Have We Found The Greatest Book Of 2014?

Carli Davidson lives in Portland, and has the greatest job in the world: she’s a pet photographer.

This time last year, she published her first coffee table book, Shake — filled with high definition photographs of adult dogs, shaking water from their adorable heads. The book came with a trailer, and the trailer is great.

This year, she’s taken the next logical step with Shake Puppies — 120 photos of squishy damp puppies against brightly-coloured backgrounds, mid-shake.

It’s genius, really. This is Vincent:

“An undeniable wave of emotion comes over me every time I see a puppy,” Carli writes in the introduction. “I get on my knees and wriggle. My voice jumps at least two octaves. Something in my heart warms. I see all the potential and curiosity, the desire to learn, the need to play, the search for direction, the trust. Anyone who doubts the emotional intelligence and need for compassion of an animal has probably never spent time with a litter of squirming dogs.”

Here is Annie:

Released in Australia this week, Shake Puppies also comes with a call to action. “If this book inspires you to get a new dog, fantastic! That said, I challenge the initial instinct you may have to buy a puppy from a breeder or store. When it’s time to add a canine to your home, please consider a shelter dog, and one who is suited to be your longtime companion. If you have a particular breed in mind, consider that 25% of dogs in shelters are purebred.”

Cloud also is purebred. Look at that face.

In fact, while shooting the book, Carli herself got “baby fever”: “I needed another dog.” Although desperate for a puppy, she knew it wasn’t the best decision, so settled on a foster dog named Saul instead: eight years old, overweight, matted and traumatised , it took him a while to warm up. But he warmed up, and it was great. “Our personalities clicked, and that was all that mattered.”

“The fascinating thing about older pets is that they are simultaneously your children and your elders,” Carli writes. “They teach me what it’s  like to grow old, to be patient and persevere despite frustrating limitations, and to become more tender with age. While not as dazzling as observing puppies in their frenzied play, watching my own pets in the twilight of their lives is equally touching and emotional.”

So if you get an urge for a brand new puppy while flicking through this book, she recommends taking a moment to shake it off.

Shake it off.

Shake it off.

Shake it off.

Shake. It. Off.

–

Carli Davidson’s Shake Puppies is available now through Harper Collins, from here.