And here is my Remington showing how much the vacuum is the enemy. Hopefully this entertaining video will provide some tax day relief!

Remington, you are the inspiration behind my logo and my career. You are the best model and do anything I ask of you for the perfect shot. You are the first dog I had on my own and have taught me many things I would have missed out on – like learning the unconditional love a pet can bring. Happy 4th Birthday, my baby boy!

Doggie Birthday Cake

1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1 cup shredded carrots (I placed in food processor for even quicker shredding)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with non stick spray. Combine the egg, peanut butter, applesauce, vanilla, and honey in a large bowl; blend well. Stir in the carrots and mix thoroughly. Sift together the flour and baking soda and fold into the carrot mixture. Don’t worry if the batter appears really thick – the recipe doesn’t call for water or any liquid, but it turns out great. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. I then used a combination of honey and peanut butter to frost the cake and decorated with a candle and bone-shaped treats.

And here is a fun and easy recipe for homemade dog treats that I made for Remington’s buddies at daycare.

Peanut Butter and Honey Homemade Dog Treats

1 1/2 tablespoons applesauce
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until the dough forms and then shape into small balls and place on cookie sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until treats are firm to the touch.

Scroll further down to see my handsome Remington who wanted to drop by and spread the cheer by modeling his Santa Paws look for the season. E-mail fixyourimages@hotmail.com to book a session – available weekdays and most weekends.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_Schnauzer

About
Miniature Schnauzers have a squarely proportioned build, measuring 12 to 14 inches tall and weighing 11 to 15 pounds for females and 14 to 18 pounds for males. They have a double coat. The exterior fur is wiry and the undercoat is soft. The coat is kept short on the body, but the hair on ears, legs, and belly are retained.

Miniature Schnauzers are often described as non-shedding dogs, and while this is not entirely true, their shedding is minimal and generally unnoticeable. They are characterized by a rectangular head with bushy beard, mustache and eyebrows; teeth that meet in a “scissor bite”; oval and dark colored eyes; and v-shaped, natural forward-folding ears (when cropped, the ears point straight upward and come to a sharp point). Their tails are naturally thin and short, and may be docked (where permitted). They will also have very straight, rigid front legs, and feet that are short and round.

Temperament
The Official Standard of the Miniature Schnauzer for the American Kennel Club describes temperament as “alert and spirited, yet obedient to command…friendly, intelligent and willing to please…should never be overaggressive or timid.” Usually easy to train, they tend to be excellent watchdogs with a good territorial instinct, but more inclined toward barking than biting. They are often aloof with strangers until the owners of the home welcome the guest, upon which they are typically very friendly to them. However, they will often express themselves vocally, and may bark to greet their owner, or to express joy, excitement, or displeasure.

The breed is generally good with children, but as with any dog, play with small children should be supervised. They are highly playful dogs, and if not given the outlet required for their energy they can become bored and invent their own “fun.” Miniature Schnauzers can compete in dog agility trials, obedience, showmanship, flyball, and tracking. Schnauzers have a “high prey drive” (appropriate for a ratting dog), which means they may attack other small pets such as birds, snakes, and rodents. Many will also attack cats, but this may be curbed with training, or if the dog is raised with cats.

History
The earliest records surrounding development of the Standard Schnauzer (or Mittelschnauzer) in Germany come from the late 19th century. They were originally bred to be medium-sized farm dogs in Germany, equally suited to ratting, herding, and guarding property and children.[citation needed] As time passed, farmers bred down the Standard Schnauzer into a smaller, more compact size perfect for ratting around the house and barn.[citation needed] Several small breeds were employed in crosses to bring down the size of the well-established Standard Schnauzer, with the goal of creating a duplicate in miniature.

Health and grooming
Adult black-and-silver with natural ears; the long eyebrows and full beard are trademark grooming characteristics

Lifespan
A UK Kennel Club survey puts the median lifespan of Miniature Schnauzers at a little over 12 years. About 20% lived to >15 years. While generally a healthy breed, Miniature Schnauzers may suffer health problems associated with high fat levels. Such problems include hyperlipidemia, which may increase the possibility of pancreatitis, though either may form independently. Other issues which may affect this breed are diabetes, bladder stones and eye problems. Feeding the dog low- or non-fatty and unsweetened foods may help avoid these problems. Miniature Schnauzers are also prone to comedone syndrome, a condition that produces pus filled bumps, usually on their backs, which can be treated with a variety of protocols. Miniature Schnauzers should have their ears dried after swimming due to a risk of infection, especially those with uncropped ears; ear examinations should be part of the regular annual check up.

