Tako- Deb’s best Booth Babe at the Hawaii PET EXPO
Kian-the world’s cutest labradoodle-Oahu Pet Photographer
Makamae making Deb laugh-Hawaii Pet Photos
Hokulani-”Who’s that dog in my stroller?”
Tako-”Wow! Hokulani is even more beautiful in person(or rather dog), I can’t believe I’m in her ride.”
Bongo, Hawaii’s best surfing dog visits Deb McGuire Pet Photographer. She says “Why am i here?, I would rather be at the beach!”
Mana, one of Deb’s calendar models stops by to say “Hey do you like my new hairdo?”
Sassy(one of Deb’s very first models) and Scooter finding the 200 pound mastiff far more interesting then getting their picture taken
Guliver experiencing his first PET EXPO. He’s one of Deb’s latest kitty models.
Deb posing with Mr. Peabody, see Deb’s photo in the background!!
Quasimodo-one of Deb’s very first models way back when.
Shy little Pearly Shell stops by to cuddle Deb
Bodi, Sunny and Fizzgig
To see more great shots of them , check out Deb’s website
Hokulani and Deb show off the Dogs of Hawaii Calendar that Hoku stars in.
Model Le’a is pretty in pink with Pet Photographer Deb McGuire
Aleka and Makana say “Hey Deb you’re looking the wrong way”
Kea the cover model for Deb Hawaii’s Pets book, my how she’s grown
Happy and Sandy pose with Deb. They had their shoot on Kahala Beach last summer.
Kenzie says “Get me out of this crazy lady’s arms.”
Sweet little Dini, Deb first photographed her when she was just 6 months old
Handsome little model Kea. To see more beautiful images of him check out deb’s website
As is our tradition, we spent Mother’s Day Weekend at the 2013 Hawaii Pet Expo with a bunch of new and old four and two-legged friends. We talked to thousands and signed up many for our annual Photo-shoot giveaway. We got lots of kisses and furry hugs. There was puppy breath (I love puppy breath).
The Pet Expo is like a reunion, and in fact, we photograph as many of our “alumni” as possible. I love them all!
I would be remiss if I did not mention the “Booth Babes.” Carolyn was super on Saturday morning. Todd was stellar on Sunday morning. Harri volunteered on Saturday to take early afternoon on Sunday. Harri brought Tako with her. Chuck pulled double duty both Saturday and Sunday afternoon. They were all so very wonderful, and we would have struggled without their help.
Tako gets the award for most valuable “Booth Babe.” At one point, I noticed some teen girls whispering and pointing toward the far corner of the booth. They were convinced that Tako was Hokulani. Apparently, that happened quite a bit. So much so, that when Harri asked about it, I told her go with it. Hoku would be flattered.
We love the Hawaii Pet Expo. It’s a lot of work but thanks to the efforts of Dr. Kam, her staff, the HVMA, and all the volunteers, the event is terrific. We are already planning for next year!
Reno and Rexyn strike a pose as Misters May in Deb McGuire 2013 Dogs of Hawaii Calendar
Mr. May is actually Misters May. The misters are Rotties, Rexyn and Reno. Rexyn and Reno are Hawaiian, bred and born.
Rexyn playing in the surf. Photo by dog photographer Deb McGuire
Rexyn is 5. He enjoys running on the beach and playing with his ball… or both. He is mischievous. He counter-surfs. He opens canisters and jars, and removes their contents without tipping the canister or jar. He’s talented and cute.
Reno is 12. Reno spends his golden days hanging out and relaxing. Of course, being the elder statesman, he has no bad habits.
Sand… What Sand? To see more adorable dog images click here
By the way, both Misters May were born in May. We had no idea when we were putting the calendar together… seems like Kismet.
Strolling on the beach on a sunny morning. Photo by Deb McGuire hawaii Pet Photographer
Alumni hugs at the Hawaii Pet Expo
In celebration of “National Pet Week” and “Be Kind to Animals Week,” Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association (HVMA) presents HAWAII PET EXPO 2013. The event happens at the Blaisdell on Saturday and Sunday, May 11 & 12. And Deb McGuire Pet Photographer will have a VERY LARGE booth!
This year’s theme: “Love Your Pet, See Your Vet.”
Hokulani in her Hawaiian garb! Notice that Hoku is Ms. July!
HAWAII PET EXPO 2013 encourages responsible pet ownership and seeks to strengthen the unique bond between people and their pets through educational displays, live animal demonstrations, and the latest in pet products and services.
Part of my family in the Booth
Pets are welcome – dogs must be leashed and pets must be under their owner’s control at all time.
I’ll be displaying my work, selling calendars and books, and giving away a photo session and enlargement! Our VERY LARGE booth will be located just inside the front door, if you look to your left you won’t miss us! Stop by and say ALOHA! We’ll be giving out lots of hugs and kisses to our furry friends!
Doggy kisses are the BEST!
Kian stops by to say, “Aloha!”
Look at Mango. She is obviously part Shar Pei. She is fawn colored with an obvious bump behind her nose, wrinkles on her forehead, and loose skin on her rear end. Most likely, Mango is Half Shar Pei.
