Patrick Nau, today’s guest blogger is a pet photographer based in Minneapolis, St. Paul Minnesota. Known on Twitter as MinnesotaDogGuy,  Patrick has more than 25 years of photography experience under his belt and has created many cherished pet portraits.

When people find out that I am a professional pet photographer they love to show me their pet photos, often on their cell phone. Here are some tips to help you get the best portrait of your pet.

Be at the correct angle

• Be level with your pet. Either get down on your knees or even sit on the ground
• Elevate your pet so s/he is closer to a more natural, pleasing angle
• Make sure to take a variety of poses so you can review them afterwards and pick out the best ones.

Capturing that great expression

• Dogs – Keep a variety of tricks up your sleeve, including having your dog’s favorite toy or treat on hand. Squeaky toys are wonderful motivators. You can also make a cat sound or use the ‘magic word’ your dog knows and loves.
• Cats - Cats respond to visual stimulation. Catch their attention with different toys you can wave in front of them or by make interesting noises. Crinkling cellophane is a good one to try.

Outdoor portraits

• Avoid the harsh sunlight during the middle of the day. Look for a shady area with a nice background.
• For dark colored dogs don’t be afraid to add flash to some of the pictures.
• If you want to use direct sunlight –try to avoid the 10am to 3pm period and work to keep the sun at your back.

Photographing black dogs

• Direct sunlight can be quite striking on black labs and any other black dog.
• Taking indoor flash pictures of black dogs is never a good idea as the black fur absorbs most of the light and the result is never ideal. (In my studio I use multiple flashes to be able to show great detail in the black fur/hair.)

I taught photography many years ago and I always encouraged my amateur photographers to show off their best photos. Keep taking pictures and keep improving — you will enjoy photography even more!

You will be able to experience Patrick’s exceptional photography talents at various Chuck & Don’s locations this holiday season. A convenient way to have pet portraits taken, sessions last up to 20 minutes and Patrick takes between 20-25 pictures. Pet owners are also welcome to be included with their pet(s) in some of the poses. Portraits are then reviewed and selections are made on site.

In 10-14 days you will be notified your portraits are ready to be picked up at the store at which they were taken. Packages start at just $40 and make great holiday gifts. These beautiful portraits of your pet will be cherished for years to come.

• Sunday, October 24, Cottage Grove, 11-5
• Saturday, October 30, Elk River, 10-5
• Sunday, October 31, Bloomington, 11-4
• Saturday, November 6, Forest Lake, 9-5
• Sunday, November 7, Eagan, 11-5
• Saturday, November 13, Roseville, 9-5
• Sunday, November 14, Shakopee, 11-5
• Saturday, November 20, Mahtomedi, 9-5
• Sunday, November 21, Plymouth, 11-4
• Saturday, November 27, Highland, 9-5

Contact your local Chuck & Don’s store to sign-up for your photo session starting September 15th.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

All we can say is we are BOWLED OVER by the support we received from all of you!  Thank you for an amazing year three in this event’s history.  We filled all 36 lanes at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl with 200 bowlers!  We had more walk-ins than we could take so there were also many spectators!

Preliminary fundraising totals through the event, stores, and Firstgiving through 8/25 are over $60,000!  – our goal was $50,000.  The recipient, Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program, Inc. (MN SNAP) provides 100% of the funding and support for the first fully equipped veterinary clinic on wheels to deliver high-quality spay and neuter services for animals belonging to shelters, rescues and low-income pet owners in Minnesota.

After reconciliation, some sponsorship dollars will be allocated to fundraising, and Ian and Margery Punnett are donating $1 of every “Dizzy the Mutt with the Propeller Butt” book they sell at the Minnesota State Fair to Pins for Pets.  Thank you Ian and Margery!

