Welcome to The Wet Nose Studio logo! 

We’ve been working on this for a while. And what I mean by we is the amazing Anita Foy of Anita Caricatures, who kindly and with an abundance of talent created the original wet nose, my heart dog Holly, featured as the main part of the logo. 

Anita, who is mom to Chewie, a cute little chocolate poodle, kindly accepted the challenge of bringing my Holly to life in a cartoon world. I sent her emails with pictures of Holly's happy head and pretty big nose. Several drafts and hours later my logo started to take shape. 

The Wet Nose logo means so much...

The name Wet Nose represents so much about how my new business has been born. While visiting the pound to meet dogs waiting to be reclaimed or rehomed, I have photographed many wet noses of all shapes, sizes and colours. They stuck their noses through the mesh to greet me, they sniffed the air around me like I was the tastiest giant beef burger, they nuzzled my hand with their cold wet noses, they snuggled them into my neck, and always the last thing to see of each lost little warm heart was their wet nose peeping through the door. I loved them all and they have carried me to where I am today.

The colours I have incorporated into the logo were inspired by Holly's favourite octopus toy that she's had since coming to live with me three years ago. They are vibrant and bold - they represent a wet noses personality perfectly - their warm hearts, their loving spirits, their positive energy, and  their colourful attitude to life. 

The cheerful font you will see in the logo and presented in my photographs, marketing materials and all that is Wet Nose represents the fun side of my business. We believe in our woofers enjoying their sessions, doing what they do best, and well, being themselves.

Round logos are a favourite of mine and I'm pretty sure that we will change the style of our logo to fit in with different design schemes as we grow but my heart dog holly will always feature.

Finally I would like to say a big huge monstrous thank you to Anita and Chewie who somehow found some time in a busy schedule to meet with Holls & I at the studio. It was our pleasure!

Today I'm saying a little about the Greyhound Rescue Association of Ireland. Firstly let me give a big huge monstrous shout out to the truly amazing people behind the two year young organisation. Pointy noses walked with all different shapes and sizes yesterday in the city centre to raise a much needed awareness of the welfare of racing greyhounds in Ireland.

Well known artists within their field came together with the GRAI and other dog lovers to share a common interest; to promote greyhounds as pets.

Racing greyhounds retire at an early age, usually between three and four years young. Greyhounds like many other pedigree dogs will have a typical life span of fourteen years. They may be retired early due to injuries sustained during racing or because they're not fast enough to win prize money. They find themselves surplus to requirements and indeed many greyhound pups never even make it to the track for various reasons. 

A great many of these beautiful, healthy and fit dogs are either abandoned or destroyed each year because they are of no use to their owners. Personally I have met many in the pound where I photographed their wonderful pointy noses in search of a forever home. Some are kept for breeding and some are lucky enough to be rehomed in Ireland or abroad. 

There are so many wonderful reasons why greyhounds make fabulous pets. Even though they are tall, they are gentle, and sweet natured souls who love nothing more than a comfy bed or couch to stretch out on and will happily sleep for much of their day.

If you think that greyhounds are high energy dogs, you will no doubt be wrong. They are built for speed and not for stamina and they do not require much exercise. Two or three 25 minute walks a day will usually be enough. If you meet a greyhound, you will be drawn to their naturally calm and loving demeanour. They are patient and loyal. 

How about these gorgeous brown eyes?!!

Or sweet Rosie's pointy nose. I love love love a sweet hound nose. Scoping for treats no doubt. Rosie is the owner of the fabulous pet photographer, Sally Anne Thompson.

It was just great to see all of those beautiful dogs being so loved and cared for. And an event that provided a perfect opportunity to show case our stunning greyhounds of Ireland. People stopped, they took photographs, they noticed and they asked questions. Of course they wowed the many wet noses that were happy to hang out.

"Hey lady with the camera, I know you have those treats hiding in your pockets there but I know you can't resist a charming smile like this one!"

If you are thinking of giving a home to a dog, then consider a greyhound. Consider at least meeting a greyhound and they will work their magic on you from there. You can view many awaiting homes by checking out the member section here.

Bark in the Park!

