The Civilized Hound

09/09/2026

All of the iPaws Happy Ratters photos are now live! You can view and purchase your photos here:

https://thecivilizedhound.smugmug.com/IPaws-Happy-Ratters-August-2026

09/08/2026

So excited for this weekend!

09/07/2026

This week I am looking for dogs that can reliably do a head tilt!

What you will receive: Free mini session and one free digital image

Session will take place THIS WEEK in Urbana, IL OR I *may* have time on Friday in Wilkinson, IN before or after Friday's dock event.

Share your dogs best head tilt in the comments!

Opportunity for free sessions! Read for more details:

I am currently enrolled in a photography course, and part of that course is taking photos that match specific prompts. While I have four dogs of my own that I could use for these challenges/prompts, I wanted to open the door to others who may be interested.

Photos will take place in Urbana, IL (and maybe also Champaign). The challenges are timed (each lasts roughly two weeks), and I would like to photograph different dogs for each challenge (a total of up to 11). These would be very non-traditional shoots, and may only take 15-30 minutes (likely no longer than that).

Please post a photo of your dog, along with their name and something unique about them in the comments if this is something you'd be interested in. Aesthetics are important for these challenges, so don't be upset if your pup is not selected. Each challenge is roughly two weeks long, with the final prompt being in October.

If there is a month that would work best for you, since this is drawn out over several, please include that in your comment!

The ideal candidate will have a solid "stay" command. For some of the challenges I will also need dogs that will get up on top of things (things to be determined), able to reliably head tilt, play in water, and/or be comfortable in an urban/city setting that will potentially be busy.

The session will be free, and will include ONE digital image back (with the possibility of purchasing additional images from your session).

09/02/2026

Due to the heat this week/weekend, I am rescheduling Sunday's portrait sessions! Everyone who booked has been contacted. I will instead be moving these sessions to OCTOBER 11th! I do still have a couple of time slots available if anyone else is interested!

08/31/2026

Had a great time at the iPaws Happy Ratters event in Maryville this weekend! I'll be working on sorting photos and getting them uploaded as time allows throughout the week! I hope to have the first of the gallery requests up starting tomorrow evening, if all goes to plan!

08/26/2026

Happy National Dog Day! ❤️❤️❤️

- The Civilized Hound

08/23/2026

Only four spots left!

I am officially opening reservations for my portrait sessions at Forest Park in St Louis on September 6th! Limited spots available, so reserve yours now!

8 AM - RESERVED
8:30 AM - RESERVED
9 AM - OPEN
9:30 AM - OPEN
10 AM - OPEN
10:30 AM - RESERVED
11 AM - RESERVED
11:30 AM - OPEN

08/20/2026

If my math is right, I photographed a total of 69 dogs over the weekend at The Big Flood event. Of those, 90% of owners have already requested galleries! I'm roughly five galleries short of the halfway point, and will be continuing to work through them as quickly as possible while maintaining the level of quality I strive to provide. Still waiting on yours? Feel free to check out the other galleries that are already live! Want to know where you're at in my queue? Just shoot me a message and I'll be happy to let you know how many are ahead of you!

View all galleries here:

08/18/2026

The photos from the Memorial Throw are now up. They are at the following dropbox link, as I am unable to make photos free on my typical image hosting site.

These photos are completely free, it does not feel right to charge for something like this. I sobbed while watching the throws, and cried even more while sorting and getting the photos up. The Memorial Throw was like nothing I've ever experienced. The air was full of sorrow, and then so full of love with every throw. I could feel the dogs there and imagine them launching themselves off the dock as each bumper and toy made their way into the water.

Thank you so much for letting me document this beautiful memorial event. I have so much love for all of you.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/rceizbsikrxa0gdlhksu9/AMeAqbsUYM1q89hRtTH3SsI?rlkey=no5bcc0ncsq4p81siq59hksc3&st=49mjd6la&dl=0

08/18/2026

I'm so honored that several of my photos are being used on the Happy Ratters website! Happy Ratters has quickly become one of my favorite games to play with my dog, and it's just as fun to photograph! If you've never heard of it, you should definitely check out their newly updated website, here: https://happyratters.com/