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One of the sweetest stories I've read...hope you'll pass it on! –Kim

"We can just feed her and she'll get better, right?"

"We can just feed her and she'll get better, right?"

Ten simple words.

And ten simple words kept me up most of the night, thinking.

Friday, I had my regular TylerDog rescue shoot at Tulsa Animal Welfare. It was special because I had a lot of kids come help given it was Spring break. It was so much fun getting to see them loving on the animals and truly feeling like they were doing something meaningful, which they were. At the end of the shoot, Desi, the youngest one at eight, asked if we could go back and look at puppies. So all of us headed back to the kennels in search of puppies, but what we found pretty much stopped us in our tracks, especially Desi.

We walked up to kennel 251A and sitting there was an emaciated, young red Pit Bull girl; so emaciated the muscles in her head had atrophied and sunken into her skull. A fresh, pink scar went around her neck where a chain had resided for a very long time. Ribs and hip bones jutted out. The kennel card listed her as "Unknown." The baby didn't even have a name! And as we stood there in silence, looking at the skeleton of her body, Desi spoke up and said, "What's wrong with her?" I took a deep breath and said, "Well, sweetheart, looks like someone didn't feed her or take care of her." And Desi looked up with those innocent eyes of youth and said, "Why would somebody do that?"

Why, indeed.

Standing there, I had all the answers I would give another adult: "Piece of scum owners...not caring for their dog...letting it wither away to nothing..." All words of anger from seeing too many beautiful animals treated like garbage. But this was an innocent, sweet child with a pure heart. She hasn't seen the side of humanity I've seen. So I swallowed and said, "I really don't know, baby, there's a lot of bad people in the world. And..." She cut me off and said, "We can just feed her and she'll get better, right?" Then went on to tell me we would just feed them and they would all be better and nothing bad would ever happen to puppies like her. I looked down at her and said, "Of course."

The minute the words left my mouth, I knew I had just lied to an eight-year-old. She wasn't going to be better. She most likely was going to be euthanized once her stray hold was up. Why? Because those of us in rescue know an emaciated dog that obviously lived on a chain and was starved to this point is most likely not going to pass any temperament tests, which includes food and dog-to-dog aggression. A dog like this needs time to heal and acclimate and get better before testing. Yet we all know in a municipal shelter environment, that time simply does not exist. As the weather warms, intake increases, and the number of available kennels decreases. They have to make decisions, unpleasant ones, of which dogs and cats make it and which ones won't based on a lot of factors and with all the odds stacked against her, a dog like "Unknown" wouldn't stand a chance.

I left that evening feeling heavy in my heart. For "Unknown." For Desi knowing the sad things she would eventually learn about humanity as she grew up. For knowing I had lied to a child. Sure, I did it to protect her, but still, I lied to her. I kept hearing the words "Say what you mean and mean what you say" repeat in my head. As I tried to sleep, browsing Facebook to get my mind off things, looking at pictures of anything and everything, I kept going back to those innocent blue eyes looking up at me saying "We can just feed her and she'll get better, right?"

When I awoke this morning, my heart was troubled and I knew I had to do something. I texted a friend who helped at the photo shoot and said, "What dog's your most stable?" She replied and I said, "I can't quit thinking about that red Pittie. I want to do something." Kelly responded she felt the same way, so we both headed to the shelter. In the meantime, I contacted Kim with Epic’s Pit Bull Rescue and asked, if we were successful with Unknown, would they take her under their rescue if one of us fostered and nursed her back to health. Bless their hearts, they said yes. So now I had a mission.

So it begins...

I arrived with two packages of treats, Kelly brought treats and her dog, Mia, in case we were successful in reaching the testing stage. We walked back to the kennel and there she sat: still labeled as Unknown. Cowering in the corner of her kennel. I opened the door, sat down on the floor, and opened the first bag of treats. I reached one out to her and she growled. So I tossed it her direction. She snapped it up. Over and over, I tossed treats, eventually getting to the point they were closer to me than they were her. And each time she cautiously came to get them. Then I held the treats out in my hand and she gently took them from me. Each time, my hand came closer and closer to my body until she was standing right next to my leg and was letting me touch her with one hand while she ate from the other. The first time I touched her, she flinched and froze. I knew someone's touch had not been so kind and she remembered it. So when she came close again, my hand brushed her body again. After the third time, she no longer flinched.

