As a business owner, I go to a lot of conferences and seminars and a consistent question is ‘what is your why?’ It’s a question I’ve struggled with constantly, I love my job, buy my ‘why’ was always elusive. Other business owners would give amazing responses and I always felt like a bit of a fraud because my only answer was that I just find joy in photographing dogs, but I couldn’t put into a sentence why this was helping my clients. 

Amy & Holly 🌈

Saying Goodbye

As my business started to develop, the inevitable started happening. Every now and again, clients would contact me to let me know they had to say goodbye to their beloved dog. And it was hard, each time, especially when it was unexpected. Dogs have a wonderful way of connecting with you and making you feel special – so each shoot I left feeling like I had made a friend not only of the dog, but also I came away with a lot of human friends too.

Jasper 🌈

Jasper

And then, it happened to me. Two years ago I lost my own boy, Jasper. I’d initially fostered him and wow, he was a steep learning curve, but underneath his issues, this incredibly happy, smiley, barky dog was so eager to please. And wow did he put me through the ringer, he had months of rehabilitation after something ruptured in his inner ear and he lost a huge amount of blood. Then a couple of years later, he had a stroke which was terrifying to see and one of the only times I’ve felt complete loss of control. After that, he wasn’t the same, he was still a happy chap, but gradually he started to loose control of his bladder, and I’d find him staring into a corner, and he’d seem quite surprised to find himself there. My previous partner made the very difficult decision that it was time to let him go. He was with us both, and all the other dogs at home, and I thought I was going to break. In fact, with hindsight, I think I did a little.

Caroline & Bentley 🌈

He is my why

It was only about a year later, when I was looking at one of the photographs of him, that it really hit home. His final gift to me was realising that I need to go through the pain myself so that I could understand my clients more deeply.  Having photo’s of him at his goofiest, his happiest, even the times when he came out of surgery, meant that I will always have very vivid memories of him.

Pals Maisy, Jasper & Woodley have been reunited. 🌈

Gone, but never forgotten

Our bond with our dogs is indescribable, I still feel like Jasper is just nearby sometimes and I find peace in that. Some people don’t understand it, and that’s okay. I’ve had to make some incredibly hard choices in the last couple of years, and having photographs of my dogs is priceless.  So now, when people ask me what my why is, I can say, without a doubt, Jasper is my why.

Please do take some time to read Amy’s Story too – Holly was an a dog in a million and photographing her was something I will never forget.

For anyone who has lost a dog recently, I promise you wont forget them, but each day, each week, it becomes a little bit easier to bear. 

Kerry x

I know recommendations are really important for small brands, as well as the people buying from them so I’ve decided to do series on the brands I know, like and trust. I have either bought from these small brands, worked with them or both for many many years so I hope this will help you if you are looking for something specific for your dog.

The Ultimate in Whippet Attire

Now I have been working with Debbie at Redhound for Dogs who makes whippet coats & jumpers, photographing for her brand for, oooh, 8 years now so you could be mistaken for thinking I’m biased with this spotlight, but there’s a reason I’ve been working with her for so long; she’s passionate about what she does – clothing whippets both practically and stylishly, she delivers consistently high stands, she’s generous to a fault and an all round good egg.

The face behind the brand.

There will be cheaper alternatives.

The thing I love about this brand is that Debbie and her team are always ahead of the game. I the last few years I’ve seen a massive increase in brands catering not just dog jumpers and coats, but whippet specific ones too, and it’s great to see this industry growing! The differentiator is that Debbie has been doing her thing for 13 years and sewing and designing has been in her blood for many more years that that! So when you buy a coat or a jumper from her you know these things; she has researched tirelessly about what works and what doesn’t, she knows the shape of a whippet like the back of her hand, her skills are finely honed, she sources the best materials and that whatever you buy will last. In every area of my life, I’ve got more and more conscious about not buying things to throw them away 6 months later because they are cheaper, but instead, investing in something which lasts.

Made for Sighthounds

If you have ever tried to find a whippet jumper or coat, or actually if you have any dog with the same build as a sighthound like a Vizsla or a Dalmatian, you know how hard it is to find ‘of the rack’ that fit their shape – with their tucked up waist, deep chest and long backs, pet shop attire ends up gaping in one area or another. That’s why Redhound are so great, Debbie has known and worked with the sighthound shape for over a decade!