Here are a few of my favorite miniature schnauzer photos from past shoots.

IslandTop Designs on Facebook
IslandTop Designs Website
E-mail Paula at paulanc@bellsouth.net and tell her I sent you!

Remington, as always, helps me market for other businesses and models products so very well.

From the Creator:

I love working with mixed metals, yellow brass, German silver (nickel), and copper. All my custom design tags are handmade by cutting sheet metal, hand stamping, soldering, polishing and using a protective sealer to protect the luster of your tag.

Steps to create ID tags:

• Preparing the metal first polish
• Many of the custom pieces are hand cut
• Stamping
• Soldering, bonding the metals
• Polishing- this polish is done in a tumbler for 18 hours
• Applying a patina, to enhance the detail on your tag
• More polishing, back in the tumbler for 12 hours
• Hand polish to bring out the bling
• Special cleaning to prepare the tag for sealer
• Applying a clear coat to protect your bling
• 24 hours of drying time and then put in a low temp own for 1 hour
• Shipping your tag

Mommy went inside for a moment and usually I follow her right in.  Buuuuuut….. she left that cup of something on the table along with the bag of carrots. Now in all my 3 years, Mommy & Daddy have left out some pretty yummy and tempting items at my reach, but they know I am SUCH a good boy, they don’t need to worry. And I have always behaved myself because that is a no-no to eat people food.

But what could it hurt if I just jumped up on the chair which was conveniently right next to the table with said carrots and what I later learned is called “ranch”. I was curious so I just smelled this little cup of something.

OH. MY. Now, THIS smelled delightful. I bet Mommy wouldn’t know if I just took a tiny lick. I mean afterall, she dips HER carrots in this stuff, so it must be OK.

Oops. Once I took one lick, I couldn’t help myself. I was beard-first into this cup of ranch. After I came to my senses I thought.. ummm…. thats OK, she probably wont even know I was in there.

I hear Mommy come near the door back outside (because dogs have AMAZING hearing) and when she gets outside she notices I am in the chair – I think I have an extremely guilty look on my face. Either that or the white greasy ranch that was covering my entire face from the nose down gave me away.

Uh oh. Busted.

She took me to the sink and hosed my beard down and even took me to my bed downstairs, closed the door and said I was given a time-out. Wow – Mommy has NEVER given me a time-out. This was serious.  I had a bit of a tummy ache later on that night and then realized doggies aren’t supposed to have certain people food apparently – that must be why she never let me have any. Silly me. But for any future offenders out there curious of that creamy dipping goodness – take my word for it – it’s yummy, but without thumbs, you really cant dip your carrots in it by yourself so what’s the point? Lesson learned!

As you can see, I am not only blessed with a wonderful dog, but he is such a perfectly willing model. He will always sit and stay when asked. (no matter how looooooong I play around with angles and make him wait for that rewarding treat) Hmmm nope, light isn’t right there – nope,  not there either – hmmmm not quite what I am looking for…. and he stays perfectly still the entire time.

Now let’s go in the grass surrounded by these cool lines of light shining through the fence.

How about just sitting there so I can take a vertical shot…

What about the hammock that you reeeeeeeeally don’t like because it has holes and your feet feel funny and unstable. Yes you even humored me for this.

And then you might have actually started to like it a little…

And then you fell asleep. Well, even the best models get tired of the camera!

You do the occasional unique photo request like – lay on your back, show me your belly – no thats TOO much – we dont want this to look like a Playdog cover – lets try it this way!

Or how about lets try under this chair… that seems abstract and different for once…. you humor me even though I know what you are really thinking with that “seriously Mom?” look in your eyes.

You sit perfectly still as long as it takes me to get situated.

You listen intently to my commands.

And you get extremely confused when I talk in a deep manly voice to mix things up.

And you even do the best Yoda impersonation I have ever seen. Bottom line – I love you Remington more than you will ever know. You were and still are my inspiration behind everything and anything pets. XOXO – Love your Mommy.

Website: http://www.baxterboo.com
Find Baxter Boo on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/dogclothes

Baxter Boo always has FREE SHIPPING on anything! They have a great selection of doggy clothing, beds, harnesses, collars, toys, grooming products, treats and MUCH more! They have a fantastic collection of Halloween costumes, but since Remington’s costume is a surprise, it can’t be revealed until after his daycare’s Halloween party on October 23!

My little furry son & model Remington helped me partner with Baxter Boo and he is pleased to show off some of their fantastic products.

Fisherman Cable Knit Hoodie
Find it on their website here.

Doggles – K9 Optics
Find it on their website here.