How to get your Dog to Sit Still for Portraits

and why it’s ok if they don’t!

Have you spoken this sentence: “There’s no way my dog will sit still for a portrait”, or used words like “wiggly”, “squirmy”, and “hot mess” when describing your fave furbabes?

Dogs and puppies are undeniably the wiggliest subjects to capture in pet photography. As soon as a new person enters the room (such as a professional photographer, not to be too on-the-nose) they get the zoomies and absolutely must show off how fast they can go! Any training or refreshing of sit/stay commands that their humans did with them leading up to the session quickly flies out the window, and believe me, this happens nearly every time and it’s totally normal! Pet photographers are completely ready for it, which means getting that perfect shot is far from impossible. In this article, we will explore how professional pet photographers get your pet to be still for the fraction of a moment it takes to catch the image.

Love capturing your canine on camera? Also read:
Capturing the Joy of Puppy Photography

FURst Steps

Creating the Right Environment

When the dog first arrives at the studio, I give them time to get used to me and to get used to the flashes I use. Even the sound of the shutter can startle a dog, so I click the camera and reward with a treat, then I repeat until I feel like they just want the treat and don’t really care about the flashes or sounds. During this time, we usually become besties, I become the treat machine and I begin to earn their trust.

It Pays to Begin with Cuddles

If they aren’t quite keen on what we’re doing, I will first have the humans sit on the backdrop and invite the pet to join them. If the animal is a cuddly one, they’ll feel safe with their folks there and will become more accustomed to what we’re doing. “If the humans aren’t bothered by it, why should I be?” is what I like to think is in the pet’s mind. We also get some candid snuggle shots during these moments. Everyone is just being themselves, there is no posing needed here.

Tips ‘n’ Tricks

The above photo of the Vizsla puppies was not created using Photoshop or some kind of studio magic, there are several things that made it come together: people, noises, a container, and patience.

Extra Hands

When you come into the studio with your pet, be ready to be put to work! While the above puppies were trying to figure out how to escape the basket, I was squeaking toys and making noises to get their eyes on me. At the same time, their humans and a hired expert pet wrangler were right next to them, out of frame, to grab them if they bolted.

Having an extra set or two of hands always helps with keeping pets on set. They may never sit perfectly still, but as long as they stay in a small area, they’re easy to work with.

Baskets, boxes, beds

Containing an animal is easy when it’s a comfy, bolstered, cushy spot. Just like cats love their boxes and baskets, so do smaller dogs and puppies. They also love to have a little adventure, so we encourage them to jump onto a soft bench where they will usually sit or stand for an extra second, seeing what this thing is all about, while I dstract them with squeaky sounds and snap away before they jump off.

Toss Treats and Toys

If it seems they have some pent up energy, we will introduce playtime. One person stands on each side of the backdrop, and they toss a tennis ball back and forth. Not only do we burn a little energy, but we show the dog that this isn’t the vet! This is fun time! And we get some action shots - icing on the cake!

Patience, Repeat, Patience, Repeat

And try and try again! We often will get the pup in front of the camera, take the shot, give them a treat, and they walk away, so we do it over and over.

Conclusion

If you think your dog won’t sit still, you may be right, but wigglebutts are our specialty!