Because Debbie has a genuine love for making sure sighthounds are cosy and wearing appropriate attire, in her range you will find something for every season, every weather occurrence and whatever you look for, it will be stylish as well as practical. So whether it’s rain, snow, wind, dark nights, a bit of spring drizzle – your hound will be covered!

Have you already discovered Redhound for Dogs? Let me know in the comments!

You can follow Debbie on: Instagram | Facebook | Website 

A Magical Hike in Coniston

If you have ever been to the Lake District, you know that you can never rely on the weather – it can be very different at the bottom of the fell to the top!

I recently stayed in Coniston with my good friends Rachel & Patch (Rachel helps pet businesses get their own PR so if you are a pet brand, check her out!! Patch is chief supervising officer). We hiked up Holmes Fell on a unseasonably warm day – the chance of rain being small (which means it’ll likely still happen at some point!). Holmes Fell is a lovely but steep little hike, and not as touristy as some of the other fells so we didn’t see very many people at all!

Magic in Nature

Now I’m not afraid to admit, I still have a childlike curiosity about nature, from mushroom spotting to insect hunting – so when we were greeted by the most incredible rainbow display, I was beside myself! They were closer than I had ever seen them, and we saw the full arc, although because I had lugged my camera with my 70-200 lens on, I couldn’t get the full arc in most of the shots, but my Samsung phone picked up some great ones.

The Love of Nature

I know the science behind how rainbows happen, to me, that doesn’t make it any less magical – seeing this amazing display of colours in the sky, especially with the backdrop of the fells, was a pretty special moment.

I think that’s why I’m drawn to nature when I come to photographing dogs. Both of them are a constant surprise and bring me so much joy!

The only real purpose of this blog post was to showcase this magical moment, so I hope you have enjoyed it!! I have a feeling that a lot of you feel the same about being outdoors that I do. 

And if you ever fancy a hiking photoshoot with your dogs in the Lake District, you know where I am.

Kerry x

Taken on a Samsung phone

Lake District & Cumbria Dog Photographer

Dog Friendly Lake District & Cumbria

I can’t believe that it’s been 9 months since I moved from Sussex to Cumbria, it’s seems to have flown by, but also I feel like I’ve been here for a lot longer. It’s not been easy acclimatising to a new place where I don’t know anyone, somewhere with sheep round every corner (not great for a sighthound owner), and the weather…the wind, the rain, the wind – it’s mid June and I’m still wearing jumpers and a gilet most days 😂BUT, aside from that, the views, the scenery, the empty beaches, the fact that I can walk for 5 hours and only see a couple of people has been really good for the soul. Renovating the house and work has kept me busy, but it’s a perfect place to really find out who I am as a person after being part of a couple for 22 years.

Anyhow, enough of that, now the interesting stuff! There’s a lot of ‘dog friendly’ places in the Lake District but I’m searching out those places who go the extra mile. This post will be updated as I find new places, so be sure to keep checking back, and I’ll post on social if I find somewhere new too.

Granny Dowbekins, Pooley Bridge

First up is a place which I discovered 3 years ago when I came to the Lake District on a solo trip in January. I was really taken with Pooley Bridge, lots of walks from the car park, and my first, but not last,  visit to Granny Dowbekins. Not only is this lovely cafe dog friendly, they have goody bags for the dogs on the menu which includes dog biscuits, but also things like left over sausages and black pudding! They now have a gorgeous garden room, and a lovely outside section right on the river. What made me love this place even more though was the fact that they offered to hold the boys while I nipped to the ladies! Now that’s dog friendly customer service. Be warned, the food is delicious, but they don’t scrimp on size! The last time I went I had smashed avacado on toast with a poached egg, it was huge! Great coffee too.

There are some fantastic walks from here, but the one I’d recommend is heading up to see the Roman High Street and the oldest Bronze Age Circle in the Lake District, a bit hilly, but fairly easy and you can walk from the town, or you can get the ferry to further up and walk back (see further down for Ullswater Steamer details).