I knew we were making progress.

After awhile, we decided to take her outside, so I asked for a leash, looped it around her, and she gladly walked outside with me. She was still scared, but I noticed right away her tail was no longer tucked between her legs. We walked quietly and slowly. I didn't speak to her other than soothing sounds one would make when comforting a baby. Each time she came close, I touched her so she'd know my hand wasn't one of anger or violence, but one of caring and love.

We walked past another dog and she sniffed and greeted him quietly, even though he was bouncing around like a nut. So far, so good. We stayed out a bit longer, then decided that was enough excitement for the day and walked her back to the kennel.

One more look...

Kelly and I talked about what to do and made sure the shelter staff knew to put a hold on her for one of us once her stray hold was up the following week. As we walked out, I decided I wanted to go back in one more time and see her again, so I took my camera and back in we went. This time, it was a completely different story. She saw me approach and her head went up. Instead of cowering down in fear, she looked me straight in the eyes. It was almost like she was saying, "Okay, you were patient with me when I was scared. I just was waiting to see if you'd come back." I snapped several photos of her and as I sat there in front of the gate with it open, she walked up and let me gently pet her the entire time. It was all I could do to not break down and cry because I knew what it took for her to trust me enough to let me touch her like that.

She finally decided she'd had enough and went over to her bed and blanket, curled up, and laid down. She watched me the entire time, then she put her head down to sleep. I gently touched her cheek and whispered, "I love you, baby girl." And she lifted her head, looked me straight in the eyes and blinked, then laid back down to sleep. It was like she acknowledged my words. And that's when the tears fell.

I told Kelly, "All she needs is time and love and patience. She'll learn she doesn't have to be alone anymore. Or scared. Or hurt. Or hungry. One of us is going to take her and give her a chance..." and Kelly agreed.

And her name is...

I truly believe it was meant for us to walk back to the kennels that Friday after our photo shoot. It's not something I'm in the habit of doing, but I did. I truly believe it was meant for us to see the dog named "Unknown" in kennel 251A. And it was absolutely meant for an eight-year-old to say ten simple words to change the course of this dog's life and mine. So no longer will this sweet dog be known as "Unknown."

Her name is Destiny.

Because it was meant to be.

Source: http://tylerdog.com/destiny/
Copyright © 2014 TylerDog Photography

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Also see:

• More of Destiny's Photos on Facebook
• Shelter Dogs are Best!
• I Am a Forever Dog
• Adopt or Foster, but DO Something!
• Some Facts about Pit Bulls

Here's the fascinating story of one of Hollywood's most memorable dogs: Terry, aka "Toto" –Kim

Toto, the Story of a Dog
By Allan Ellenberger

Judy Garland and Terry, aka "Toto"

The most indulged of all the spoiled lovelies of Hollywood during the Golden Age were the canine actors who worked in films. They had their own hotel – The Hollywood Dog Training School – where at one time, seventy-five of the best known dogs of the screen lived in tranquil comfort.

The school was set on a pleasant ten-acre site, covered with oaks and willows, near Laurel Canyon Boulevard five miles north of Hollywood. Three hundred feet back from the road stood a cream colored frame house and back of it were two kennels, each 150 feet long. It featured southern exposure, long runs to each kennel, a large grass playground, showers in each section, and several porcelain bathtubs with hot and cold water, an electric drier and a special kitchen where, every day, a tempting cauldron full of vegetable and beef bone soup was cooked for dinners of the distinguished boarders.

Carl Spitz and some canine friends

The dogs, like all other actors, employed a manager – the amiable Carl Spitz – who drove as hard a bargain for his clients as any other agent in Hollywood. The German-born Spitz first took up the work of schooling dogs in Heidelberg, where his father and grandfather were dog trainers. Spitz trained dogs for military and police service in World War days. He saw Red Cross dogs search for dying men in no man's land – and he devoted his life to educating man's best friend.

