German Photographer Takes Hilarious Photos of Flying Dogs

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s … a Dachshund! Wait, what?

As a dog guardian, you have probably seen your dog “fly” before. Just think about what happens when you call them and a treat is waiting – the front hallway in your house might as well be an airport runway. Their ears immediately assume the most aerodynamic position, slicked tight against the tops of their heads, their tongues flap in the wind and fur flies everywhere. It is quite the sight, especially when you can catch it in action. This was precisely the idea that inspired German photographer, Julie Christie, to launch “Freestyle,” a project that features “flying” dogs.

By gently tossing the pups to their guardians, Christie was able to create these hilarious photos of dogs in flight. With the help of a wind machine (and likely many, many treats), these dogs learned to fly!

“Not every dog is born to fly,” says Christe, “but some had great talent and became proper shooting stars.”

Dogs are Christies favorite animals, and with this project she got to showcase all their wonder from a much different perspective than usual.

Some of the dogs were a little hesitant at first.

Christie says that the Spaniels she worked with had the most fun flying for the first time.

You can certainly tell which dogs “jumped” at this opportunity to be photographed.

Some animal welfare advocates have raised concern over the safety of the dogs used for this series, but Christie assures her audience that she went to the utmost lengths to ensure that the dogs were both happy and safe.

“I feel the photographs show off both the grace and elegance of the dogs,” says Christie, “which makes them appear in a slightly different way than usual.”

We can almost hear this guy thinking, “jump … and, Blue Steel!”

Airborne cutie alert!

Dogs are flying … those pesky birds better watch out!

While these dogs are all stunning in their own right, a lot of technical effort went in to getting the lighting just right to perfectly reflect the movement of their fur.

Every dog deserves the chance to fly … but, we’re guessing they’re just as content keeping all four legs on the ground.

But of course, there are always exceptions.

All image source: Julie Christie