Cleo in the leaves

[o hey tyler]

Well, before I link to the photo, I'd like to provide a bit of a backstory. This is my dog, Cleopatra (Cleo for short). We named her after the Egyptian Leader and because the Egyptians worshiped Greyhounds.

We got Cleo shortly after our first Greyhound Zippi (the Pinhead) had passed. Visually, they're almost identical. Fawn color, small-ish size (as far as greyhounds go), and lighter colored paws. Temperament wise, they're completely different. Zippi was mostly concerned with being the Alpha dog; always in the lead; always in control. Whereas Cleo is much more reserved and quiet (we had to train her to bark, if that gives you any idea). She loved to run just as much as she loves to lay on her bed all day, sometimes on her back with her legs in the air.

However, for the past 4 years, Cleo's health has been deteriorating. She's never liked the click of the shutter ever since I picked up Digital SLR photography. She's always trots off whenever I come near with my camera, so it's rare to catch a moment with her that she doesn't look vulnerable. I've tried for a long time to get a photo I was really satisfied with of my dog. I want her to be around forever, but I know that the reality of the matter is that the Prednizone that we're feeding her to fight her seasonal allergies will eventually be the thing that kills her.

I wasn't able to take a good photo of my first Greyhound, or even be with her when Pancreatic Cancer took her life. I was in the hospital too, in rough shape. Suffering from malnutrition and dehydration while in the midst of a hiking trip 200 miles away.

So, anyways. That was the backstory, and here's the photo. This is my dog, Cleopatra:

 

[stephras07]

She's beautiful. I love the lighting and colors. She stands out well, especially the shape of her face.

I am sorry to hear about Zippi, that must have been incredibly hard. I was away in college when my dog had to be put down from cancer as well. I wish that I had pictures of him too. This will be a photo to treasure!

 

[oldmacman]

Beautiful shot and nice focus and light on her head.

 

[NikonNewbie]

wow, that was a really sad story sir...
she is a beautiful dog, how old is she? I have to say it's a great pic of her, I hope you like it.
Its sad to lose a pet, and too know your losing one is even harder.
Prednisone is a massive immune F'er Up'er...while it's helping with inflamation it's slowly destroying everything else.
Take good care of her.

 

[o hey tyler]

wow, that was a really sad story sir...
she is a beautiful dog, how old is she? I have to say it's a great pic of her, I hope you like it.
Its sad to lose a pet, and too know your losing one is even harder.
Prednisone is a massive immune F'er Up'er...while it's helping with inflamation it's slowly destroying everything else.
Take good care of her.

She recently turned 10 in August. Greyhounds don't generally have a long life expectancy, but they make wonderful, and loving pets.

Between 15,000-30,000 Greyhounds are killed each year because they are no longer seen as "profitable racers". Most of the Greyhounds killed are under the age of 4. When they're raced, they are kept in cages for 22.5-23 hours of the day, where the cages are so small that they often lose hair on their hind quarters due to constant contact of the walls.

 

[kelbow]

Beautiful photo of Cleo
Greyhounds are hard to capture because of their thin face. You got her enjoying the sunny day, looking and thinking elsewhere, rather than the worried and annoyed look of a dog when they want to get away from the camera. And you also captured her looking peaceful.

The square cropping is, as always, an elegant and successful touch. I wish her feet were in the frame, but I'm almost too focused on her face to care!

 

[LightSpeed]

I'd have never expected this from you. I had a similar situation that started in 2001. My pup got sick and was misdiagnosed. They treated her with Prednisone which in turn caused steroid induced diabetes and cataracts. I then had to administer insulin twice a day to keep her blood sugar down for the rest of her life. She passed in april of 2007. A piece of me died that day. I'm sorry for you and wish you didn't have to go through this. I know what I went through, so I'll say a prayer for Cleo. And one for you. She's a beautiful dog Tyler and great image.

 

[Tulsa]

From another dog lover... Great shot, good job on the focus. I would almost like to see a different crop, her hind leg and the background is too dark for me, but maybe it works with the rest of the picture. I dont know.

 

[NikonNewbie]

wow, that was a really sad story sir...
she is a beautiful dog, how old is she? I have to say it's a great pic of her, I hope you like it.
Its sad to lose a pet, and too know your losing one is even harder.
Prednisone is a massive immune F'er Up'er...while it's helping with inflamation it's slowly destroying everything else.
Take good care of her.

She recently turned 10 in August. Greyhounds don't generally have a long life expectancy, but they make wonderful, and loving pets.

Between 15,000-30,000 Greyhounds are killed each year because they are no longer seen as "profitable racers". Most of the Greyhounds killed are under the age of 4. When they're raced, they are kept in cages for 22.5-23 hours of the day, where the cages are so small that they often lose hair on their hind quarters due to constant contact of the walls.

She's 10? wow, she looks really young in the picture...could be me...my guy is only 3, and his life expectancy is 10-12 years, but he was a rescue (got him as a pup) and he's in bad shape with his hips.
I have several friends who have rescued Greyhounds, one in particular has 3, and plans to adopt more.
She's very pretty Tyler.