Leaving Germany, Spitz arrived in New York in 1926, moved briefly to Chicago and soon found himself in Los Angeles, where, the following year he opened his first dog training school at 12239 Ventura Boulevard. Sometime around 1935, he moved the facilities one mile north to a ten-acre spot at 12350 Riverside Drive, where he remained for almost twenty years. "This is a school, where dogs go to classes just like children," Spitz said. "We have grammar school, high school and college."

At first, his services were for the public, but soon, the movies came calling. The transition to sound films required Spitz to drop his verbal commands and develop a series of soundless visual hand signals.

His first sound film was Big Boy (1930) starring Al Jolson in which he trained two Great Danes. This one was followed by the John Barrymore classic, Moby Dick (1930). It was too expensive for studios to create their own specially trained dogs, so Spitz suddenly found himself in big demand.

Canine stars soon began to emerge, such as Prince Carl, the Great Dane appearing in Wuthering Heights (1939). The first big dog star to appear from Spitz's stable was Buck the Saint Bernard who co-starred with Clark Gable and Loretta Young in Call of the Wild (1935). Others included Musty (Swiss Family Robinson), Mr. Binkie (The Lights that Failed) and Promise (The Biscuit Eater). However, probably the best known dog star to emerge from the Spitz kennel that is known today is arguably Toto from The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Clark Gable with Buck in Call of the Wild (1935)

Toto, a purebred Cairn Terrier, was born in 1933 in Alta Dena, California. She soon was taken in by a married couple without children in nearby Pasadena – they named her Terry. It soon became apparent that Terry had a problem with wetting the rug, and her new owners had very little patience with her. It wasn't long before they sought the services of Carl Spitz's dog training school in the nearby San Fernando Valley. Spitz put her through the usual training and in a few weeks she was no longer watering the carpet.

However, by the time her training was completed, Terry's owners were late on the kennel board. Spitz attempted to contact them, but their telephone had been disconnected. With nothing else to do, Carl's wife suggested that they keep her.

Terry sort of became the family pet, until one day, Clark Gable and Hedda Hopper stopped by the kennel for some publicity on Gable's new film, Call of the Wild. One of Carl's dogs, Buck the St. Bernard, had a large role in the film and Hedda wanted some photos of him with Gable. That day, Terry made himself known to the Hollywood people and Carl took note, and the next day, took her to Fox Studios to audition for a part in the new Shirley Temple film, Bright Eyes (1934).

Jane Withers and Shirley Temple with Terry in Bright Eyes (1934)

Spitz put her through her paces – playing dead, leaping over a leash, barking on command – for the executives and was then presented to Shirley for the final say. Terry was placed next to a Pomeranian named Ching-Ching, who wasn't part of the film but was Shirley's own dog. Terry stood there for a moment, while Ching-Ching looked at her. Finally, Terry rolled over, was sniffed and both dogs began running around Shirley's dressing room. At last, Shirley picked up Terry and handed her to Spitz, grabbed her dog and skipped to the door. "She's hired," Shirley giggled as she left the room. Bright Eyes, which co-starred Jane Withers, would be Terry's first film.

That same year, Terry made another film, Ready for Love (1934) at Paramount. Next, she appeared in The Dark Angel (1935) with Fredric March and Merle Oberon. Other films followed, including Fury (1936) with Spencer Tracy; The Buccaneer (1938) for director Cecil B. DeMille and an uncredited part in Stablemates (1938) with Wallace Beery and Mickey Rooney.

Franciska Gaal with Terry in Cecil B. DeMille's The Buccaneer (1938)

One day, it was announced that MGM was going to produce L. Frank Baum's children classic, "The Wizard of Oz." Spitz knew that Terry was a mirror-image for Dorothy's dog, Toto, based on sketches throughout the book. So he began teaching her all the tricks from the book, and sure enough, in two months, he received a call from MGM for an audition.

Spitz and Terry met with the producer, Mervyn LeRoy who had been inspecting an average of 100 dogs daily for the past week. "Here's your dog, all up in the part," Spitz said to LeRoy when he submitted Terry for scrutiny. Terry could already fight, chase a witch, sit up, speak, catch an apple thrown from a tree, and took an immediate liking to Judy Garland. Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley and the rest of the cast were accepted on first acquaintance with the dog. On November 1, 1938, Terry won the role of "Toto" without a test.

