I smile just about as big as the Whippet in this photo each time I see this photo. Stephanie Williams is the co-owner of Bennu--a coffee shop here in Austin wherein I spend many of my days typing away at the good ol' laptop, continually seduced by the iced teas and mate lattes. When my own travel site hosted a summer photo contest recently, Williams' photo of Elliot won our readers' approval by a landslide. And it's not difficult to see why... look at this pup.

Now that I'm a (proud, so proud) dog owner myself (and she's part Whippet herself!), I have a deeper respect for shots like these. Getting an energetic dog to sit still is a challenge in itself at times, so capturing a photo like this impressive. Moreover, a happy dog basking in the Texas sunshine is what's depicted here, and sunshine is certainly synonymous with Texas this time of year.

Have photos of your own dog experiencing the landscape or season of a certain place? Share them with us at the Gadling Flickr Pool.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Photos, North America, United States