Granny Dowbekins Tea Room in Pooley Bridge

The Secret Garden, Pooley Bridge

The last time I was in Pooley Bridge Granny’s had a fairly big queue outside at about 11.30, but I’d met a couple on a walk who recommended The Secret Garden which was right next door so I decided to try it out. Why is it secret? Well you actually have to go through the convenience store to find the door to this quirkily little bar/restaurant! It looked lovely inside, but I had a rare day of warm sun with no wind, so headed outside to the lovely decked area on the river. There were quite a few dogs scattered around, and a few up on the seats where the owners had put down rugs which was lovely to see. It was a bit early for lunch so treated myself to coffee and cake but the rest of the menu looked good. It’s obviously popular because as I was leaving just after midday, the queue was pretty big so I’d recommend getting there early! Despite being busy, one of the staff offered to hold the boys while I nipped to the loo (yes, again!).

The Secret Garden, Pooley Bridge

Ullswater Steamers, Pooley Bridge

This was actually the first time the boys and their friend Luna had been on a boat and they weren’t fazed by it at all! We went from Pooley Bridge to Howtown which took maybe 10 minutes, but if you fancy a longer trip, you can go to Aria Force Waterfall or Glenridding. This walk can take you right onto the Roman High Street and the Bronze Age Circle, with some lovely views over Ullswater. It’s such a lovely, novel thing to do with dogs, I think there are a few ferries which are dog friendly so I’m going to be giving them a try now I’ve done this short trip and know the boys are okay with it. It’s worth noting that you can book in advance, but if the wind is high, the ferry does get cancelled.

Dogs are £1 extra each to travel on the ferry.

The Big Shop with the Little Door, Pooley Bridge

AKA as Chestnut House, this was another find when I first visited the Lakes. If you need to stock up on essentials, it’s mini supermarket and the whole shop is dog friendly, but the reason I have included it on here is the gin. So. Much. Gin. A whole huge wall of gin. What’s fantastic is the knowledge of said gin, and any other spirits they have on there! Don’t go in unless you are prepared to come out with at least one bottle of something alcoholic – I only went in for milk and nearly forgot that!

The Big Shop with the Little Door, Pooley Bridge

Inn on the Square, Keswick

When I did a request for dog friendly places in Cumbria, Keswick was one of the most mentioned. Inn on the Square is perfectly located right on the main stretch, as well as the front bar and a small section behind the bar before you go to the restaurant which are both dog friendly, they also have dog friendly hotel rooms and a whole dog friendly section on the website too! When we (and when I say me, I mean me and the boys of course) popped in for the first time, I decided to sit in the carpeted area just before the restaurant (bony sighthound legs prefer softer floors!), and within minutes they were brought a bowl of water. The boys were made to feel very welcome!

Inn on the Square, Keswick

Podgy Paws Pet Shop, Keswick

I go into Keswick a couple of times a month and never miss a chance to visit Podgy Paws! The boys are in heaven trying to steal whatever they can and they are always given treats. I’ve quite often watched the staff there give great advice to people on everything from harnesses to food and toys, they always seem very knowledgeable and friendly. They have a raw food freezer, with complete raw food and raw meaty bones which I always stock up on, and some great natural treats (like Anco chews which are always a firm favourite of the boys). If you are in Keswick, I’d highly recommend a visit, your hounds will thank you!

Still to come:

Jaspers Coffee House, Keswick & Braithwaite

The Kirkstyle Inn, Lowsewater

Do you know of somewhere super dog friendly in Cumbria? Drop me a message so I can check them out!

Kerry x

Do you buy into Father’s Day? Sometimes I think it’s nice to have a little reminder to appreciate the Dog Dad’s out there so I’ve popped together a list of some lovely, quirky, fun gifts for Dog Father’s Day 😉

Trying to think of a different, stylish gift for the Dog Father in your life?

There’s nothing more lovely than a guy who absolutely dotes on his dog! If you’d like to celebrate that amazing relationship for the Dog Father in your life I’ve put together a few fabulous products that I think you will love! All these are small, independent brands who will genuinely be over the moon with your order.

Cards from Dotty Dog Art

I adore Kathy’s quirky, humorous cards which are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face! She’s also the most positive smiley person you will ever come across, and I’m pretty sure does a little happy dance with every order.

Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/uk/market/dotty_dog_art 

Distinctly Distinguished Collars and Lead from Collar & Tweed

I mean, come on, it can’t just be me that conjures up a country gent, briskly walking through the Scottish heather when I see these stunning leather & tweed collar & lead sets? I could totally see these being adored by the London style set too though – definitely a Sunday Best set for the distinguished chap.

Order from: www.collarandtweed.com

Prices for collars start from £24.99 and leads from £35.99

Personalised Portrait by The Slumbering Hound

I love stories like these! Dee was already known to me for her gorgeous bespoke blankets and beds but during lockdown, she turned her hand to something she used to love but hadn’t done in ages; art. She did a couple of ‘walking the dog’ and immediately started getting commissions – which doesn’t surprise me (I actually had one commissioned for a friends birthday too). Dee can also do you a gift voucher in case it’s getting a bit close to the day!

You can email Dee at: info@slumberinghound.com

Prices start from £85 for one person and one dog.

Hand stitched ‘Boop’ Tees by Hello Boop Design

How absolutely adorable are these personalised & hand stitched tees by Rebecca? Maybe you could buy one for your Dog Father a size too small ‘by accident’…..

(She also does other pets hand stitched on to teeshirts, as well as kids drawings which are super cute!)

These are handmade to order, you can drop her an email at hello@boop.design and check out her Instagram here: www.instagram.com/hello_boop_design

Prices from:

Stylish ‘Worlds Best Dog Dad’ Mugs from Scruffy Little Terrier

Stylish and sleek, with a selection of two tone colours, who wouldn’t want to have this mug staring at them every morning and reminding them who’s the best?

Order from:  www.scruffylittleterrier.com/product/the-worlds-best-dog-dad/ 

Price: £10.95

And last but no means least, a stylish photoshoot with yours truly

Photography is so powerful, it can transport you back to a time and place and can even make you remember smells & sensations. Having a photoshoot means that the Dog Dad in your life will forever have those memories of their best friend. The gift voucher comes in a smart presentation box so they have something special to unwrap.

Details: www.furandfables.com/shoot-overview/dog-photography

Prices from: £175

Yesterday we went on our first beach walk since lockdown, and on the way out of the car park, on the road leading out of the beach, I noticed a little dog close to the edge of the pavement coming out of a side road – it took a few seconds to see the owner as he was several meters behind and the dog was on a retractable lead.

Why I don’t think you should own a retractable lead.

I have pretty strong feelings about retractable leads – I don’t think any dog owner should have one, and here’s why:

When we first adopted Boo, her recall was non existent so I thought a retractable lead would be a good idea so she could roam around a little. I was on a walk with a friend when Boo took off and because she was able to build up speed because of the length of the lead, the handle snapped out of my hand and went with her. Thankfully, a few seconds later she was stopped by the fact that the handle got caught round a fallen tree branch. What terrifies me though is if that would have happened further out into the woods where I wouldn’t have been able to see her – she would have been stuck and unable to get back to me.

Dented pride.

Did I learn my lesson? Oh no! When Shadow had an small injury and needed to be walked on lead, I decided to dig out the retractable lead again. The same thing happened as I bent down to pick up poop, Shadow spotted a dog he wanted to say hello to and because my attention was on cleaning up after him, he got to the end of the lead before I knew it, and because he built up speed, pulled me right off my feet, knocking the wind out of me and denting my knees and my pride.

Suffice to say, we now have long bungy leads (by Ruffwear) if one of the dogs ever needs to be on lead as it gives a little spring rather than a hard stop, and when we were training Boo, we used a long training line instead.

As well as my personal experience – I have had to swerve from dogs running into the middle of the road when the owners couldn’t stop the lead quick enough, seen people get tangled off and pulled over and a multitude of other accidents. I’ve also heard horrific things about burns on hands when the ‘brake’ fails on the handle, not to mention that if the dog is on a collar rather than a harness and they are able to build up speed only to be stopped suddenly as it reaches the end of the line. 

What do you think?

What are your thoughts on this? Have you only had positive experiences with retractable leads? Or have you had a similar experience to me? Do you have other options you are think are better?

Kerry x

Professional dog photographer covering Surrey, Sussex & Hampshire.
kerry@furandfables.com

Sometimes, having to reschedule a shoot can be the best thing that can happen, just like this London Whippet shoot.

