Do you also look at other people’s pet pictures and wish that you could get at least one of those beautifully posed pictures of your pooch? If your picture collection consists of your dog sleeping, or images that are out of focus, then try these tips to get your dog to pose for a few seconds longer.
1. Sit
Even the most energetic dog can be photographed if he has mastered the art to sit on cue. First, get everything organised – find the ideal background, check the settings on your camera, have treats on hand – and only when you’re ready, call your dog. Ask him to sit. If he lifts his bum off the ground, just ask him to sit again. Quickly take a few photographs before he gets bored.
2. Eye contact
Start from an early age to make eye contact with your dog, so that it doesn’t feel strange to him. Keep in mind that a camera lens can look like a huge eye to him. He might be more used to your phone, and taking pictures with your phone could be easier.
Ask your dog to make eye contact with you and keep eye contact. You can teach him to do this on cue – make eye contact with your dog, then treat him when he looks at you and keeps eye contact. You can then link this behaviour to a cue – like ‘watch me’. When he is good at keeping eye contact, let him get used to the camera by keeping it close by. Call him to you when you’re done and give him lots of praise for getting it right.
3. When to stop
Just like us, your dog might not be in the mood for a photo shoot. He might be too tired, hungry or bored to pose for you. This is when you have to stop the photo shoot and respect your dog’s wishes. Don’t force him to pose for pictures when he doesn’t feel like it. You can always try again tomorrow. At least you will have some memories of your time spent together.
