In this blog I will talk about how to get your dog better at posing for pictures.
Get them to sit or down:
First you will want to work on the command “sit”. The sooner you start training the better, however, it's better late than never. Never force a dog to sit because you could injure them. It takes time and tons of patience. Also, don't forget the treats if your dog is food motivated or toys if they prefer those! Another option is teaching them “down” as in laying down. Beau, my pup, personally loves to lay down in his photographs! So I go with the flow and let him.
How to work on sit and down:
Standing in front of your pup as you ask your pup to sit, place the treat in front of their nose and then move your hand in a straight line as if you were going to place the treat on their back. Most dogs will naturally drop their butt to the ground. Keep your treats on hand and practice every time your dog comes near you or for 15 minutes a day. Remember do not force the sit because you don’t want to hurt your pup. After they are sitting, use the word “free” to break the command of “sit”. If you want them to “down”, once they have mastered “sit”, put the treat in front of their nose and lower it to the ground. If they don’t go to the ground, run it along their chest towards their belly and this should help them with lowering themselves to the ground! Here is a short video from my dog trainer friend Erika Kurtz the founder of DogWorkz an awesome training program: Sit and Down Basics
When I have worked with my pups in the past I would have them “sit” to get their "new" reward once the food was no longer needed. They would have to sit to go outside, get petted, get their food, get their leash on, or other "reward".
How to get them to look at you:
Next you will want to get your dog to look at you. I use the word “look” to get Beau’s attention. Dogs really don’t like to make eye contact as this can be seen as aggressive and can make them get a little uncomfortable. Using a cell phone will not look like a big daddy professional camera which looks like a huge eyeball staring back at them so it might be a little easier for them to look at it! This is why I let dogs get used to the camera before I start a session with them. Either way, use patience and start out with baby steps. Say “look” and then treat them when they make eye contact with you, then use your cell phone “look” and treat, and if you have a big daddy camera use the command “look” and treat them. I often will put the treat near the target I want them to look at and go from there.
Remember practice and patience:
When you first start working with your pup, I would work in an environment with no distractions. Then you will start to slowly introduce your dog to distractions while using your commands. You want your dog to have fun with his training sessions. Don’t get discouraged if your pup doesn’t get things right away or can’t do something you are asking of them. It can take time and just like humans, dogs have their days when they don’t want to behave! Please see my image below….lol! If you get frustrated, they will sense your frustration and get anxious. So relax and remember no shot is worth stressing yourself or your dog out over! Sometimes getting them to stand and look is the next best thing. I even think them “misbehaving” below made this picture adorable! So have fun and cherish this time you have with your pup!
Do you want to capture the bond between you and your pup? Book a session with me and let me help you capture the bond you all share!