The Dogist: Understanding human-canine bonds

Elias Weiss Friedman, aka The Dogist, photographing adoptable pup Petunia from the Little Guild at Troutbeck.
Leila Hawken

Elias Weiss Friedman, aka The Dogist, photographing adoptable pup Petunia from the Little Guild at Troutbeck.
Elias Weiss Friedman, acclaimed canine photographer and creator of "The Dogist," brought heart and humor to Troutbeck's Luminary Series in Amenia, sharing stories that celebrated the enduring bond between humans and their dogs.
The event, held Sunday, Aug. 24, was paired with The Little Guild of Cornwall, giving attendees the chance to meet and greet a small selection of dogs available for adoption. Friedman is passionate about organizations that advocate for canine welfare and service training, making The Little Guild a natural partner for the event.
A best-selling author, Friedman brought along his latest book, “This Dog Will Change Your Life,” that was greeted with brisk sales and the chance to obtain a signed copy. His Instagram postings have amassed a loyal following of more than 11 million and growing. To date, he has photographed more than 50,000 dogs.
“Dogs complete every aspect of human life,” said Charlie Champalimaud, Troutbeck owner, who served as interviewer for the event. “I just love dogs, and I’m very excited to see people come together,” she added. Her own family dog, Rocky, accompanied her and charmed the audience with exemplary behavior.
“I’ve been following you for years,” said Priscilla McCord of Lakeville, speaking with Friedman before the event began. McCord also serves as a board member at The Little Guild.
“You are an artist and storyteller,” said Champalimaud, introducing Friedman to the audience of more than 100 dog lovers gathered in Troutbeck’s pole barn.

Friedman said he has been developing The Dogist concept and brand for the past 11 years.
“I had an understanding of the cultural phenomenon of dogs,” he said. “Dogs are a source of joy. I wanted to write about that,” he added, noting that dogs are also hilarious.
“I was a shy kid with a dog,” Friedman recalled. “Dogs are generous with their eye contact.”
“I’ve moved the needle a bit in how we appreciate our dogs,” he said of his role as The Dogist. Over the years, his work has included helping dogs find homes or receive service dog training.
Asked about recent advances in artificial intelligence in learning to communicate with animals — particularly current research into communicating with whales — Friedman noted that we already communicate with dogs, though often through our own ego. “There is no shortage of communication,” he said.
He added that some dog owners might not want to know their dogs’ honest opinions about their circumstances or lifestyles.
Looking ahead, Friedman will be international in scope, exploring how different cultures view their relationships with dogs. He expects to find meaningful differences and insights across borders.
Next in the Luminary series at Troutbeck will be a talk by Mark Ronson on Sunday, Sept. 7. He will speak about his book, “Night People,” pairing the talk with a DJ session. For more information, go to www.troutbeck.com.
The HVRHS boys rejoice around Jackson McAvoy after he scored the game-winning goal against Shepaug with just two minutes left to play.
WASHINGTON — Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s boys varsity soccer team advanced to the Berkshire League tournament final after a 1-0 win over Shepaug Valley High School in the semifinal game on Friday, Oct. 24.
Jackson McAvoy scored the game-winning goal with just two minutes remaining.
The victory marked HVRHS boys soccer’s first victory over Shepaug since 2020.
“Finally,” said HVRHS Coach Adolfo Portillo after the game.
HVRHS will play top-ranked Nonnewaug High School in the BL final. Nonnewaug advanced to the title game by beating Northwestern Regional High School in penalty kicks (4-3) after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
The championship game will be played at Nonnewaug beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28.

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Students dressed in neon lined the soccer field for senior night under the lights on Thursday, Oct. 16. The game against Lakeview was the last in a series of competitions Thursday night in celebration of Homecoming 2025.
As homecoming week reaches its end and fall sports finish out the season, an air of school spirit and student participation seems to be on the rise across Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
But what can be attributed to this sudden peak of student interest? That’s largely due to SGA. Also known as the Student Government Association, SGA has dedicated itself to creating events to bring the entire student body together. This year, they decided to change some traditions.
Spirit week from Oct. 14-17 was unlike those of the previous years. From wearing Housatonic merch to Boomer vs Baby day, this year’s spirit week held a little friendly competition to see which grade could participate the most.
“I think that students are bored of the same old activities and events, so it’s good to switch things up even slightly to incentivize interest within students,” said SGA president and senior Mollie Ford. “Plus the point system is super beneficial because it gives students a reason to participate.”
The school spirit sentiment can be seen outside of just the school. Senior Simon Markow is known for his photography throughout the community, and has dedicated time to help Housy sports teams’ social media posts.
“Since I’ve started photography, I think school attendance [at sports games] has gone up,” Markow said. “I feel this year, students will be more aware of games and are more likely to be at the games.”
Whether it’s a pink-out volleyball game or an under the lights soccer match, it’s likely you’ll see some familiar faces.
Social media has played a large role in this over the years. Almost every student organization at Housatonic has an Instagram account, and it’s helped reach students more efficiently than a poster or email would.
“The increase of social media use, with the help from me but as well as the teams themselves has definitely increased student interest,” Markow said. “With Housy teams posting more about their upcoming games, and my help showing the cool goals, spikes, or touchdowns, it’s enlightened students to watch the games themselves.”
In a small school, promoting pride has proven to be a challenge. But this year’s senior class has made some adjustments in the hopes to change that.
“The SGA community has spent the last few years really focusing on student participation, because we think it’s the students who contribute to a better climate,” Ford said. While Housatonic’s student body may be small in size, it seems they certainly aren’t small in spirit.