How I work with dogs

The primary focus here is pretty much the same tact I'd take with cats....first and foremost I get to know the animal by talking to their owner to find out more about their personality and what makes them tick, what makes them afraid, how they like to have fun and what keeps them motivated.

I allow the dog all the physical space and time they need to get used to me and my camera...so straight off, I'm not going to chase after them for an interaction, but just let them be, so that they can sus me out and check out the studio if we're doing an indoor studio session. I'll give them some treats at a distance, allowing them to keep their space sacrosanct and not feel invaded or called upon in any way. Once they feel confident enough to approach me, I'll give them a treat just for looking at, or investigating my camera and will do so copiously...so that they associate only positive things with this little black box they're going to see so much of in the next hour or so. 

My principals here are based solely on persuasion and positive re-inforcement....so no forcing the dog to do anything, no raised voices, only a calm environment and using tricks, treats and gentle methods to work with your animal. I want this to be a positive experience all round, so that no-one comes away stressed, but having had a lovely time creating beautiful portraits of your beloved family member. 

1. Leash or not? That really depends on your dog....and your experience of how they behave in different situations. If you feel it is safer for your animal to be leashed, then no problem, the leash can be removed afterwards in editing. 

2. Do I need to be involved? I'd say yes definitely! Simply because your dog loves and responds to you more than anyone else in the world....so if you stand behind me and call his/her name, they will automatically look to you....much more so than if I call their name. 

3. What else do you do? Well I find out what are the most high value treats for your dog from chatting with you before hand, and then make sure these are used throughout the shoot to reward and encourage your dog to be in the right place for the camera and basically letting me take their pic.  If your dog is more toy motivated, then I have a variety of toys ready to play with them, so that each time I get them to sit in a place....even for a few seconds...I'll then throw them a ball or give a soft or chewy toy to them, whatever they prefer.  In addition to the above, I use a variety of whistles and novel sounds to gain their attention so that I can get them looking directly at me, hopefully with their ears up and forward. 

4. What if my dog is stressed? I have done a course from the University of Edinburgh on animal behaviour so know what signs to look out for. Once your dog starts to show signs of stress: lip licking; turning their head or body away from me; holding their paw up; panting if they haven't been doing exercise; showing whale eyes; yawning or pulling their ears back....basically any of the above, I will pause the session and give your friend a break, just to have a drink, play if that helps relax them, or just have some cuddle time with you. Once they're looking more like their old selves, we will continue and perhaps look at different ways of conducting the shoot in order to help them keep their cool. 

This is ultimately what we're looking for, a relaxed expression with their ears up and forwards (depending on the breed of course) to show that they're interested and engaged without any signs of stress.