There was a big turn out at Saint Anne's Bark in the Park 2012! That's why you'll see a lot of 'overhead' shots here, even in the park, there was little elbow room to photograph the amazing wet noses. There were just so many people and pets out to enjoy the event. We couldn't have asked for a better day for Bark Off!

Forgive me for not remembering everyone's name. The couple of hours shooting are a blur. But what happy, shiny, sparkly faces I met! Like this cutie pie. What a great girl she is. And boy can she perform too! She is all set to be the next 'Pudsey', winner of Britian's Got Talent. 

I immediately felt this gorgeous girl's energy when I spied her. If you think she stayed still for this photograph, then you'd be wrong. I only managed to snap it as she belly crawled her way towards me in the grass with bum waggling! A ball of cuteness.

If she could have put her two paws around the water bowl at the finish of the race and shout out 'All mine!' I think she just might have.

And what's a blog entry without a cute little expression like this. I just love those head tilts! Looking good in the bandana.

And now, I'd like to say a quick word about this lovely lab. Often people tell me that they just can't get a photo of their wet nose, because they are 'always a blur' or won't 'sit still'. Well this is not so much me trying to prove a point but rather me hearing the need for a decent photograph. Memories of our four legged friends are just too important not to have...and just look at that pink nose!

All shapes and sizes are welcome to join the Bark in the Park!

And of course, I have a mushy soft spot for the seniors!

I would like to say a big huge monstrous thank you to all of the amazing volunteers who make such an event possible! And what is The irish Blue Cross all about? Read here.

If you think you missed all the fun then don't worry! The next Tymon Bark in the Park is only two weeks away on Sunday 24th June! We hope to see you there! 

Paws with a cause!

Michelle of Wet Nose. Tut tut. I haven’t blogged for quite a while. But I can’t think of a better reason than to just muse about my experiences this week. I have probably mentioned before that I try my best to support various charities, especially those that are dog related and yesterday I had a lovely morning on Sandymount Strand with Irish Dogs for the Disabled. All the goodness of this wonderful charity was on display.

What I have learned about Irish Dogs for the Disabled over the last year is that not all charities are about taking and giving is a core element of how their wheels turn.

Initially I see the tremendous force for good through the commitment of partnering specially selected dogs which will benefit children, adults, families and communities around the country. I photograph stability dog Alice who enjoys a day off work. The equally beautiful Orlagh is also enjoying a day off from school. What an amazing pair. I manage to steal Alice away for a few moments for some solo time and was blown away by her gentle eyes and soft nature. Alice is five years old and became one of Orlagh’s best friends three years ago, one of the first partnerships of this relatively young charity. Such a clever girl. Obviously happy to be by Orlagh’s side. 

I recalled other partnerships in that moment and upon reflection, feel that Irish Dogs for the Disabled creates these meaningful relationships through getting involved and genuinely caring about their dogs and their clients. The personal enrichment of the different partnerships in their different ways is clear to see.

I am just a girl with a camera and I am not a dog trainer but the other thing that strikes me as I watch on, is how happy the dogs appear to be during their training which involves positive education. Play is a big part of the process and puppies are encouraged to have fun. Each dog, like each person, is an individual and has their own personality. And that brings me to these fantabulous dogs, who most importantly, give unconditional love, something they could never be trained to do.

Let’s not forget the dedicated puppy socialisers that really love their dogs as one of the family. It is also a pleasure to see them working together and their sense of pride as they watch their puppies grow and go on to create life-changing opportunities for people with disabilities. 

What makes this charity so special? There are possibly many answers to this question but I have always believed that it is the volunteers of any charity that are the driving force in their many capacities. They don’t necessarily have a lot of time but they have a heart. And because of them a dream comes true for some.

I smile a private smile on this day in Sandymount Strand as I see all of the pieces fitting together. And I would like to extend a big huge monstrous thank you to the charity overall for allowing me to become just a tiny part of it, but especially to CEO, Jennifer  Dowler, who is ever giving of her time, and has showed much support and respect for me and for my new business. Her continued focus, care and determination makes a difference. And because of that Jennifer, the future looks bright.