Judy Garland singing "Over the Rainbow" to Toto in The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Terry received a weekly salary of $125, which was more than the studio paid the Munchkins. Before filming began, Terry spent two weeks living with Judy Garland, who fell in love with her and tried to buy her from Spitz. Of course, he refused. Judy's daughter, Lorna Luft, once said that her mother told them that the dog had the worst breath in the world. "It all made us laugh," Luft said, "because the dog was constantly put in her face [with its] silly panting, and she did everything but wince, because poor little Toto needed an Altoid."

Terry did everything required of her, although she hesitated at being put in a basket and standing in front of the giant wind fans, simulating a tornado. One day, they were filming on the Witches Castle set with dozens of costumed "Winkies" when one of them stepped on Terry's paw. When she squealed, everyone came running, including Judy, who called the front office and told them that Terry needed a rest. Until Terry returned a few days later, they utilized a stand-in for her.

The remainder of filming went smoothly for Terry, and even though she appeared in approximately fifteen films, The Wizard of Oz was ultimately her best known. When the film was released, Terry appeared along with the cast at the premiere held at Grauman's Chinese Theater. She became so famous that her paw print brought top prices among autograph seekers. Soon, she began making public appearances and became so popular, that Spitz officially changed her name to Toto.

Terry, now billed as Toto with Virginia Weidler in Bad Little Angel (1939)

That year was a busy one for Toto. Besides The Wizard of Oz, Toto also made a cameo appearance in MGM's The Women (1939) starring Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford, and had a larger role in Bad Little Angel with Virginia Weidler. The next few years had her appearing in Calling Philo Vance (1940), Twin Beds (1942), and Tortilla Flat (1942), again with Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamarr and John Garfield. Her final film was George Washington Slept Here (1942) starring Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan. That year Toto retired to Spitz's huge facility on Riverside Drive, until she died sometime in 1944. Even though several of Spitz's dogs were interred at the Camarillo Pet Cemetery in Ventura, he chose to bury Toto on the school property.

Carl Spitz continued to train dogs. In 1938, he wrote a handbook, "Training your Dog," which contained a foreword by Clark Gable. As far back as 1930, Spitz tried to get the Army to let him train dogs for war use. But, nothing came of it. Finally, in the summer of 1941, they took him up, in a limited way. Spitz agreed to furnish the Army fifty trained sentry dogs – at no cost. He delivered six, had twelve more under training, and already spent $1500 of his own money in the process.

Spitz trained the first platoon of war dogs installed in the continental United States, just prior to World War II. He was an expert adviser to the War Department in Washington DC and helped formulate the now famous K-9 Corps for both the US Army and Marine Corps. He became prominent nationally as a dog obedience judge at dog shows. Carl Spitz died on September 15, 1976 and is buried at Forest Lawn in Glendale.

Around 1958, the Ventura Freeway was being built through the San Fernando Valley and the route went through Spitz's school, forcing him to relocate. Today, the Hollywood Dog Training School is still in existence at 10805 Van Owen Street.

Sadly, not only did the freeway erase the school, but it also obliterated Toto's grave.

It's appropriate that Toto's Memorial Marker is installed at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Many of the people that worked with Toto are interred there including Victor Fleming, Harold Rosson (The Wizard of Oz, Tortilla Flat); Cecil B. DeMille, Maude Fealy (The Buccaneer); Erville Anderson, Carl Stockdale, Franz Waxman (Fury); Arthur C. Miller (Bright Eyes); Sidney Franklin, Gregg Toldand (The Dark Angel); Ann Sheridan (George Washington Slept Here). She is in good company.

Allan R. Ellenberger is the author of several books on Hollywood.

Here's a great bunch of tips for the photographer inside of you...hope you find it informative! –Kim

10 Tips for Getting Great Photos of Your Dog

Sometimes we really wonder...with ears propped, head angled just a liiiittle to the right, and paws frozen in stance, our Mr. Snuffers McSnufferton seems to know when a camera's around. Does he know we're snapping a photo of him? He must!

