Well, and maybe a little frustration sprinkled in as well!
The day this was taken, was really a normal run-of-the-mill-out-for-a-walk sort of day. But this just as easily could have been a photoshoot. This gal, an English Springer Spaniel, is a sporting breed. They’re bred to hunt game birds and she has that all down pat with loads of built in instinct. She had treed the Ruffed Grouse and initially was waiting ever so quietly and patiently, looking at me, looking up at the bird, back at me, and so on. Trouble is I was busy taking photos of the grouse and not shooting it, as she was hoping I might, so she could then retrieve it.
After she felt I had spent more than enough time doing nothing, she decided she was going to take matters into her own paws. It made for a great photo and using a few muscles in different ways than she’s used to. Thank goodness for Mother Nature, for dogs that get the exercise they need, and for always having a camera at hand!
{Photo taken NW of Hythe, Alberta Canada}