Sur Nicholas McLovin and Sierra

There are so many places to start with this story that I'm not sure where to begin. I guess I'll start with Sur Nicholas McLovin, aka Sur. I actually met Sur about two-and-a-half years ago when I was volunteering with the Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas. He was being fostered by fellow volunteers - now his parents - and was fighting a horrible battle with Mange. He was struggling for his life but fortunately found a great couple that provided wonderful care and love. This is what Sur looked like before...And this is Sur now. Isn't he stunning?Too often, the "ugly" dogs (especially Pits and Pit-mixes) are overlooked and left behind at shelters around the country. I love Sur's story because it shows that the ugly duckling can turn into a swan! Through Sur's recovery, a strong bond formed between he and his dad. His dad owns a dog walking and training business and Sur has been instrumental in helping him perfect his training abilities. In fact, we took some time to photograph some of his training techniques for his developing website. The exercise on the right is called Pushing and is part of Natural Dog Training. Sur's dad uses these giant boulders during his training sessions and they were just to pretty to pass by. Time for a photo opp!This session wasn't just about Sur. His sister joined in too! Her name is Sierra and she is just the sweetest ol' lady ever!Sur may be daddy's dog but Sierra is definitely momma's girl. Some of Sierra's mom's favorite traits about her are...

1 - She always raises her paw to get your attention

2 - Her teeth!!!3 - She has a great body wag and bounce4 - Her play bow. I'm so glad we captured them all!!!This whole family makes me want to squeal!!! Love them and they are the epitome of dog people!Sierra looks gorgeous in this picture but I think she was ready for a nap! :)And I'll finish off with more of Sur balancing on things...

Thank you so much for a wonderful session! I'm so thrilled to see how far Sur has come and I hope he inspires others to take a second look at the "ugly" doggy in the window.