Thanks to:

• Chuck & Don’s generous customers without whom we could not impact the problem of pet overpopulation
• Flahertys Arden Bowl for the generous use of their facility
• MyTalk 107.1, Ian Punnett, and Katie K-9 for their support!
• The Chuck & Don’s Pins for Pets Committee
• Paula Anderson, of Chuck & Don’s for overseeing and facilitating the volunteer training and the event
• John Imholte and Jimmy Millard, of Chuck & Don’s for announcing throughout the event
• Patrick Nau of Patrick Nau Photography for taking the pictures
• All volunteers for their fabulous representation of Chuck & Don’s
• Chuck Anderson and Bob Hartzell, Chuck & Don’s owners, for supporting our facilitation of this event each year and for helping to make such a difference
• Chuck Anderson for his time and presence, which goes a long way to our supporters and customers
• Our amazing sponsors

Here’s what people are saying:

“All I can say is YOU GUYS ARE SMOOTH!  It keeps getting better every year…..I had several people comment to me about how impressed they were with how organized everything was and how they liked the Flaherty’s facility and, of course, the food.  Everyone I talked to enjoyed themselves and I also think they are getting the message about the importance of spay/neuter.”

“It was fun having Ian [Punnett] bowl with us,that was also a great addition.  He was very interested in the MnSNAP stats and I noticed he announced them during his program.”

But then a picture is worth a thousand words…..

Did you know we have a page on our web site that is called ‘Ask Chuck’? This is a place to send in your pet questions and get them answered.

One of the popular places on that page is the archives of cat questions. Let’s face it, cats can be perplexing at times and leave us humans wondering what they are asking of us.

The ‘Ask Chuck” archives is where you will find answers to questions about your cat’s health, diet and lifestyle. If you don’t find a question that exactly fits your situation, you can  ‘Ask Chuck’. Just send Chuck an email, or simply fill out the form on the page. In 3 business days or less you will receive an answer from ‘Chuck”.

You and your kitty are invited to stop in our St. Paul-Highland Park store on Saturday, August 28 from 11am-1pm.  There will be free nail clippings and cat care tips from Feline Rescue. For more details, call 651-287-0986. Please bring your cat in a carrier!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Dizzy the Mutt is motivated by adventure and refuses to change his wandering ways when he finds his forever family. MyTalk 107.1 morning show host Ian Punnett has written a marvelous new book about one of his prior dogs,  Dizzy.

For laughs and a fun, silly time

Here’s a book with pages of rhyme.

It’s called Dizzy the Mutt

With the Propeller Butt.

When kids read it, I am thinking that I’m

… hoping they’ll like it!

— Ian Punnett

The books are available at all Chuck & Don’s locations and all profits from the sales of Dizzy The Mutt With The Propeller Butt will go to Red Lake Rosie’s Rescue, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, located on the Red Lake Indian reservation in northwestern Minnesota.

Ian Punnett will be signing copies of his book at these Chuck & Don’s locations:

• Saturday, September 11 • 9:30-11:30 • Saint Paul – Highland Park
• Saturday, September 25 • 9:30-11:30 • Plymouth
• Saturday, October 23 • 9:30-11:30 • Roseville
• Saturday, November 6 • 9:30-11:30 • Minneapolis – Calhoun

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

What happens when Chihuahuas gather together at a party? For one thing it’s guaranteed to bring smiles and laughter to their humans!

Did you know?

• Chihuahuas are accepted to be the world’s smallest breed of dogs
• Comparatively speaking, the Chihuahua’s brain is the largest of any breed when compared to body size
• Most Chihuahuas are born with floppy ears that stand up as they age
• In ancient times, Chihuahuas were used as hot packs for a person’s body aches
• Chihuahuas were considered sacred animals to the Aztecs and Toltecs of Mexico
• In 2009, the American Kennel Club rated the Chihuahua #12 in popularity

Stop by our Chihuahua Party on August 21^st (12 pm to 2 pm) at our Elk River store and meet these amazing creatures yourself.  Better yet, bring your Chihuahua with you. You will get the chance to learn more about this breed and socialize with other Chihuahuas.  The party is sponsored by Royal Canin, call store for details.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet is now more accessible than ever!

We’re blogging, we’re Tweeting, we’re LinkedIn, and we’re on Facebook®!

You can help us reach 20,000 Facebook Fans!

Just hit the ‘Like’ button on our Facebook page and once we reach 20,000 Fans, one lucky person will win a $50 Chuck’s Buck every month for 12 months!  Winner will be chosen at random from all eligible fans on our Facebook page.  In addition, 20 Runners-up will receive a $20 Chuck’s Buck   All Chuck Buck’s are valid at any Chuck & Don’s store.

For complete details and rules, go to our website at: ChuckandDons.com or look for Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet on Facebook.