Looking at Blarney, we see a Chocolate Lab. He appears to be mostly Chocolate Lab. His coat is red-brown; his nose is pink-brown; his forepaws are huge and webbed. He is mostly lab, but his fur seems short; he has light colored fur on a couple of paws. A lady at the Hawaii Kai Dog Park is convinced that he is part Doberman. When we look a Blarney, we see a Chocolate Lab.
Visit Hawaii Pet Photos, click here
I have often wondered about my dog’s heritage, and then, a client, now friend, contacted me. She had her dog Harley’s DNA tested. Harley’s results intrigued us. We ordered one kit and swabbed the inside of Mango’s cheek.
Now, I keep my husband out of the blog as much as possible, so I won’t address the fact that he not only studied genetics, but he actually understands the testing… despite the fact that he attended that famous Midwestern Catholic College that is known ONLY for its football program. IGNORE HIM! …I do. We (OK, so I did include the genetics geek) decided that we would test the laboratory. We would send Mango’s sample.
Mango trying to figure out why her dad is sticking something in her mouth that she can’t eat. To see more attractive photos of Mango check out my website
Mango’s Results:
Mango examines her DNA breed test kit
We received the results. Mango is half Shar Pei. SURPRISE… not! According to the test, Mango is a quarter American Eskimo Dog. REALLY?! WELL THEN, WHERE DID THE DONKEY EARS COME FROM?! The rest of her is Poi a.k.a MUTT!!! From that point, it is about percentages. The last quarter of Mango appears to be Cocker Spaniel… NO POINTY EARS! Or Argentine Dogo… SHORT POINTY EARS! Or German Pinscher… MAYBE ON THE EARS?! There was a chance of Borzoi or a chance of Akita… we won’t go there. Did a Donkey or a bunny get in the yard with the Shar Pei?!
And so, we thought, “they got it at least half right, so we would submit Blarney.
Blarney having his DNA sample taken.Photo by Oahu Pet Photographer Deb McGuire
Blarney’s Results:
Blarney anxiously awaits his turn to be swabbed. Photo by Deb McGuire Pet Photography
We joke that Mango is the product of an over-achieving Chihuahua. I received Blarney’s results. HOKULANI!
“What?”
“Blarney has a trace of Pomeranian.”
“Blarney is 24 inches at his shoulders and weighs 80 pounds!”
“I know! Isn’t it great, he and Hokulani are related!!”
As shocking as that is, even more shocking, Blarney is NOT a Lab. Every vet, every pet professional looked at Blarney and said, “Chocolate Lab.” Apparently, Blarney is a VERY, VERY LARGE Vizsla mix… with no LAB.
Vizsla! Vizslas are Hungarian. I am half Hungarian… literally right off the boat… IT WAS MEANT TO BE!!!
Blarney also has a bit of Poodle, which would make him a Vizsla-poodle as opposed to a Labradoodle. Hello, he has a chance to be related to Kian!
“Standard Poodle?!”
“Yes, and get this, Norwich Terrier!”
“So, our big dog might have Pomeranian, or Norwich Terrier, or POODLE?!”
“Well, he could also have Greyhound or Weimaraner.”
I see Weimaraner, but I am dubious when they talk Pomeranian, Norwich Terrier, or Standard Poodle. POMERANIAN… I love Hokulani, but Blarney and Hokulani DO NOT LOOK LIKE THEY COULD BE RELATED!
I think I’ll test the cats next!
Loving Fine Art America and Hawaii photographers!
I thought: “They can’t be serious… you can’t make this stuff up!’
Apparently, a Chihuahua got loose on Honolulu’s H-1 Freeway this morning and caused quite a delay as he evaded HPD’s finest.
From HawaiNewsNow:
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – If you were stuck in traffic on the H-1 headed westbound on Thursday morning, it wasn’t because of an accident or stalled vehicle… It wasn’t even because of a car.
Police stopped traffic near the Liliha Street overpass as what appeared to be a stray chihuahua ran rampant across the freeway, crisscrossing lanes as officers, on foot and on motorcycles, tried to get their hands on the dog.
It took nearly 20 minutes, but finally, officers were able to grab a hold of the dog and lead him to safety, allowing traffic to reopen.
Other than making folks late for work, I think the whole idea of HPD trying to corner a runaway Chihuahua is quite funny.
Duke a.k.a. Mr. April by Hawaii Pet Photographer Deb McGuire
Duke is Mr. April.
Duke is six. He is loved. His pet parents rescued him in Georgia. His pet parents had wanted to adopt him when they first met him but he was not available.Then, six months later, the pet parents happened to be in a Pet Store and there was Duke. The foster family kept him for six months, and then, kicked him to the curb… HOW DO PEOPLE DO THAT?!
Enter Duke’s parents.
Duke was featured in Hawaii’s Pet Book by pet photographer Deb McGuire
Duke loves to eat. He loves to sleep. Sleeping and eating are Duke’s favorite hobbies. Also, Duke talks. His parents aren’t quite sure what he says, but he talks.
