Tips To Get Your Dog To Pay Attention For Photos
As a pet photographer, it is literally my job to get dogs to look at the camera.
Some days are easier than others to be sure, but I’ve found over the years, I’ve come up with some really great tricks, tips, and tools on how to get your dog to focus on the camera no matter what.
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So, the reason you are here—from pet parents, fosters, shelter staff and volunteers—the biggest complaint I hear is that you cannot get your pet, adoptable, or foster to sit still long enough to capture a good image or get them to look at you.
FIRST THINGS FIRST.
In order to get your pet to pay attention to you, you have to motivate them. We all do things because we are motivated by some factor to do so?
So, if your dogs are napping or playing or distracted by something and you want them to take a photo–then what you need to offer something of higher value, novelty, or reward than what they are currently doing
In other words, you have to motivate them with something they really, really like. Fortunately, there are many ways I do this when working with both adoptables and client dogs.
Start with food.
And no, I’m not talking about their basic kibble they eat every single day, I’m talking about something special. A creme de la creme, yummy treat that will get them excited and stop them in their tracks to pay attention to you! Most animals I work with are food motivated, but depending on the task at hand, other distractions, and their stress level, it can depend on in that moment what they are willing to eat or not.
So, when in doubt, if you are trying to get an epic photo or adorable snapshot for their online profile, be sure to offer up something scrumptious they simply can’t refuse.
I will simply hold the treat over top of my lens to get them to look at me especially if they are a shyer animal or more camera averse; it might take a few tries, but assuredly, the motivator of the high-reward food is more enticing than the scary camera.
However, you might find that your dog is not food motivated or your client dog has other things that are higher motivators for them than food, such as toys or affection.
It is your job as the picture taker to figure out what that might be.
For some dogs, another big motivator is affection.
Sometimes, if I find an animal isn’t responding to food, toys, distractions, or really anything else, I will love on them for a few moments, then back out to capture my image. Usually, that gets them curious and focused on me long enough to snap a few photos and then repeat the process. In the moment, they sort of forget they don’t want to look at the camera, because they are so connected to me giving them pets and attention.
Another great trick I use for photos and to capture a canine’s attention and focus is noises.
You guys, I have a wide variety of noises I use for any of my sessions. From quacking to meowing to fart noises to popping and clicking, some noises won’t get that head tilt you want, while others always work like a charm.
And sometimes, depending on the setting, you might need noises that are a bit louder, especially when there are alot of distractions, so I always carry a squeaker with me. But, you can also invest in noisemakers like a kazoo, rabbit call, duck call, etc.
Not every noisemaker has to be something you invest in, some dogs really love the crinkle of a treat bag or plastic water bottle and I always have one of those with me!
You can also download a Farm Animal Sounds app on your phone, but I personally haven’t found them to be loud enough to capture an animal’s attention, but I know other photographers who do use that as well. If you are really lucky, the camera shutter might be all that you need to get and capture their attention.
During a session, just try out some different noises to see what the animal responds to.
If nothing is working, keep running through noises and I mean try everything. I bet you eventually you’ll land on something that will get them to stop and pay attention!
Before I move on, I wanted to share couple of disclaimers about noises though: 1) I will refrain from using a lot of loud noises for pups who are more anxious, shy, or scared, because I want to match their energy and dim down any other stressful stimulus for them, and 2) be ready for the shot when you introduce a new noise, because some dogs get bored or over-it very quickly and won’t respond to that noise again, which for some dogs is why you need to have so many noises to test out.
So far, we’ve talked about treat motivators, affection, and noises to capture and keep a dog’s attention, but I also love to use toys!
The most popular toy I keep on hand with me is a tennis ball. But photographers beware—as soon as you pull the ball out, that’s game over for some dogs and they will not want to relinquish this prized item, which is not ideal especially for a client session where you are trying to get a lot of variety.
But, for your own pet perhaps, bust out their favorite stuffy, squeaky toy, or ball, and you’ll have their attention for quite a while to focus for photos.
As a Pet Photographer, I generally carry a few different toys with me and because they are exciting or new for adoptables, it’s very helpful for me when capturing focus and attention for more than a couple of seconds.
Now obviously, guys, we are working with sentient creatures! Some days all of these tricks will work, other days maybe not so much, but the most important thing is to keep trying and troubleshooting to see what works.
Good luck photographing your pets or adoptables! By the way, if you want the skinny on all the items I use in my photography kit to get dogs to pay attention for photos, check out my full kit list here.
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