puppies and pictures
Guest Post by Dr. Sarah Shapiro-Ward PhD, CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, CTDI
Sarah is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (Knowledge-Assessed), a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA CTP) and a Do More With Your Dog Certified Trick Dog Instructor.
Sarah and her Cockapoo, Percy, have been featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Daily Mail UK, and has even been interviewed by NHK Japan for many of the amazing tricks she has clicker trained, such teaching Percy how to play Connect 4 and Jenga, and even paint on canvas!
Besides tricks, Sarah has successfully helped hundreds of dog owners with issues ranging from new puppy issues to more severe fear and aggression cases.
Follow her dog’s training adventures on Instagram: @prancing_percy
Puppyhood is precious, exhausting, adorable and chaotic. Whether you’re feeling overjoyed or overwhelmed with your new bundle of fur and teeth, the first few weeks and months with your puppy will pass relatively quickly. When it’s over, you’ll wish you’d taken more photos!
Having a professional photoshoot for your puppy or teenage dog is an excellent way to immortalise this fleeting phase, so that you can look back (with relief or nostalgia) whenever you’d like.
Hannah Davison of Goodwolf Studio makes it easy to get the perfect snap of your little monster, but it’s no simple task! If you are considering having your pup photographed, there are definitely some good ways to help make the experience a pleasant one for yourself and your dog.
Before you Book your session
Before you eagerly mash that “book now” button, there are a few key things to consider. The first factors to consider are budget and goal. Decide how much you’d like to spend on photos and which type of shots you’d really like. Do you want a goofy action shot, a cute posed photo with props or a regal headshot? How will you display these photos? Knowing your goals and budget will help you get the most out of your session.
Another factor to consider is timeline. Puppies grow and change rapidly over their first few weeks and months at home, so pick a date that will work best for both of you. If you have ambitious goals for posing your puppy, or showcasing some tricks, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to practise ahead of your session. If you’re set on capturing floppy puppy cuteness, you’ll need to be organised and book a session when your puppy is still small.
Puppies under 16 weeks will require some special consideration. Let Hannah know if your puppy is not fully vaccinated yet, so she can sanitise the studio in preparation for your visit. Be aware of the “fear period” which may manifest between the ages of 8 and 11 weeks old. This is a short period of extra-sensitivity to the environment, where your puppy may seem more timid or fearful than normal. If you think that your puppy is in a fear-period, be ready to take things extra slowly, to avoid overwhelming your dog.
At very young ages, your puppy will be extremely cute, but difficult to predict. For young puppies, pick your time of day carefully - you want to avoid the chaotic “witching hour” many puppies experience in the early morning or evenings. I also suggest that you arrive at your appointment without specific goals. Your puppy may decide to snooze, play, zoom, gobble up treats or cuddle and at very young ages it can be difficult to know which mood you’ll get!
When you have your date set and a goal in mind, it’s time to prepare your puppy!
Preparing your puppy
Socialisation is crucial for puppies and young dogs. Many people think socialisation is simply having your dog play with other dogs or meet lots of humans, but while play is part of the socialisation process, it’s only a small component overall. Socialisation means controlled positive exposure experiences to anything your puppy is likely to encounter as an adult dog. Put simply, you must show your puppy lots of new things in a calm but positive way, so that they can begin to see these things as normal. Lack of early exposure in puppies can lead to fearful or overstimulated adult dogs.
So where does photography and socialisation intersect? You might be surprised by how many unfamiliar experiences a photography session will include!
Sounds:
When taking portraits, the camera flash will make a loud popping sound that will appear abruptly and without warning to your dog. Many dogs are initially fearful of this loud sound.
Lights and Flashes:
Good photos require good lighting! Hannah uses flash in her studio, which could startle a young dog.
People in strange poses:
Hannah is dedicated to getting the perfect shot of your pooch, and sometimes this requires her to crouch, kneel or lie down on the ground! Many puppies find this exceptionally interesting, and will want to investigate. While not necessarily scary, if your puppy isn’t used to seeing people do this, it may be very distracting for them.