Interesting then that he's so choosy about when he wants to have his photo taken. We don't blame him for feeling a little self conscious – that bargain pooch haircut, no bueno.

While we wait for that mop chop to grow out, and for our pupsters to feel a little more camera ready, we're going to capture all of his tail waggin', tongue hangin', grass chompin' charm with these handy bribes, er, tips!

1. The treat trick

Ahhh, the treat trick. Nothin' like some good old fashioned bribery to get your pup to do what you want. Sounds easy enough, but trust us when we say there's more to it than just waving a treat around.

Sweeten your pup up first by giving him a few small treats – comfortable and happy is the goal! When he knows you have the treats and that you're freely giving them out, keep them in your hand and near your camera while you start to photograph.

Another option is taping the treat to the top of your camera – this way, your pup's eyes will always be towards the lens! ('Course if you think your pooch might lunge for it, be cautious!)

We like to call these dog photo traps (not to be confused with the equally cool National Geographic photo traps).

Is there something your dogstinator can't resist? Drinking out of the toilet? An open screen door? An open bag of dog food conspicuously positioned smack dab in the middle of the kitchen? These are all ways to lure your dog out for some funny action shots!

Tailor it to your dog's quirks. For example, our pooch-face loves chasing leaves that are blowing in the wind. For some cute pics, we'll get him near a leaf pile. If there's no wind, we'll get a friend to help us get some up in the air!

3. Simple and colorful blankets, backgrounds and toys

Here's an easy one: simple backgrounds. They make for great dog photos! A simple, stuff-free background brings all the attention to your doggy. A blank wall, background, blanket – get your pup in front of one of these.

Colorful rugs, blankets and toys are the perfect way to brighten up the photo and will make your subject (aka pupperz) pop all the more.

4. How to make your dog smile

This trick works like a charm every time. Take your main woofer for a quick sprint around the backyard/block/living room. If pup's not in a sprinting mood, throw a toy around to get him active.

Bring him back to the spot you want to photograph. At this point, your pup should be panting up a storm, a.k.a. looking up at you with a big cute, tongue-hangy grin! Aim, shoot, "awww."

5. Candid photos: See what your dog is doing when you're not looking

There are three methods to candid photos of your canine companion. They work best when not used with flash since flash will grab your dog's attention. If you're indoors, instead of flash, set your camera on high ISO, sports mode or any mode that lets you take photos in low-light conditions.

6. Get on your dog's eye level

All those photos you have of your kibble-nibbler from above are lovely, but you're probably tired of seeing your feet in all of your shots. Get down to your poocherton's eye level.

Chances are they'll be less distracted by you hovering from above and if you sit at their level long enough, they will start to get more comfy with you and your camera. Getting on their level also softens the master/follower hierarchy – now, you see your dog as an equal!

7. Catch 'em in a chillaxed mood

Wait 'til after you take them to the park or on a walk for your photo session; they'll be in a more relaxed and comfortable mood. Chances are you'll get some great pics of your dog lounging or sleeping!

8. Prepare to shoot on special occasions!

Baths, dog-friend birthday parties, doggy watersides, doggy trampolines. You get the picture.

9. Make a doggy composite

Get close up shots of your dog's most adorable parts - tufted paws, curly tail, shiny round nose. Put the photos together to make a doggy composite! This would look especially sharp framed and hung together in a block on your wall. (You can even make a dog photo block!)

10. Let your pooch do the shooting

Have you heard of Doggie Cam? You can use a Gorillapod (a bendy tripod) to attach a camera to your dog. Wrap the Gorillapod around your doggy's collar, turn the camera on video mode (or set the photo timer), and see where he goes and what he does!

The Don'ts

And there you have it! 10 tips for getting great photos of your pooch. Mix play with photos, and you're in for a photo session that will keep your dog happy, too!

This article was written for Dogster by Photojojo, an insanely great photo newsletter. It's chock full of original DIY projects and tips that pretty much anyone can do! You'll also find the raddest, most neat-o-est goodies in the Photojojo Shop.

Source: http://www.dogster.com/dog-pictures/take-great-dog-photos
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