One of the many things I do as a photographer that doesn’t involve taking photos is retouching.  Retouching is a necessity when working with dogs in public spaces which are not fully secure.  This image was taken at a public park, near a relatively busy street, and off leash was simply not an option.  I never risk the safety of the dogs for the photo!  So I had Dad stand behind the column, holding the leash, while I encouraged the dog to come forward and look around.  Once in photoshop, I removed the leash and harness, and smoothed out the wrinkles created by the harness.  I removed some distracting elements such as the sign in the background, and the circle on the column.  I increased the column on the left to give it some balance.  Then I did some overall adjustments in contrast and that’s it!  A beautiful polished portrait of a gorgeous animal!