Duke is secure with his sexuality. He had no problem wearing a hula skirt… of course, treats were involved. Remember, Duke loves to eat.
We love Duke, and that is part of the reason that he is Mr. April.
Duke strikes a pose at Manoa Falls with his brother Primo and ex-girlfriend Remi
Black Magic Scarlet McGuire celebrates her 11th birthday
Magic is turning eleven, today. Our little alarm clock is eleven. Living with Magic means never missing a sunrise.
Weekdays at the international headquarters of Hawaii Pet Photography are routine. At 4:30 a.m., Tim rises, goes to the bathroom, turns on bathtub faucet as a fountain for Magic, and, then, goes to the kitchen to feed the cats. The dogs go for a walk or a run or both. Magic is waiting not so patiently. Her turn comes minutes later. Magic goes for her walk. Weekdays are routine.
Weekends… well, as much as we would like to catch up on sleep… weekends are not supposed to be routine. Magic disagrees, vehemently disagrees. Magic wakes at her normal time. If 4:30 is the right time to wake on a weekday, then it’s the right time to wake on weekends. Weekends should be routine. If we don’t wake up right away, Magic meows… a loud, plaintive, nerve-end-fraying meow. If that doesn’t work, Magic starts rattling the door. She has excellent paw dexterity. She uses her paws to rattle the door. She meows and rattles, rattles and meows simultaneously. If we open the door, Magic scales our bamboo headboard. She stops mid-headboard. She gargoyles. If that doesn’t work, Magic works her claws on the mattress.
Magic, our little alarm clock, is eleven today. Seems like only yesterday, that she was tugging at the end of an extension cord… and making us laugh, making us love her.
We love our Magic… We love her very much.
Who wouldn’t be tempted to poach some pollen from these beauties?
Several years ago, I climbed Machu Picchu. At altitude, your brain and body works in funny ways; so, after a couple days climbing the mountain, we took a break. We each grabbed a magnifying glass. We hiked amongst the orchids. We learned more about orchids than we should probably admit here… since friends who read this blog are already dealing with the image of the two of us bent over orchids with large, geeky magnifying glasses examining various orchid species. I blame it on the altitude.
These two orchids have that certain something that could entice pollen thieves
A couple years later, I placed orchids in my courtyard. Hawaii and tropical plants seemed a match. My first attempt failed because apparently one places vice plants ones orchids. My second attempt did work because I placed them. See, orchids are air plants. WHO KNEW?! They grew until our dogs pulled them up.
Another Orchid Species
So, less out of interest and more from guilt, I found myself at the 2013 Windward Orchid Show. I carried a camera and very little money. The former to take photos as a sort of penance to the orchid gods; the latter, well, no money, no plants; no plants, no chance for our dogs, no matter how well meaning, to kill them.
So many orchids, So little time… Where would an orchid poacher start?!
Some exhibitors went so far as to disguise their orchids as fuzzy balls
As I walked around with my Canon strapped around my neck, I perceived suspicious eyes looking my way.
“Why,” I thought, “would orchid exhibitors be suspicious of a pet photographer?” I asked someone.
“They are not suspicious of your camera, they are suspicious of you. “
“Why would they be suspicious of me?”
“Pollen theft. They don’t know you, they think you might be here to steal the pollen.”
“People steal the pollen?!”
Apparently, they do. Pollen, particularly from prizewinning varieties, is particularly valuable to orchid aficionados. WHO KNEW?! I wondered aloud why then the exhibitors wouldn’t harvest the valued pollen themselves.
“Wilting. If you take the pollen, the orchid thinks that it has been pollinated and the flower wilts.” It seems most people realize that the pollen poachers will claim their prize, but the exhibitors still try to keep it from happening. And thus they cast a wary eye on outsiders like me.
“They need pollen police,” I said. Then, I remembered Koda, a member of the USDA Beagle Brigade that I met when I first arrived at the Windward Orchid Show. “Koda can probably sniff out pollen. He could check everyone for stolen pollen as they leave.”
Of course, Koda already has a job.
Koda could be the answer to policing orchid pollen poaching
A basket full of cuteness by Honolulu puppy photographer Deb McGuire
National Puppy Day, recognized on March 23rd annually, celebrates magical, unconditional love our puppies share with us. Moreover, Puppy Day is a day to focus on all the orphaned puppies who need homes. It’s a time to educate the public about the importance of spaying and neutering and about the horrors of puppy mills. We can imagine a nation of puppy-free pet stores.
Pomeranian puppies posing on the sea wall in Honolulu by Deb McGuire Pet Photographer
Colleen Paige founded National Puppy Day in 2006. Colleen previously founded National Dog Day and National Cat Day.
Labradoodle puppy running at full speed by Deb McGuire Pet Photography
National Puppy Day is part of the Animal Miracle Foundation (AMF), a non-profit organization offering financial assistance and educational programs ranging from pet cancer to fire safety and travel safety for kids and pets alike. AMF also hosts holiday festivals and trade shows and brings local shelter pets to these events to help them a forever home.
To see more adorable lab pups visit Hawaii Pet Photos