Meet gorgeous Ezra

It’s not often that I have to reschedule shoots, it’s usually weather related, so its even more rare to have to reschedule twice! Ezra’s humans were super relaxed about it though, wanting to make sure we got the best images from the shoot.

A Perfect Day

We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect November day! Lovely golden light, and the gardens at Chiswick House offered such an amazing array of colours so late in the year! It was also fairly empty, we didn’t see very many people at all! This location is walking distance for Ezra and his humans, so it is a very special place for them.

Ezra is very much attached to his humans, and not really fussed about anyone else, so I felt very privileged that he was happy for me to give him a good neck scratch.

On Lead but that’s okay!

You may not realise it, but most of these images were actually taken with Ezra on lead. As long as the lead is positioned in a certain way, then it’s quite easy to edit out afterwards.  But enough of that, look at his ears, aren’t they just amazing! He so reminded me of my own hound, Scout, when his ears did this.

Here’s what Ezra’s humans had to say about the shoot (I felt super comfortable chatting with them both, so I was quite surprised when I got this!)

“We’ve had the most amazing shoot with Kerry, with truly magical photos of our whippet boy – Ezra to keep. We’ve been following Kerry’s work for years and we knew if we ever have a photo shoot it must be with her, but as we’re both shy and a bit socially awkward – the idea made us nervous. When we finally decided to do it I was anxiously waiting for the big day, but Kerry made everything so easy. We hit it off right away, she was so nice, brilliant with our dog and she made us feel relaxed and safe. She chose beautiful locations and set ups and turned Ezra into a supermodel – she clearly has a way with dogs!

Overall it was a fantastic and uplifting experience and we’re truly grateful for the wonderful pictures we now have on our walls capturing the sweet personality of Ezra.”

Meet Monty. Monty is a coated Xolo – a breed I hadn’t come across before! Monty is smart, funny, has a plethora of gorgeous expressions. Monty is also anxious and a little skittish. He is pretty wary of new people and definitely doesn’t want to be touched if he doesn’t know you. He’s also very food motivated.

I learned all this on my initial call with Monty’s mum, so I knew to go into our shoot with some yummy roast chicken and a calm attitude (very difficult for me when all I wanted to do was cuddle this gorgeous boy). Before long, Monty was clambering on me to get to the chicken, and I knew we were going to be okay!

During the shoot, I kept my distance and kept calm, eventually though he was readily running up to ‘the roast chicken lady’ and even let me scratch his chin. The best feeling in the world though was when we moved location to a few minutes down the road to capture Monty in the red ivy in one of the gorgeous streets of Midhurst. When he saw me walking down the street, he almost pulled his human off her feet to come and say hello (I’m under no illusion that the chicken was the main event for him! 😉

Isn’t it amazing that dogs can make us feel so loved just by wanting to say hello!?

So if you are worried about how your dog would respond to a photoshoot, it will honestly be fine! I have had owners who think their dogs are too ‘naughty’, too nervous, are anxious of other dogs. By talking to you, we figure out the best way for the shoot to happen to make sure you are both completely relaxed.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email! You can find full details of the packages I offer here: www.furandfables.com/shoot-overview/dog-photography

I’m based just near Haslemere, Surrey, which borders West Sussex & Hampshire.

Kerry x

I recently visited London to do a shoot at the Egerton House Hotel where they do doggy afternoon tea (more on that soon!), and it got me thinking about how some places say that they are dog friendly, but in actual fact, it’s more like ‘dogs allowed’. So I decided to test how dog friendly some of my local places were, as recommended by Haslemere locals, I hope dog owners find this useful!

The Lions Den, Weyhill

The Lions Den, Haslemere

Style: Bistro / Cafe
Space: Cosy but plenty of floor space
Time visited: Friday at lunchtime – busy but had tables.
Waterbowl / biscuits: Yes to both – as you walked in the front door although all the bowls were empty.
Did they acknowledge my dog: No, but they were super busy.
Garden: No garden, little seating area outside which looks over Lion Green.
Pros: They didn’t bat an eyelid when I asked if Shadow could go up on the comfy seat with a rug.
Cons: Probably not the place to go with a dog that isn’t good with noise – it’s a family friendly place so at lunchtime on a school holiday Friday, it got quite noisy. 
Would I go back with my dog?: Yes, if I had just one or two with me. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Yes, says dogs welcome on the windows. 
Local Walks: A stones throw away from Hindhead Common which links with Devil’s Punchbowl. 

