The Weekly Photo Challenge theme is almost too easy: Companionable.
My precious Mia has a very annoying habit of barking incessantly in the backyard. We think she’s just saying, “Hey, look at me! I’m over here!” Because she doesn’t want you to throw her the ball, or even come near her. If you try to get the ball, she runs away with it in her mouth, which is a plus, because at least that stops her from barking.
For this reason, it’s very hard to get a picture of her flashing her beautiful smile. I have lots of pictures of her barking, and many of her lifting her upper lip at Leo. In a show of affection, of course.
Lately, she hasn’t been wanting to come in the house when I need to leave for work. I solve this problem by letting her drag a leash around the yard, but today I wasn’t in a hurry, so I just set her free.
When I was ready to go, I sat down on an Adirondack chair in front of our backyard studio. My plan was to grab her ball when she wasn’t looking and lure her back to the house with it. Mia sat down on one side of the young maple tree and Leo sat on the other side. My smiling, happy dogs looked so beautiful (and companionable, although I didn’t yet know that was this week’s theme), I needed to take a picture.
By the time I walked back inside the house and got my camera, the tableau had moved. I sat down again, waiting for the dogs to settle in exactly that same position, but instead, Mia barked and barked and barked. Her high-pitched attention getting squawk. The one that drives Rob insane when he’s trying to mow the lawn.
Eventually she closed her mouth for enough consecutive seconds that I was able to get a few pictures that don’t make her look like a monster. And a few that do.
Kari Neumeyer 
Old and young. Very sweet. I loved my shepherd from when I was a kid. He was the best.
Your doggies have so much personality! They are beautiful! We used to have two malamutes and every time a siren screamed by they would howl. I loved the sound, but our neighbors hated it and called the cops. We sent them an anonymous “special package.”
Ha! I love it. Rob’s worried that the neighbors hate us. Yes, Mia’s barking is incessant… But she only does it a few times a day… And occasionally when I let them out at 3 in the morning.
Beautiful dogs. I had one when I was growing, and I now have a 3 year male GSD