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She has a habit of putting her head on your shoulder and looking upwards at you with her soft ‘doe’ eyes – you can’t help but feel better when she obviously cares about you!

There are three pictures in the nurse range, but this one is the ‘cream of the crop’. I just love the way she is looking straight into your heart.

The text on the card says ‘If you feel as sick as a dog – just call me’

There are many types of greeting cards that you can produce, but the most popular are merry Christmas cards. Have a look at these and click on them to enlarge and enjoy the quality of the photo.

We did not use Cameo in many of the merry Christmas cards, but we did have a ‘fairy’ series and one of these made it to the merry Christmas card theme.

More About Cavalier King Charles Spaniels?

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I just wish I had put a small amount of coloured liquid in the glass! A deck chair used at the beach would also have added some extra authenticity to the shot…… Never the less the shot was good enough to use in a card series.

The text on this card reads ‘Holidays are Great Fun’

When designing merry Christmas cards it is easier to get the props ‘right’ because the props themselves are so well made that they all appear relevant. Colour (red and green) help create the Christmas image then the well recognised tree, reindeer, bells, stars, gifts etc are all so well known that they immediately create the mood that you are aiming for.

It doesn’t take much imagination to realise that the props have a lot to do with the success of these merry Christmas cards – check them out

Get Your Set of Merry Christmas Cards Now

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Notice in this image, even though Cooper is getting tired and has dropped his head – his paw is still on the mouse! When a dog is well trained he will make every effort to do what is being asked of him – it is just his tiredness that made his head go down, not disobedience.

This image was not used as a card but was included in the Swap Cards developed for the Kids

It is the same when developing any theme, including merry Christmas cards. As long as the photographer keeps shooting, some great shots will occur when at first it seems as though the pose is a failure.

You can see the full range of merry Christmas cards by clicking on this image.

How Many of These Shots do you think were the ‘failures’?

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It is these ‘reject’ photos that I still use when developing the swap cards for children. Never discard Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Photos completely. Use your imagination to see how else you could use them.

When developing a merry Christmas card series a so called ‘reject’ can become your favourite shot of all (see the post made on 28/9/2010)

Have a look at the set of merry Christmas cards and swap cards by clicking on this image.

Put yourself into the shoes of the public – if the card is appealing than it will probably work. The type of merry Christmas cards that you develop from your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Photos will not appeal to those who want the three wise men and similar religious themes, but there are many looking for that merry Christmas card with a difference. This is where your cards will excel.

This Is How You Can Build a Business With Photos of Your Pet

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What amazes me with the photos of Cooper at the computer, is how much he seemed to enjoy the whole experience. This photo has become his ‘signature’ image and once you can get that image, you are on your way to developing a real business around the photos of your Cavalier.

It is when you develop a series of merry Christmas cards that your ’hobby come business’ will begin to boom.

Check out the set of merry Christmas cards  and swap cards by clicking on this image.

There were a couple of different steps in the training of Cooper at the computer. First I had to teach him to put his paw on the mouse on command. Then he had to sit in the chair and put his paw on the mouse. Then he had to accept the glasses. Finally he had to face the computer (in the video shot, he actually looks from left to right so it seems he is actually reading from the computer).

I guess this is my favourite shot of all, even though there are a number of shots at the computer in the series. You can see another one in the next post.

You Can View the Video of Cooper’s Performance

Everyone wants to have their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel photo as a portrait. We relate to the relaxed feel to this portrait as it is exemplified by the pipe, which is a human prop and a human emotion.

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Some Cavaliers have a lot of coat, others do not. Some have long coat in the front (ears and chest) others have it at the back (tail and breech). Dogs tend to have more coat than females.

But regardless of the amount of coat your Cavalier has, you need to make the best of it in your photos. Cooper has magnificent ears, Cameo does not. So the poses I use with both dogs differ according to their best aspects and their personalities.

Cooper is bombastic and ‘full of himself’ while Cameo is more gentle and less confident. Of course, after she was nearly killed by two greyhounds (discussed in an earlier post in this blog) her insecurity was more pronounced.

You need to capture the personality of your Cavalier in the photos that you take. This will ensure your photos are more memorable and successful.

It is this memorable factor that makes people want to keep their merry Christmas card that you could send them featuring your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel photos.

Check out the set of merry Christmas cards and swap cards by clicking on this image.

This Is How You Can Build a Business With Photos of Your Pet

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Consequently this image was used as a Swap card for children to add to their collection.

Children have collected sports cards for a very long time e.g. football. Now the younger generation can also collect a set of 35 Swap Cards and enjoy the images of the Cavaliers (Cooper and Cameo) and the Rag Doll Cat (Rags).

It is nice to be able to bring back an inexpensive hobby that does not require electronics to make it work. These cards make great Christmas stocking fillers and will bring joy to all animal lovers.

You can use costumes and props to develop a theme, including merry Christmas cards.

You can see the full range of merry Christmas cards by clicking on this image.

Would You Like a Free Set of Swap Cards for the Kids?

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Cooper is a very masculine dog, regardless of his long hair and cute expression. He has a broader head than a female Cavalier and has that very ‘macho’ appearance. This is obvious in this shot.

Add the costume and he becomes the epitome of a detective who has the ability to really ‘make things happen’! Cooper is a pretty possessive dog when it comes to me, and even though that may not be desirable at times, it does enable me to train him more easily as he wants so much to please me.

If you want to use your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel photos to build a business around, then try to put your dog into poses that add to their existing personality. You will get better results and more memorable pictures if you do.

The card with this photo says “I know smoking is bad for you – but I never inhale”

You can develop a greeting card range of unusual shots (like the detective) or a merry Christmas card range that can really look unique and make the viewer want to keep the card and sometimes even frame it!

Check out the set of merry Christmas cards by clicking on this image.

Train To Eliminate Bad Habits or to Simply Have a Well Behaved and Obedient Dog

Most Cavalier King Charles Spaniel photos shown in this blog are natural poses and are supported by props e.g. costumes. But occasionally a pose can be ‘doctored’ with the computer to add value to it.

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Cooper had the detective costume to wear and it took a few minutes of training to get him to hold the pipe in his mouth. He would not drop the pipe until the command ‘give’ was given. In this shot, even though he is beginning to lose his pose, he still had the pipe in his mouth and the photographer was still shooting.

I intended to discard this shot when the photographer said he could add a magnifying glass to the shot. The way it was placed made it look as though Cooper was actually looking through the glass. This would not have been so convincing if he had not kept the pipe in his mouth.

If the shot is for a merry Christmas card range, you might need to add a Christmas tree sized down to the dog if one of the correct size is not available.

You can buy the set of merry Christmas cards by clicking on this image.

The text on the card says “I am not a seeing eye dog, but I sure can find the clues.”

You Can Train Even a Problem Dog

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This image of Cooper was used as a Swap Card and not as a Christmas Greeting Card. When you are training your pet to hold poses for you, there are some specific poses that you will need and can use again and again.

The normal commands of ‘sit’, ‘stand’, ‘down’, and ‘stay’ are needed. But you can add to that ‘sleep’ which this pose is. Then to have the dog wear costumes without any fear or anxiety is also important.

You also need to get your dog to go to a ‘mark’ and have him stay there while you are out of the picture. This is particularly important if you are working with movies. All of this is relatively easy to do if you train your dog with the clicker method.

Learn all About Clicker Training