The Holly Bush, Frensham

The Holly Bush, Frensham

Style: Cosy Pub / Bar
Space: Cosy inside, good space outside, both patio area and grassed area. 
Time visited: Friday at 7.30pm. Busy but tables outside available.
Waterbowl / biscuits: Waterbowl’s available. 
Did they acknowledge my dog: A friend of the owner was obviously a whippet fan, so they got lots of fuss! 
Garden: Lovely grassed seating area on two levels, with the upper level having a street food truck where you could order cocktails. 
Pros: Shadow managed to jump up on the benches, right in front of one of the owners, and she really didn’t mind. 
Cons: As it was family friendly, there were lots of children running quite close to where the dogs were laying. Our dogs didn’t mind (we took 6 in total), however for an anxious dog, may be best to go when it’s quieter. 
Would I go back with my dog? Absolutely! 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Yes! Their instagram account has a plethora of dog visitors. 
Local walks: Just minutes away from Frensham Little Ponds. 
Car parking: Couldn’t see any for the pub, road parking available. 

The Links Tavern, Liphook

The Links Tavern, Liphook

Style: Smart Pub
Space: Fairly big with separate dining and bar area with more informal seating. 
Time visited: Saturday at 5.30pm, was quiet at this time but looked like it was getting busy as I left. 
Waterbowl / biscuits: Yes to both – they actually had a dog pic & mix bar with donations going towards a charity, and a ‘dog keg’ outside. 
Did they acknowledge my dog: Yes
Garden: Lovely grassed seating area
Pros: Were fine with the dogs being on the sofa/chair with a rug down. 
Cons: It’s next to a main road so it could get a bit noisy if you sit outside – although the grassed seating area is round the back.  
Would I go back with my dog? Yes, I’d be happy to take all of them. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Did I mention the dog keg outside? 
Local Walks: A lovely walk through heathland next to the Deers Hut pub, and Iron Hill both within 5 minutes drive. 
Car parking: Plenty of parking next to the pub.

The Dog & Pheasant, Brook

Style: Country Pub
Space: Cosy inside, good space outside
Time visited: Wednesday at 5.15pm, quiet. 
Waterbowl / biscuits: Dog bowl. I saw what seemed to be a regular offered biscuits, Boo didn’t get offered though.  
Did they acknowledge my dog: No
Garden: Nice raised patio with countryside views & also grassy nooks & children’s enclosed play area. 
Pros: The outside seating areas are lovely.  
Cons: Limited parking outside the pub, even when it was quiet. 
Would I go back with my dog? I have been before without the dogs and it’s a great local pub with good food but I’d probably not with the hounds, unless we sat in the garden. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Not really.  
Local Walks: National Trust site Witley Common is very close. 
Car parking: Limited parking outside the pub, even when it was quiet. There’s road parking across the main road. 

The Dog & Pheasant Pub, Brook

   The Britannia, Guildford Riverside

Obviously a little further out, but worth the trip!

Style: Modern Pub
Space: Fairly big with, good floor space
Time visited: Sunday at 1.45pm, it was busy outside (warm day). 
Waterbowl / biscuits: Yes to both. 
Did they acknowledge my dog: Yes, they were made to feel welcome. 
Garden: No garden however there was a patio at the front & shaded area at the back. 
Pros: Amazingly, they had a stack not only dog towels, but dog beds!
Cons: Limited parking when busy.   
Would I go back with my dog? Yes, I’d be happy to take all of them. 
Is it obviously dog friendly?: Absolutely! Apart from the dog beds, there’s a big ‘dog friendly’ sign outside. They also do ‘dog of the day’ on Instagram. 
Local Walks: Canal/river walk only a couple of minutes away, really lovely stroll.
Car parking: There’s paid parking at the front of the pub, but as it’s Guildford, it was busy – there is also additional parking just to the side. 

The Britannia, Guildford