A Boy and his Best Friend: A German Shepherd Dog

When Luke’s mom, Danielle, told me about the special bond he had with his 3-year-old German Shepherd Dog, TAGS (Totally Awesome German Shepherd), I was excited to meet them and photograph the two of them together. Not only do I love photographing dogs, but I love capturing the special relationship they have with their people. And this truly is a special relationship. Luke is only 9-years-old, but he is TAGS primary caretaker, responsible for feeding, walking him, training and grooming him (with help from mom and dad, as needed). Luke absolutely adores TAGS and the feeling is mutual.

Luke is one of eight children, and when you have that many children, it takes a little creativity and extra effort to make each one feel special. So you figure out what each one really loves and focus on that. Knowing how much Luke loves TAGS, his mom thought a photo shoot of the two of them would be perfect—all the attention would be on TAGS and Luke, with no younger or older siblings competing for attention. When Danielle told Luke about the photo session, his face lit up, and he said, “Really? Just the two of us? Can we do it tomorrow?” How amazing is that, how special do you think it make him feel, and how much will he always remember the photo shoot and treasure the photos from it.

Ellen Zangla Photography—Specializing in pets and the people who love them.

Professional Photographers of America: 2015 Silver Medal Photographer of the Year

Voted “Best Photographer in Loudoun County” 2015 and 2016