My Golden Retriever Was a Dog Model for a ‘Cone of Shame’ Book (Exclusive)

Winnie Au is taking the shame out of the cone — the post-surgery dog cone, that is.

Au, 42, photographed 60 canines in colorful, artfully decorated cones designed by Marie-Yan Morvan for their new book Cone of Shame (out now). My 3-year-old golden retriever, Elaine Benes (yes, like Seinfeld), was one of the lucky pup models.

I met Au on a photo shoot for People in 2019 and have followed her on Instagram ever since. As you can imagine, she shares plenty of adorable dog pictures on social media, but she also includes celebrity portraits, home design inspo, and shots of her life in Brooklyn.

Nearly two years ago, she posted a casting call looking for dogs for her forthcoming book, and I couldn’t help but apply. Call me a stage mom but Elaine is cute, there’s no denying it. She is the most popular girl in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., where I live with Elaine’s dad (my husband, John). Our neighbors call for her from across the street if we’re out for a walk. They forget our names but always know hers.

She’s friendly and gentle and makes this adorable crying noise whenever she’s excited, which is often — like every time we wake up or get home from work. Our nieces and nephews call it “singing.”

All of this is to say that I knew she’d kill it on set with Au. In March 2023, Elaine and I walked into an industrial-looking studio in Williamsburg, took an old elevator up one flight, and Elaine proved me right at the first click of Au’s shutter.

She sang for the crew, showed everyone her ball (her favorite activity), and literally smiled for the camera.

Elaine’s only fault, if you can consider it one, is that she gets very hot. If there’s an air conditioner floor vent, Elaine will find it. She barely cuddles to keep from overheating (despite her mom’s pleas). So when I saw the stunning cone Morvan crafted for her had wool yarn, I got a little worried.

Elaine panted in her cone as expected, but she otherwise didn’t seem to mind it. Her panting made it look like she was cheesing for the camera, resulting in some seriously cute outtakes. Au came armed with plenty of treats, so Elaine ate them and closed her mouth just long enough for us to get the shot.

We didn’t get to keep the cone when the day was over. (I hope they wind up on display somewhere!) Elaine has only worn a cone once before, after her spay surgery, and I don’t think she’s dying to get back in one any time soon.

Regular cones serve an important purpose — they prevent post-procedure scratching and licking. But the creative cones in Cone of Shame do, too. A portion of proceeds from the book will benefit Animal Haven’s Recovery Road Fund, which helps homeless cats and dogs get crucial veterinary care.

So I encourage you to buy the book as a gift for all your dog-loving friends, or display it proudly on your own coffee table, knowing that the money went to a good cause.

Elaine says, “woof.” (Translation: thank you.)

Cone of Shame, published by Union Square & Co., is on sale now.