Getting Your Dog to Pose

A question we get asked often is how we get Ike to pose so nicely for photos.

I wish the answer was that he is an angel doggy and he does exactly what we ask of him at all times.

But I don’t tell lies.  And our friends and families would rat us out.  Truth be told, Ike is a wild man.  The dog is nuts.  He’s 5 1/2 years old and has a crazy amount of energy.  He is a terrier. 

Luckily the dog is easily bribed.  It’s just getting him calmed down enough during bribery to get some decent photos. Also patience is important.  Very important.  He has had basic obedience classes and does well with commands like sit, stay, and down.  Well, usually he does well.  The following photos may lead you to believe otherwise.

Here are some behind the scenes shots from our recent DIY console table photo shoot.

We start with a treat.  Notice Ike still licking his chops.  Notice me in the mirror trying to get his attention.  It’s obviously going well at this point.

Here is Ike trying to shake off that treat.

The following photos show him confusing “sit” with “down”.  They sound alike. I get it.  Especially when your brain can only focus on treats.

This won’t work.  He’s only interested in the treat on the floor.

We let him have that treat and decide to start over.  Here is Nate trying to get him to refocus.

Staying is for dumb dogs. 

So is sitting…

Okay, now we’re sitting and staying.  Someone had best be fast with the camera.

Let’s move that treat over the photographer’s head…

10 minutes later we have the great shot for the ol’ blog.

Photographing Ike has become more difficult over the course of the blog.  He sees the camera and instantly gets this annoyed look on his face.  We’ve upped the quality of treats and know not to be rushed if we want Ike involved in the photos.

Does your pet like to model?  Did you have any clue that Ike was a wild man?