Before He Goes: A Session with Hugo, Future Leader Dog
On a May evening at Webster Park, Ashley arrived with a treat pouch on her hip, a squeeze packet of peanut butter on hand, and a yellow Labrador named Hugo on leash. Hugo is a Future Leader Dog with Leader Dogs for the Blind. In August, he leaves for formal guide dog training.
Future Leader Dog
Leader Dogs for the Blind pairs people who are blind or have low vision with trained guide dogs. Before a dog can do that work, it spends its first months with a puppy raiser, a volunteer who welcomes a Future Leader Dog into their home, socializes it, and builds the foundation of confidence and skill the dog will need for formal guide dog instruction.
When the time comes, the dog returns to Leader Dogs for the Blind's campus in Rochester Hills, Michigan to begin the next chapter of its training.
Hugo’s Session
Before we started shooting, I crouched down and let Hugo inspect my gear. He was curious about everything, including my 70-200mm, which he sniffed and promptly licked. I was happy to let him explore. I was also thankful to have a protective filter on my lens and a lens wipe at the ready.
We started in the open fields near the tennis courts, working through walking shots and wider environmental images that showcased spring in peak bloom around them. While we shot, people played on the nearby courts, tennis balls bouncing in the background. Hugo, ever focused, managed to avoid the distraction. Ashley used treats to get him into position and keep his focus on her. When I wanted him to look at the camera, I reached into my bag of noisemakers.
From there we moved down to the creek. Hugo walked straight into the water, leash and vest on, Ashley working him from the bank with treats. The wooded banks and rocky bottom gave us a completely different look from the open fields, and Hugo didn't need any convincing to explore it.
We made our way to Webster Pier as the light came in soft and low over Lake Ontario. Some of my favorite frames from the session came from here: Hugo and Ashley walking the pier together, the two of them against the open water, Hugo standing at the shoreline looking out at the lake. Other people were also at the pier with their dogs, so we gave everyone plenty of space and Ashley kept the peanut butter at the ready.
We walked back to where we started, grabbing a few extra shots along the way. Hugo gave us his attention right up until the last frame. He had earned every squeeze of his peanut butter.
Before He Goes
Ashley raised Hugo knowing she would give him up. That has always been the arrangement. What she asked me for were photographs she could hold onto, memories of their time together. The images capture what anyone watching them that evening could see: the closeness between a Future Leader Dog and the person who raised him.
Whether your dog is training for something important or just living their best life, I'd love to photograph them.
A Note On Safety
Dogs are always on leash in my sessions unless the conditions support otherwise. For off-leash moments, like action shots or a dog playing with a toy, I look for ample space, a dog that responds reliably to commands, and an owner who is comfortable with it.
In most cases, I can edit the leash and collar out in post-processing if a cleaner look is preferred. For Hugo's session, his vest and collar were intentionally visible. The gear is part of his story.
