It’s not “say cheese.” For this pup-perfect photo, it’s more like “say chews.”
This week, 23 golden retrievers sat on the banks of Nanaimo River to pose for a shot that’s getting a lot of attention online.
Posing a large number of pooches is a tradition that Kim Sirett, owner of the local dog-walking business, Pooch Pack Adventures, started 11 years ago. Some photos are for fun, some for charity, and all of them pretty adorable.
Surprisingly, getting these golden retrievers to pose is a lot easier than herding cats.
“We practise some obedience along the way while we’re hiking them, so they do know that we have some rules and boundaries,” said Sirett.
She walks a mix of dogs daily for her business, giving them long outdoor adventures that end with a dip in the river.
“They get their experience, then get their energy earned, and then we get the group photo when they’re a little more focused.”
Still, getting 23 dogs to pose politely requires a few tricks.
“We make sounds: squeaking … gurgling,” Sirett said. “Anything that’s out of the ordinary to get them to look at the camera. We use treats, so we ask them all to sit and stay, then line them up side by side. They perform for us because I guess we’re their favourite person of the day.”
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jordan.kawchuk@blackpress.ca
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