Oscar and the fluffy-dog photo contest

Oscar is an eight-year-old Pomeranian with more hair than sense. When the photo contest at our local dog park was announced, I signed him up before breakfast. My wife said I was being ridiculous. She was right, but I'm not sorry.

The problem was the poses. Oscar hates sitting still, so the first ten minutes were spent with him bouncing off my legs. Then a rubber duck squeaked somewhere behind the photographer, and suddenly he froze, ears up, looking like the proudest dog in Bangkok.

We got a shot that now hangs in our hallway. He's not going to win anything, but that one look was worth every treat. Tip: keep a squeaky toy in your pocket, and never let the photographer see you laugh first.