A plumber mate put me on to another plumber who always had a kelpie by his side. A phone call later, a slightly puzzled Chris Mariner invited me to his home to meet Bonnie, a black and tan kelpie bitch just a few months old. I instantly adored the enthusiastic Bonnie and her oversized tan ears but Chris didn’t seem at all interested in her puppy charms. He was a man of few words, anyway, and as it turned out, had just lost one of the best dogs he’d ever had. I understood: when you lose one dog, having a new one around doesn’t always fill the gap.

However, when it came time to bring out the camera, I saw magic happen. This young kelpie was instantly under her owner’s spell. If Chris asked Bonnie to go somewhere, she instantly whisked herself off. If she was asked to stay put, she froze until the next command. Obedient dogs aren't unusual, even youngsters, but the difference here was that Chris  barely spoke and never once raised his voice. At one point he simply cupped her head in his hands and tickled her around the ears, speaking softly.

I’ve never really believed in animal ‘whisperers’ (and this concept would make Chris himself wriggle) but I do believe this laid-back dog shoot was the most extraordinary I’ve done. And it didn’t end there. I had so many terrific shots of Bonnie I knew she’d be included in the book, but there was an especially eye-catching close-up that stood out from the very beginning. Even before I’d finalised the format of the book or pitched the concept I’d chosen the cover! I’ve heard some book covers taken dozens of drafts to get right but in true form Bonnie the kelpie stayed on the cover from concept to publication…right where she was put!