As part of our ongoing photography commitment to the WA Dingo Association, Suzie (our native animal handler) and I returned to the home of Darren and Leigh to photograph their new family members -  Osirus, Isis, Jarrah & Baldr, their four little dingo pups! With Loxie (the best dingo mum ever) looking on, Suzie and I took a series of studio shots of the three week old bundles of fluff. Their eyes were open, but their vision hadn’t quite kicked in yet and as with adult dingoes, they were very fresh and clean – being native wolves they don’t have that ‘doggy’ smell that unwashed or damp pooches can sometimes get. They were also twice the size a dog puppy would be at the same age – part of their inbuilt evolution, being that only the strongest survive, so pups in the wild have to grow rapidly to be able to fend for themselves.

At the end of the photo session, I was presented with a lovely certificate of appreciation and bright beautiful bunch of flowers by Daz, the President of the WADA. Thanks so much Daz, Leigh and Barb (whose daughter made up the flower arrangement!) – I’m hard to surprise, but you certainly did just that, and the certificate will take pride of place in my studio.

Suzie, and I (accompanied by Erin) have since taken another set of studio pics showing the pups at 5 weeks of age. And we’ll be returning at fortnightly intervals to fully chronicle the changes in the pups over time, which is a first as far as we know!

I feel very privileged to not only document the pups’ growth but to get a fortnightly fix of dingo pup kisses and hugs. I’m always greeted by them running over and jumping around on my leather boots, chewing at the laces! So special to have access to them and to be trusted with them too!

Here are some of the three week old pup pics (and Loxie)! Plus you can read our earlier blog about the dingo day photo shoot here.