J. Nichole Smith - Puppyhood: Life-size Portraits of Puppies at 6 Weeks Old

CHUCK & CLEO GINGERSNAP Published in 2012 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of ABRAMS Copyright 2012 J. Nichole Smith All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress. ISBN: 978-1-58479-984-9 Editor: Samantha Weiner Puppyhood is produced by becker&mayer!, Bellevue, Washington.
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Editorial: Dana Youlin The text of this book was composed in Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk, Linotype Didot, Gill Sans, and Refrigerator. Stewart, Tabori & Chang books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use.

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www.abramsbooks.com For Olivia, the giant, pink-nosed, cow-spotted puppy who found me eight years ago and has inspired me daily ever since TRUDI, TOMMY & TRIPOLI CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION

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There are many qualities that make puppies so fiercely irresistible that when youre in their midst, its nearly impossible to choose a favorite. Having recently spent an abundant amount of time with these perfect little monsters, Ill attempt to sum up their best attributes. Most obviously, their features are minuscule and blunt: their muzzles, paws, bellies, tails, ears, and other parts all have an exceptionally rotund and stubby quality to them. The noises they emit are slight, squeaky, and precious.

If measured on a scale of sounds biologically impossible to dislike, puppy chatter would be somewhere in the realm of cooing human baby or slow, rolling ocean surf. Once youre near enough to feel the downy softness of their brand-new fur, notice the perfect freshness of their plushy paws, or catch a peek at their bald, pink little bellies, youre probably in trouble. Then, of course, theres the signature puppy hug maneuver. When you pick them up, most puppies instinctively crawl up your chest toward your shoulder, snuggling into your neck, wrapping their small paws over your shoulders. Once theyre near your face, youre subject to the famously intoxicating, horribly addicting puppy breath, and its all overyoure hooked. But the most profoundly amazing bit of all is in the wiggle of their fleshy, six-week-old bodies and the profile of their tiny faces; you can see the potential they possess, the full-size dog theyll one day become.

These are the reasons this book exists, a tribute to every quality that makes any puppy such an exceptional work of art. DETTA, JAKE, ROLAND & OY I have had the distinct privilege of sitting lens-to-nose with over one hundred six-week-old puppies in just a few months time. I spent hours watching puppies boldly explore the white seamless paper they were photographed on, and I waited patiently time after time as tired little littermates climbed, squeezed, pushed, rolled, and nosed their way into snoring piles. I admit it is terribly unfair that I get to call this work. Every squirmy personality I photographed for this project had been experiencing this big, wide world for the same amount of time: exactly six weeks. Each six-week-old pup develops similarly: the pups in each litter were just starting to understand the social constructs of being a dogbeing schooled by their mothers and one another in the rules of play and rank.

Each puppy was just about ready to have a first toenail trim, to explore the outside world for the first time (after final vaccinations), and some were already starting to potty train. Our models were old enough to be curious about the strange high-pitched noises I was making to get their attention, but not old enough to understand the association of the word treat or to have fear responses that would inform them that they shouldnt walk straight off the table they were being photographed on! (Luckily, we were there to make sure this didnt happen.) But despite their many similarities, there was one obvious difference from breed to breed: their size! The life-size photographs on each breed introduction page in this book offer a dramatic glimpse at twenty-five different litters of six-week-old puppies and all the characteristics that make each one so disarmingly special the many bits, big and small, that make each puppy mighty. BONITA ARTURIUS ROLAND LABRADOR RETRIEVER / 6.5 LBS ROLAND DETTA & JAKE CHARLIE FRENCH BULLDOG / 4 LBS SELMA, ROMEO & CHARLIE CHARLIE KENNETH SHIH TZU / 2.5 LBS KEITH KEITH, KENNETH & KATIE TATER TOT GREAT DANE / 18 LBS

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