Rowdy

One of the perks of being a pet photographer is getting to meet lots of dog-loving people and their awesome dogs. But another bonus is getting to hear the stories behind people and their pets. When Jay was growing up, he had a neighbor with a chocolate lab named Rowdy, whom he adored. Nine years ago, Jay’s sister surprised him with a Christmas present: a chocolate lab puppy, who Jay named—yes, you guessed it: Rowdy! Now nine years later, Jay’s wife Catherine surprised him with a birthday gift of a pet photography session of Rowdy. I’d say Jay is pretty lucky to have a great dog like Rowdy, and even luckier that his sister and wife are great at surprising him with fabulous gifts!

Despite the weather forecasts for rain, we lucked out with a beautiful, and unseasonably warm, 70 degree morning at Sullivan’s Island. I must admit, Rowdy is the most handsome and gentlemanly (chocolate) lab I’ve ever met! (My yellow lab, Cooper, insisted I added the “chocolate” part in there.) Here’s a look at our morning spent at the beach: