Meet Evie, a Pumi
I enjoy working with Jim “Doc” Sternberg, DVM, a retired veterinarian who knows the dog show circuit. For the past couple of years, he has played Santa Claus for my annual Pictures With Santa. He and his wife, kelly, used to breed and show Norfolk Terriers. But now he has a fairly rare breed in the United States: a Pumi, a sheep herding dog from Hungary.
When Doc first told me about his dog, I thought he meant another Hungarian breed, the Puli, known for its distinct coat that resembles dreadlocks. I had never heard of a Pumi and with good reason - this breed has only been fully recognized by the American Kennel Club since 2016. I love the word that is used often to describe it: whimsical.
Indeed. Lively and energetic, it looks like a sort of living teddy bear with its perky ears and tightly-curled coat. It has little to no shedding, with a top coat that helps it to withstand harsh winters. In Hungary, it has earned the nickname of bohóc, which means “the clown,” as it is always trying to please and delight its master. But as someone who has owned a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, do not let its cuteness fool you - as a herding breed, it can be stubborn since it was bred to control.
For her first formal portrait, I thought Evie did splendidly!
I am redesigning my studio to better accommodate pups. Something I have noticed when I see studio portraits of dogs is that they are often looking up and away from the camera. I suspect a reason is that having seen a flash go off once, they are anticipating it happening again and so that is where their gaze is directed. Unless I have need to freeze action, such as when a dog is jumping, I prefer to use continuous lights as I did with Evie. After all, she is in an unfamiliar location with new scents, so less stress means better pictures - time and patience with a dog who is not trained for posing is key. Sometimes the better spot is at home or on location in a site where the dog has been before.
It really made me happy to spend the time with Evie. I have always favored dogs since I was a child and getting to see and interact with a new breed was a treat. I can see Pumik (that is the plural form of Pumi) gaining popularity - small to medoium in size, no shedding, intelliegnt, good-natured, and loyal. And cute as all get out. What’s not to love?