Pet Photographer Focuses On The Diversity Of Canine Lifestyles In "A Dog's Life” Series

Dog owners know that most pooches have a possessive nature. Once a dog considers something as theirs, they like to place it in their pile of things and if they like you, they may present you with one of the favourite objects. Each and every pooch has it’s own personality and the things that represent them can be based on their likes and dislikes. In a world that’s growing evermore conscious of diversity amongst humans, why not apply our understanding to animals as well? Alicia Rius uses her skills in animal portrait photography to capture different dog’s lifestyles through the objects that the animal itself consider it’s personal possessions. As each canine’s temperament differs, their favourite things reflect the inner workings of their minds and reveal a little bit about their daily lives.  More info: Instagram | AliciaRius

#1 THE PRINCESS - Lola Rose / Maltese Shih Tzu mix, 1.3 years old

Image Source: AliciaRius Lola Rose is a white Maltese Shih Tzu mix. She is a very spoiled dog that has her own Instagram profile and she’s very much treated as the princess of the house.

#2 THE FETCHER - Knuckles / Australian Shepherd, 7 years old

Image Source: AliciaRius The Australian Shepherd is a very high-energetic breed that is well known for their intelligence and their obsession to fetch just anything. Knuckles most definitely fits that breed standard; hence, the frisbees and medals that show how good he is when he competes. Rius claims to be an avid dog lover in a statement, in which she explained, "Just like humans, dogs form attachments to their personal possessions and can give the viewer deeper insight into their identity. The items that shape their daily routine, that they carry, keep, and even eat- give us a glimpse into their hearts and minds. They show us what makes them most proud or happy and even puts their vulnerability on display. Capturing the things that mean the most to them also captures the heart of the viewer as the dog’s life is fully exposed in one image."

#3 THE STRAY - Marmaduke / Shar Pei Pitbull mix, 7.5 years old

Image Source: AliciaRius Here is Marmaduke, the street dog. He is a rescued Pitbull mix. Because of his breed, he was abandoned and lived on the streets to survive as a scavenger. Life on the streets is very rough, tiresome, and hopeless. So I knew I had to capture his journey in his eyes next to all the rotten food which was basically what he ate before being rescued.

#4 THE BEST IN SHOW - Zig / Afghan Hound, 3 years old

Image Source: AliciaRius Here is Zig, the Afghan Hound that spends most of his days competing in dog shows to compete (and win!) the All-Breed Show title. This is an event where dogs are judged as to how closely each CONFORMS (hence the term "conformation") to its own breed's written standard of perfection. Talking about her inspiration behind this particular form of photography and how long she has been exprimenting with it, Rius mentioned, "I came up with this idea over three years ago (2014). At that time, knolling (overhead photography) was trending. People would arrange their personal possessions on the floor and take a photo from above. I really liked the approach because by looking at the objects people could get to know quite a bit about the individual who was taking the photo. I thought that it would be really cool to do the same... but with dogs. So, this year I decided to do it."

#5 THE SENIOR - Magda / Cocker Spaniel Dachshund mix, 13.3 years old

Image Source: AliciaRius Meet Magda, the very old dog. Her foster mom told me her story about how ill she was when she was surrendered at the shelter. Since then, Magda has endured a journey of vet visits, medications, skin treatments, daily injections, all to get her back on her feet. But despite her painful story, she is fueled by love and hope.

#6 THE NEUROTIC - Bear / English Bulldog, 4.5 years old

Image Source: AliciaRius English Bulldogs are known for their stubbornness and sometimes get frustrated when they don’t get what they want. So how does he channels all that frustration? By chewing everything he can! Rius expanded on her reasoning behind choosing to focus on the everyday objects that define a dog's life for this series, "I wanted to go even deeper and focus on specific objects that, within an instant, anyone can understand the dog’s style of living. With us as human beings, things all around us, such as our belongings, what we like, what we enjoy doing, the music we listen to, the things we read, and even the things we must do no matter what defines who we are. The same applies to dogs. But sometimes it isn’t much of what they have, but rather an object or scene that surrounds them which enhances their personalities and tells you more about who they are."