Help Chuck & Don’s to share pet photos, stories, tips, fun event information, and to support animal causes, and to support animal causes.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

The Ronald McDonald House aims to create a home-away-from-home environment for families with children who have  life-threatening illnesses. Part of creating this homelike environment involves Jerry the Dog.

Jerry takes his job very seriously, and is known for his support, playfulness, cuddle sessions, napping and getting his head scratched.

Jerry is a Labradoodle, that  was donated to the Ronald McDonald House in 2006.

Because families cannot bring their own pets with them during their stay at the Ronald McDonald House, Jerry becomes each family’s surrogate pet –  bringing joy and peace of mind to all with whom he comes in contact.

Jerry  also serves as an ambassador.  He visits our stores, giving you the chance to meet him. Stop by our Bloomington store on August 21, 11am-Noon, or our Cottage Grove store September 11, 11am-Noon. Experience for yourself Jerry’s healing nature!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

We hope you’re enjoying our series on pet adoption.  In the first of the series we talked about the responsibility of adopting a new pet and what questions to ask to help ensure that bringing a new family member into your home is the right thing for your entire family (including your new pet) at this time in your lives.

You’ve decided to go ahead with adopting a pet and you want to get off to a good start.  Now what? You will need to gather supplies and prepare your home before your new family member’s arrival.  Here’s a checklist for you:

Supplies:

• ID tags/microchip
• Bed
• Leash
• Collar
• Food
• Food bowls
• Water bowls
• Crate/Carrier
• Toys
• Urine remover/carpet cleaner
• Kitty Litter
• Kitty Pan
• Grooming tools

Pet Proof Your Home:

• Keep all household cleaners out of the reach of your pet
• Gates to keep a puppy from falling down stairs
• Keep electrical wires out of reach, or use a pet-repellent spray
• Many common household items such as plants, cleaning supplies, medications, cosmetics etc are poisonous to pets. Click here for more information
• If anything can fit into your pet’s mouth, it is potentially dangerous: balloons, rubber bands, dental floss, etc

Develop a Relationship with a Veterinarian:

• Find a vet who has the same thoughts and beliefs about pet care that you do
• If you have a special needs pet, you will want to find a veterinarian who can care for those needs
• Is the veterinarian facility clean and well taken care of?
• How many veterinarians  and veterinarian technicians are in the practice?
• How well does the staff communicate with you and the animals?
• What services are done in-house and which ones are referred to a specialist?
• Are emergency services available?
• Where is the nearest emergency veterinary clinic?
• Is the veterinary clinic convenient to you and for you?

Following these tips will get you, your family and your new family member off to a good start!  If you have specific questions, you can always Ask Chuck.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Looking for a fun event for this coming Sunday (August 15^th) that doesn’t cost much?   How about joining us for Pins For Pets at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl in Arden Hills, Minnesota.

Sign up and you will automatically be entered in a drawing to win fabulous prizes such as Wii Sports Resort Package, restaurant gift cards, a year’s supply of dog or cat food, and many other great prizes.   For only $20, you get two games of bowling, shoes, a meal, and your chance to win awesome prizes.     Please help us help the pets – sign up to bowl at http://www.PinsforPets.org ~ no fundraising necessary unless, of course, you want to.

There’s still time to register and get your team together to help the pets. Pins for Pets registration closes at 12:01 am on Saturday, August 14^th.

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!

Time to get your bowling arm ready and roll a strike for pets!

That’s right, we are gearing up for  Pins for Pets and we are looking for some more bowlers!

Our third annual event will be held Sunday, August 15, 2010 at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl in Arden Hills.  Our recipient this year is Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program, Inc. (MN SNAP), who provides 100% of the funding and support for the first fully equipped veterinary clinic on wheels to deliver high-quality, low (or no) cost spay and neuter services for animals belonging to shelters, rescues and low-income pet owners in Minnesota.

Get your team together and join in the fun! Registration and creating a fundraising page are even easier this year! Register now for the 2010 Pins for Pets event. You do not need to fundraise in order to bowl and possibly win a great prize such as a Nintendo Wii Sports Resort Package.  There will be one session from 3pm – 6pm. Check in starts at 2:30pm. Your $20 registration fee covers two games of bowling, shoes, lunch, and chances for great prizes. For more info visit our 2010 page.

Spare an afternoon and knock down a few bowling pins –  all to help the animals!

Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

We Make Pets Happy!