Andy and Cody are rescued Lab x German Shepherd mixes and the canine pair behind Paws N Motion, a dog training and exercise company based in Minneapolis.  They are amazingly well-trained, incredibly sweet, and have such a sense of humor that I couldn’t stop laughing while I was photographing them.  I have met Andy before and assumed Cody was an exact replica, since they are littermates — I was wrong!  Andy is leaner with a narrower face and has a yellow undertone to his coat, while Cody is slightly bulkier with a downy, bluish-black coat.  When in doubt, Cody is the one with his blue ball (he’s a fetch monster!).

I absolutely love photographing pets in their own home — it allows pets to be themselves and gives us flexibility to photograph both inside and out.  All I need is 1 bright window to take beautiful portraits inside (although more doesn’t hurt). 🙂

Cody and Andy took turns modeling on the bed — I adore these first few images.  They have such beautiful, soulful eyes.

We spent most of our time in the backyard, where we had tons of fun.  Sarah and Tom (the human team of Paws N Motion) have home-made agility obstacles that the dogs were anxious to showoff!

I love Andy’s grace and confidence — he makes jumping hurdles look effortless!

Side-by-side comparison: Andy and Cody.  Lean and yellow vs. fluffy and blue.

Quiz time: Who is this below?

Yup, it’s Andy!

I was having portrait time with Andy when Cody snuck up behind him.  Ha!

Oh, I almost forgot — Andy and Cody have two kitty sisters — Tyra and Naomi (aka Bub and Bear, if I recall correctly).  They escaped the house to do a little grazing and lounging in the backyard.

Thanks for having me over, boys!  You were a delight to pet, play with, and photograph!  If you dog needs a little (or a lot) of help with any behavioral issue or has extra energy to burn, I highly recommend checking out Paws N Motion — they do amazing work!!