This is Riley, an 8 year-old yellow Lab.

      We are near neighbors. She lives on one of my favorite streets in the South End — Union Park.

      We had scheduled our shoot for the first weekend of July, and miraculously, had the shoot during the first weekend of July.  How refreshing to not have to postpone or deal with the rain! After such a miserably dreary June, Riley was happy to be outdoors, soaking in the summer sun. And so. was. I.

      Union Park is all old and historic, and the iron fence surrounding the park is nearly a hundred years old and in need of repairs. With a faded sign and a rusty padlock, it feebly attempts to keep dogs out. Feebly. For the sake of art we will break the rules. We will toss Riley over the fence and we will break the rules.

      After sitting so prettily and forbiddenly inside Union Park, we headed to another nearby park where a dog can be a dog. Jumping was mandatory.

      So was relaxing with one leg out.

      For this urban puppy, life is definitely good!

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      I enjoy your photography so much! That pic of Riley behind the fence with the faded “no dogs allowed” sign is so incredible. You rock!

      I love the idea of a lab in a park with the sign which forbids her being there showing. My boyfriend is a vet and he says labs don’t have good dog-manners because they are like “HI!!!! I’M A LAB, EVERYONE LOOOOVES ME SO YOU MUST LOOOOVE ME ! HI!!!!” and other dogs have more refined dog-manners. Anyway, I can just imagine Riley explaining herself to anyone trying to chastise her for being in the park: “HI I’M A LAB, I SAW THE SIGN BUT I DIDN’T THINK IT MEANT ME BECAUSE EVERYONE LOOOOOVES LABS! SO I THOUGHT YOU WOULD JUST LOOOOVE TO HAVE ME IN YOUR PARK! !! “

      These are fab. I love the shots in the park!

      OMG, that one photo where she has her hind paw daintily out… LOVE!

      It has been a long day, and the first thing I noticed was that Riley is a chewer. Tennis balls? The leg sticking out could be a sign of a meniscus tear (“sit sign”). Argh.

      Labs are such happy dogs. I need to not overanalyze!

      I do like the contrast between the droopy eyes and the happy grin.

      I love the pictures of him in the forbidden park, and the one of him licking his nose! You capture such perfect moments with these guys (no doubt with tons of pictures scrapped). Still, so excellent.

      Fabulous! I love the jumping shots… I think my fave has to be the 2nd to last, of him soaking up the sun!

      Cute girl! I love Amber’s explanation of “lab logic”. It’s so true. And love the sloppy sits. So cute.

      i must admit i lurve the bootie shot of Riley as she gets sent over the fence… she’s definitely a cutie pie!

      Love that 2nd to the last photo with the tongue out… too cute!

      It sounds like you’re creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place

      I want to say – thank you for this!,

      If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.,

      I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!,

      Great site. Keep doing.,

      Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!,