The Journal

The dogs in our books, the families who love them, and what happened on the day they were photographed.

A long-coated German Shepherd in profile against a blue sky, holding an orange and blue ball firmly in his mouth

Long-coated German Shepherd · Volume One, page 17

Hermi, the German Shepherd they call Mr Big Barks

Hermi spent most of his first two years in foster care, and was once sent back for barking too much. Then Leanne and Rob came to visit. His story, from page 17 of German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One.

Two German Shepherds in long green grass in front of gum trees: a solid black shepherd sitting on the left with the tip of its tongue showing, and an older black and tan shepherd on the right with grey coming through on the muzzle

German Shepherds · Volume One, page 101

Alfie and Saffi, the rescue from Sydney's streets and the girl who swims in the dam

Alfie was a stray on the streets of Sydney. Saffi is a working-line shepherd who swims in the dam. Deb's family were blown away by their portraits, and the two share page 101 of German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One.

Black and white photograph of Kai, a long-coated German Shepherd, lying on a timber jetty, head tilted towards the camera, with Rebekah sitting behind looking out to the side

Long-coated German Shepherd · Volume One, page 148

Kai, the long-coated German Shepherd whose photo session was a blast

Rebekah called Kai's photo session a blast, and the coffee table book at the end of it amazing. Kai is the pouncing bunny on page 148 of German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One.

Two German Shepherds side by side in a leafy garden: Gordon, red and black with grey on his chin, on the left, and Daisy, black and tan with her tongue out, on the right, with the words Gordon and Daisy written in script

German Shepherds · Volume One, pages 1 and 2

Gordon, the bouncy German Shepherd, and the sister he was promised

Penny brought her bouncy 20-month-old German Shepherd Gordon to the studio and promised to come back when he had a sibling. She did: Gordon and Daisy open German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One.

German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One, standing open on a dark timber table, seen from above, with a shepherd running on the back cover and a puppy on the front

A guide · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

Gotcha day: five ways to mark the day your rescue dog came home

Gotcha day is the anniversary of the day a rescue dog came home. Five simple ways to mark it, and what two rescue dogs' families wrote about their own.

The inside back cover of Shoot the Dog, Volume Two: a heart made of orange paw prints over the line Dogs leave pawprints forever on your heart

How the books were made · Shoot the Dog

Where the $100 went: the rescues behind Shoot the Dog

Every family photographed for Shoot the Dog paid $100, and all of it went to an animal rescue. The five groups it went to, and how the books were made.

A German Shepherd with her tongue out between two people, one kissing the side of her head

German Shepherd · From the studio

Luna, the German Shepherd photographed at home and on the beach

Adsie's family photographed their German Shepherd Luna at home and down at the beach, then watched the photos come up on the studio wall.

A long-coated German Shepherd stands behind a white bassinet, looking towards the camera, with a sleeping newborn in the foreground

German Shepherd · From the studio

Della, the German Shepherd keeping watch over the bassinet

Kate's family had their German Shepherd Della photographed with a newborn at home. A shepherd, a bassinet, and a family's own words about the day.

German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One, standing open to show a puppy with one ear up on the front and a shepherd running through shallow water on the back

A guide · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

German Shepherd rescue: what happens after the adoption, in the families' own words

Adoption profiles stop at the day a German Shepherd goes home. Three rescue shepherds from Volume One tell what came after, in their own pages.

German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One, standing open on a timber table with its green spine and ribbon

Behind the book · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

Kaden and Kaitlin: what it is like to be photographed for the book

Every page of German Shepherds of Australia began with an owner who said yes. Kaitlin and her shepherd Kaden were two of them. Here is how it went.

Shoot the Dog, Volume Two open at Joey, a red Kelpie cross Border Collie looking up at a treat in mid-air, beside Zero

Kelpie X Border Collie · Shoot the Dog, Volume Two

Joey, the Kelpie cross who just wants to be with someone

Joey was surrendered young to Homeless Hounds. Now her weekends are spent at the hockey club, chasing a ball. Her page in Shoot the Dog, Volume Two.

German Shepherds of Australia open at Jesse, Forever Jesse, a German Shepherd looking out of a black page

German Shepherd rescue · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

Jesse, the rescue shepherd who was Best Dog at the wedding

Jesse's first year was not the best. Then German Shepherd Rescue Victoria stepped in, and a family made him Best Dog at their wedding. In his own words.

Putney, a long-haired German Shepherd, with his two smiling people in front of a graffiti wall

Long-haired German Shepherd · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

Putney, the baby whisperer

Putney, Black Velvet to his family, is friends with every dog from Chihuahuas to Irish Wolfhounds. His favourite human is his one-year-old brother.

German Shepherds of Australia open at Vegas, Cuddle Bug, in front of a graffiti wall, beside Tilly, Sassy Girl, sitting by a timber shed

German Shepherds · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

Cuddle Bug and Sassy Girl

Two German Shepherds on facing pages: Vegas, possibly the laziest shepherd you will ever meet, and Tilly, a rescue her family says changed their lives.

Shoot the Dog, Volume Two open at Evie and Minimus: a laughing woman holding two dachshunds, one of them belly up

Dachshunds · Shoot the Dog, Volume Two

BANG! Evie, Minimus and the party trick

Say BANG and Minimus drops to the floor, acting out the role perfectly. Evie would much rather give you a lick. Two dachshunds, one great love: food.

Shoot the Dog, Volume Two open at page 135: Kooper the German Shepherd beside Fred and Bambi running on a beach

Black and tan German Shepherd · Shoot the Dog, Volume Two

Kooper, Koops, Ruby Doo or Rubes

A German Shepherd with four names, a brand-new steel fence and a neighbourhood to keep an eye on. Kooper's family on their escape artist.

German Shepherds of Australia open at Cherokee, Call Me Chez, beside Putney, Black Velvet

Working-line German Shepherd · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

Cherokee was still waiting

Her owner saw her adoption profile a year before she could take her home. When she looked again, Cherokee was still there. In Chez's own words.

German Shepherds of Australia open at page 63: Lyla, paws up on an old steam locomotive, beside Jesse's page

German Shepherd · German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One

Lyla, a princess in gumboots

Lyla's owner was warned about the barking, the energy and the shadowing. Nobody mentioned being pinned to the bed for a face wash every morning.

A family of five on a pier, holding a pug and a fluffy little dog, everyone laughing

Bambi and Fred · Shoot the Dog, Volume Two

Bambi was delivered by Santa

Bambi arrived one December, number 1 on the wish list. Then came a lonely spell, and a boy who gave up his video games to find a pug.