Handler Separation:
Don’t want to be part of the picture? This means your puppy will have to fly solo for a few minutes while you wait to the side. For many puppies, being separated from their owner when outside of the home is stressful, and they may be determined to follow you.
While Hannah has plenty of tricks up her sleeve to help make your dog's first photography session go smoothly, practising some “dress rehearsals” at home will help your puppy tremendously. When you practise at home, be sure to include low-levels of one or more of the new stimuli, so your dog can have a positive exposure experience with it. The more positive exposure they get, the more likely they will be comfortable in the studio environment.
Some ideas for mock photography sessions at home:
Play a recording of the popping sound of the flash on your speakers. Every time the noise happens, give your dog a treat. They’ll quickly grow to love this sound, as it means a treat is coming. We have found a version online that you can use at home: the link is here. Start quiet and gradually turn up the volume as your dog gets used to it!
After teaching your dog a stay, practice crouching, kneeling or lying down. Can your dog maintain their stay despite these distractions?
Use the flash on your phone to take photos of your pup. Pair each bright flash with a treat for your dog.
Practice leaving your dog with a friend while out for a walk. Perhaps grab a coffee to go while your friend waits outside with your dog. Have your friend give your dog treats or play with them whilst you are away.
Some poses and props will take more training than others. Be sure to practise at home with any props, tricks or poses you’d like to include so that your puppy can become familiar with them. If you’re teaching a stay or a cute trick, be sure to train it with somebody lying on the ground in front of your dog, so they can perform the pose despite this very tempting distraction.
If you need any help socialising a fearful dog, or to train a solid “stay” cue, consider taking private lessons or group dog training classes.
Before you Go
It’s shoot day! Before you leave your house, don’t forget to pack the essentials:
High Value Treats.
Your dog will be in a brand new spot, so don’t be stingy, bring the best treats you have. I recommend boiled diced chicken or small pieces of cubed cheese.
Leash, Collar and Harness.
Even if you won’t be using them for the actual shoot, it’s useful to have your dog's normal walking equipment ready in case you need to practise a few times before letting your dog loose.
Water bowl.
All that posing is thirsty work! Don’t forget to take breaks for water.
Snuffle Mat, Lick Mat or Chew
Sniffing, licking and chewing help soothe and calm your dog. Bringing these enrichment toys with you could prove useful if your dog needs to take a little break to relax.
At the Studio
When you arrive at the studio, your pup might feel excited or scared. In new environments I like to check to see if my dog can:
Eat Food
If my dog refuses to eat the treats that they normally love, then it’s very likely that they feel anxious. Take it slow, give your dog plenty of breaks to settle and watch their body language for signs of fear/anxiety.
Follow Easy Cues
If my dog can’t follow an easy cue (like “sit” or “touch”) which they usually respond well to, then they may be overly anxious or overstimulated. As above, take it slow, give your dog plenty of breaks to settle and watch their body language for signs of fear/anxiety.
Settle/Relax
Give your dog a break with their chew or enrichment toy. Can they relax into this activity? If they cannot, they are likely very fearful or overstimulated. More time may help, but keep an eye on your dog to make sure that they aren’t too stressed out!
If your dog passes all the tests, you’re ready to get started!
If your dog is struggling, give them some more time to get used to the space in a low-pressure way. Hannah has a lovely decompression area away from the main photography space where handlers and their pups can sit and relax.
When your dog is settled in the decompression area, Hannah will set off the camera. Pair every “pop” from the camera with a treat for your dog. This will help them get used to the sound in a low-intensity setting, which will prepare them for the real thing.
If your dog can eat food, but is having a hard time following cues, don’t worry. Hannah has some great tricks with tossed treats and peanut butter which can help capture your pups goofy side. You’ll just have to save your more ambitious tricks or poses for another time.
Now that your dog is ready for their photoshoot, don’t forget to have fun with it and praise your dog lavishly for a job well done!
