, or breed with just the head shot so for some we added a full body shot.

Then we sometimes added photos from the fosters outside or in a different environment.

Now we have a photo station where we catch puppies in action.

Or pose the puppies.

Or show their soulful eyes. These are what I would call the take me home look.

And sometimes they are posed and pitiful.

Please take our poll and let us know your preference on puppy pictures. Leave comments too - we want to hear from you!

When looking to adopt a puppy do you: