'Maddie on Things': A man and his dog across America

In the fall of 2011, photographer Theron Humphrey and his beloved coonhound Maddie set off on a year-long, 65,000 mile journey across the United States. Dubbed "a super serious project about dogs and physics," the document of Humphrey and Maddie's epic journey is photographically captured in "Maddie on Things" (Chronicle Books).

November 5, 2011 - "This was the beginning of Maddie on things, or at least me pointing my camera her way. Looking back now I remember all the details that are outside the edges of the photo. That afternoon I was helping a friend move his motorcycle when i saw this light shining between the houses. I ran over with Maddie and put her in the middle of that light, asked her to stay, and she just looked at me."

December 21, 2011 - "By the time we made it down to New Orleans we had driven a few thousand miles and been traveling over four months. I woke up on morning and a friend asked if I could get Maddie to stand on four soup cans. An hour later I was putting Maddie's paws one by one on the soup. This was the start of something."

December 27, 2011 - “The adventure is always on the smaller roads, discovering all the Americana. I passed by this giant watermelon on Highway 11 and had to turn around.”

Maddie strikes an equestrian pose on January 10, 2012.

Maddie gets gnarly on a skateboard on February 5, 2012.

February 14, 2012 - “The fun in creating these images is that they always came together quickly. I just responded to what was around me. My friend had this red bicycle in his house and after he left for work, I wondered if Maddie could stand on it. She could!”

March 1, 2012 - “This image blew my mind. Maddie didn’t slip or wobble at all. Hats off to the sticky patch of moss on top of the globe!”

Maddie in a kitchen on May 28, 2012.

Maddie way up high on June 15, 2012.

"Maddie taught me that I should wake up every day and be grateful. She taught me that committing to something and sticking to it is how we grow. But most of all, she taught me that standing on things, everyday objects, can be incredible. She's my best friend and I wouldn't trade our time together for anything."