Vinnie

Dreadful weather and a busy day, so it's time to resort to the "emergency" blip subject - our lurcher, Vinnie.

Vinnie's probably about 11 years old - impossible to be sure as he had a troubled start to his life and went through a number of rehomings before we got him from the rescue centre 8 years ago. He's a very sweet dog, and cute with it. His expressions range from wild excitement (sound of lead being picked up, or small furry thing spotted in garden) and highly alert / rapt attention (rustle of prawn crackers), to nervous worry ("they're about to discover what I've done") and shamefaced guilt ("they've discovered what I've done").

So, he should be a great subject for a photograph. However....he's also a very submissive dog, and his immediate reaction to my raising the camera is to lower his gaze (and usually his head with it). He thinks it's challenging him to a staring contest!

As a result, I find that if I want a decent shot I have to grab it quickly (and he's usually quicker than me). This time I got lucky, and caught him about a second before he looked away!