Syrah, Catherine + Joel

It had been a while between sessions down at the Port, and photographing the beautiful Syrah with her people was a fabulous reintroduction for me. Port Adelaide is constantly evolving, so while it felt new to me, locals Catherine and Joel showed me some of their favourite regular spots to walk with their girl. Syrah is a German Shorthaired Pointer pup, only a touch over 6 months old at the time of our session. She is bold, playful and filled to the brim with joyous energy. Walking through the urban landscape, getting to know them and hearing all about how Syrah came in to their lives was an absolute delight. In their own words below Catherine and Joel tell their story with so much heart that I really couldn’t wait to share it. Read on!

How did Syrah come into your world?

I’d been interested in getting a dog for a little while but as we lived overseas and had never particularly been ‘dog people’ I had the challenge of convincing my husband. We had spent quite a bit of time with our friends’ Vizsla and they introduced us to the gun dog breeds. We were so impressed with how classy the German Shorthaired Pointer looked and also that they were built to swim and run and climb. So after moving back to Australia and settling into our new home, we started seriously researching the breed. We rang around and put our name on a bunch of SA breeders’ lists and eventually Tanaquney got in touch with news of an upcoming litter. We were very excited to welcome 8-week-old Syrah into our family in October 2020.

How would you describe her personality?

Syrah is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. It is fascinating to watch her thought processes unfold, often predictably. But just as often she leaves us scratching our heads (no, not fleas, just confusion). It’s been exciting getting to know her quirks and figuring out what this or that verbal or non-verbal gesture means. She's cocky and confident but eager to please and endear herself, especially to dogs that aren't that keen on her! She’s up for anything and keen to try everything. If we are looking at something, she’s by our side wanting to know what we are all doing. She likes to join us on days out but she also copes well when left alone. She’s a real silent type and hardly ever barks, so she comes across as wise beyond her years and quite dignified but when she meets another dog she often wets herself so she’s not above getting excited.

If she could tell us all something about you, what would she say?

If we could make use of an interpreter, I’m sure we would all have much to say and ask about each other. We imagine she would want to know why we talk to her in four different languages (including gibberish). Why her eating a tasty treat often coincides with us disappearing for several hours. Why we don’t share her perception of tug-of-war as a 24/7 activity. She would probably also say we have too many rules.

What does she love to do the most?

Syrah loves to meet other dogs. She is a complete extrovert. Whether she is walking on the beach, arriving at the dog park, or just hanging her head out the car window, she is obsessed with anything on four legs. Not that she ignores potential two-legged friends. She is very affectionate towards strangers and will make an excellent guard dog so long as intruders are only interested in stealing her tug-of-war rope. Tug-of-war is her favourite game. She loves playing with small children, especially when they have fallen over. She loves hiking and playing in water. At 9 weeks old she leapt into the Port river, at 15 weeks she was fetching sticks from the middle of a dam, at 23 weeks she is still afraid of the sprinkler.

What's everyday life like with your girl by your side?

We haven't really stuck to a routine with Syrah, so everyday is a bit of surprise for her. Our daily mission is to tire her out. We usually do 2-3 fun (energy-sapping) things throughout the day, eg a walk in town, a bush walk, dog park etc. She's happy to accompany us on errands during the day and she's also fine being left alone at home with treats and activities.

How has having your dog changed your life?

We get up earlier, we walk more and our hands are not as clean as we'd like them to be! Before we had a dog, our walks were occasionally punctuated by shouts from passing Commodores saying ‘get a car ya losers’. Now we can walk without being harassed. In fact, our relationship to passing cars has completely changed. Nowadays, every passing passenger's face is pressed up against the glass, making googly-eyes and drooling smiles. We had hoped that having a dog would motivate us to get out into nature and take advantage of all the bush walks and swims on our doorstep and that’s exactly what she’s done.