Simple Steps To Get Your Dog Posing For Photos

Who doesn’t love professional portraits of their dogs? Or even adorable pictures while on vacation? All pets become children to their owners and those photos are fun memories to frame. The best photos are the ones where dogs are posed.

Getting dogs to pose is hard, however there are 6 steps to getting your dog to pose. Grab your dog treats and camera and get ready to teach.

Step 1: Sit

One of the first commands to teach a dog is “sit”. This is also the first step in getting a dog to pose. When teaching, have training treats handy so that they know when you say sit and they sit, it’s the correct thing to do. Once a dog knows that sit means sit, they are ready to learn more commands that will come in handy when taking photos.

Step 2: “Watch Me”

Use the command “watch me” to get dogs to look towards you and the camera. Dogs don’t like to be stared at and most won’t stare back. Dogs will be scared by larger camera’s originally because the lens will look like a large eye. Start with a phone camera to get a dog more comfortable with the command and slowly graduate to larger lens’.

Step 3: Patience

Make sure not to get overwhelmed or frustrated with your dog. It will take time to get the photo you want, but don’t let that take away from the fun of taking photos. Take some deep breaths when you begin to feel the anger build up, and remember that you’re out having fun with your best friend.

Step 4: Practice

The more practice, the better the results. As with anything with your dog, you want to practice often so that the dog will build up muscle memory. Start shooting photos in places with little to no distractions to help your pup focus, such as areas around your house. Work your way up to photos outside, in the park, and places with more distractions. Have treats ready to reward for the great photos.

Step 5: Imperfections Are Perfect

The best shots are sometimes the ones that seem like the worse. Sometimes your pooch won’t cooperate but those are the best photos. Be grateful that you’re out having these experiences together, because no matter the quality, the memories will still be there.

Step 6: Know When You’re Done

All dogs have their limits, so don’t try to challenge them more than they can handle. Learn how to understand and respect your dog’s boundaries and be done.

Follow these steps and your dog will be a model in no time.