Meet Charis
My Studio Assistant
If you follow me on Instagram, you probably have seen way too many photos of this girl and this blog post is not news to you. BUT, instagram is really the only place I’ve shared much about our newest family member, Charis. (Well there was that one night she went missing and I posted on Facebook for help finding her and the post was shared over 1k times… whaaaat? And we DID find her!)
So for those of you who haven’t been formally introduced…
Meet Charis!
Charis is our Silver Weimaraner puppy. She was born back in June which makes her the ripe age of 8 months. We had a long journey to bring her home but after about a year of searching for a breeder who best fit what we were looking for, and unexpectedly delaying our puppy pick-up by about 9 months, we finally made the trip to Erie, PA to get our sweet girl! We are proud to be owners of a Shade of Grey Weimaraner and we love being a part of the SOG family!
We love the Weimaraner breed because they are extremely loyal and loving dogs. I love the short hair, low-maintenance coat and Tommy loves the high-energy and exercise-partner potential. I swear Weimaraners think of themselves as humans, and it’s the best ever!
This wasn’t our first time searching for a breeder and picking up a puppy, but it was the first time we were able to go TO the breeder’s kennels and see the space where the puppies and mamas lived. I was pleasantly surprised (and honestly proud) to see the cleanliness of the facilities and also the loving demeanor of the caretakers.
We met Charis in the afternoon and were able to let her sleep overnight there with her family before we picked her up the next morning for the 8hr trip back home. The trip home was uneventful and she did very well. I couldn’t ask for more!
Since she has been with us, we have gone on almost-daily walks in the woods, I’ve cleaned pee out of her kennel countless times, we keep a close eye on her weight (it’s difficult to keep weight on Weim pups!), and she is beginning to ride with us in the car to all the places! It has been a wonderful 5 months with this beautiful girl and she was the PERFECT cure for our baby fever! She is affectionate, loving, eager-to-please, and our little shadow!
Needless to say, we love her!
Here are a few of my favorite pictures of her throughout the past 6 months.
Charis was at home with us for about 2 months before we sent her to Sadie’s Rules K9 Training in Nellysford, VA. There she stayed in the home of her trainer, Jess, for 5 weeks while Jess taught her basic manners, how to find her calm, and worked through some separation anxiety Charis was already showing (this is a common issue of her breed).
Our experience with Jess at Sadie’s Rules was phenomenal and I have nothing but raving reviews to share. This was our first time investing in professional training and I can tell you that it has made a HUGE difference in our home life with Charis. I don’t know that I ever want to bring another puppy home without plans for formal training. Now that Charis is a full grown teenager-puppy, when she is not in command she is W.I.L.D. She will fly over furniture, lose her footing and slide into walls, and chew chew chew ‘til the cows come home. Having a command that essentially means “calm yourself, child!” has been priceless.
We cannot thank Jess enough for her hard work with Charis. It’s been a game changer!
Charis with her trainer, Jess, at her “Go Home” Session
Once Charis has a little more practice, she will stay in the studio near my desk during sessions. This may not be for another year or so as we are still working on teaching her to ignore distractions and training her in the midst of working with clients is not something I am willing to do. But I think it’s okay to give her the official title of Studio Assistant for now… because I’m the boss and I can do what I want… right?! Haha!
If you come by the studio and you want to meet her, let me know! I am always happy to invite her in temporarily for greetings. It’s good practice for her, too. :)
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Liz Cook is a motherhood, baby and wedding photographer in Central Virginia. She loves to photograph emotional and storytelling portraits, the details of parenthood, and fun and easygoing couples in love. If you are interested in working with Liz, simply fill out the quick form here.
