This is the eighth blog post in a series of on location sessions with dogs all over Austin as part of the Tails of the World book project.

Who's that lovely little dog by the lake?

It's Lilah!!

A small white Chihuahua dog stands on a brick walkway lined with trees during golden hour in Austin, Texas.

Lilah is an adorable little girl who strutted her stuff all over Mueller's beautiful lake park. She appears to be a Chihuahua, but she is actually mixed with Pointer and Tree Hugger as evidenced by the photos below.

White and brown Chihuahua dog pointing at some geese in a grassy field during golden hour.

Love the lines in this photo, and the geese approaching on the left made for a fun composition.

A small Chihuahua dog peeks playfully from behind a tree trunk in a sunlit park setting.

Don't worry. Mom is safely supporting Lilah behind the tree.

Showing off the park


There are so many opportunities for great photos at this lake park, and since this book project is designed to show off both the dogs AND the beautiful city of Austin, I couldn't resist using these steps. While Lilah is a tiny little thing, I love the juxtaposition of her on these giant steps. Of course, Lilah's mom had her on a leash to keep her safe which was removed in post.

A chihuahua dog looks out on a lake surrounded by trees.
A small dog stands on her hind legs on rust colored concrete steps overlooking a serene lake surrounded by trees in a park setting.

There are lots of waterfowl at this park, and Lilah was mildly interested in them. Her mom and I thought that she might be distracted by them (or bark her head off at them to show off her prowess as lots of Chihuahuas do) but she generally ignored them. She did bark her head off at every passing dog we saw. She is a Chihuahua after all. :-)


We walked for a bit to get to the other side of the lake and stopped at a spot where there were several ducks. I thought it would be fun to get some of them in the background with Lilah posing at the water's edge. That was fun, but what was even more fun were the pigeons that decided to join us!

Small white dog stands on rocks by a tranquil pond with greenery and water in the background.
Small white dog stands on rocks by a tranquil pond with green foliage and water in the background.
A dog plays and splashes in a calm lake surrounded by green trees and reflective water.
Small Chihuahua dog stands on a rock by a pond with ducks swimming in the background on a sunny day.

It was hard to pick a favorite image in this series, but this is the one we chose. Let's see if it is the one that will be in the book!

A Chihuahua dog looks over her shoulder at the photographer, while a pigeon flies in the background.

Believe me, Lilah, we are just as confused as you are. Where did they come from???

Not Lilah, but I couldn't resist sharing a photo of some ducklings we came across.

If you go to Mueller's lake park, be sure to take advantage of the rocks and reflections there. Perfect posing, Lilah!

Small white and tan Chihuahua dog stands alertly on rocky outcrop overlooking calm water at sunrise at Mueller Lake Park in Austin, Texas.
Small white chihuahua dog stands alert on a large rock formation in natural outdoor setting.
Small white Chihuahua dog sitting on rocky ledge near reflective pond water in natural outdoor setting.

While I enjoy working with dogs of all sizes, it's really fun to work with littles like Lilah because it's easy to hide them behind things and create shots where they're peeking out.

A Chihuahua dog with a collar peeks out from behind a pillar, looking off to the side in an outdoor setting.
A playful dog peeks out from behind a pillar in a sequence of photos showing different angles of its face.

We took Lilah's final photographs on a bench with the lake behind us. The sunlight against the water created the most beautiful colors.

A brown and white Chihuahua puppy sits attentively on a bench with a blurred background from the lake park at Mueller in Austin behind her.

Love the little paws and the knowing look. Treats are coming, Lilah!

Many more parks in Mueller


There are lots of parks in the Mueller area of Austin. Check them out here.

Stay tuned for our final blog post about this project!

We're not telling where we're going on this one!


The 2025 edition of Tails of the World will be available for purchase on November 1, 2025. The proceeds from the book sales will go to the Geelong Animal Welfare Society in Australia.