Take Great Doxie Photos!

The process to find a dog forever home begins the moment they leave the shelter. One of the many impor-

tant jobs our Foster Homes and Transporters do is provide pictures of our dogs to help tell their stories on

our Web Site and Facebook page. The better the photo, the better the story we can tell, the better we can

showcase their personality and the quicker we can help them find their forever home! We have assembled

some tips for you to help bring out your inner photographer…..

• Be prepared! You never know when the ‘good’ shots are going to present themselves. Most of the

best shots happen by chance, so you need to be ready.

• Keep your camera handy! Keep it in a convenient spot where you will be able to locate in a pinch.

• Make sure there is space on your memory card and that your batteries are fully charged or you have

extras on hand.

• Set your camera on a quick shutter speed. If you have a ‘kids and pets’ or ‘action’ setting on your

point-and-shoot camera, set it there. This will help photos be less blurry if there’s movement.

• Approach the dog slowly. If you move quickly, you might disturb him, and he will come out of that

‘perfect picture’ pose.

• Get someone else to help you by having them hold treats or toys behind you while you try to take the

photos. The dog will look at their favorite objects and not directly at the camera (they often don’t like

flashes or even the red eye blinking lights).

• Try taking photos when your dog is already sleeping or lounging. They are less likely to be moving

about this way.

• Ask your dog to ‘stay’ if he knows the command. If he gets up from his ‘stay’, calmly place him back

where you want him. Don’t use his name. For too many dogs, their name is synonymous with ‘come’.

Use other words the dogs might recognize such as ‘treat’.

• Try walking your dog or playing with him before your photo session. This will tire him out and make

him more likely to stay. Bonus: he might also pant a little, which can look like a smile! :)

• Try to get close, if the dog will let you. Photos from close-up or the dog’s level can be very cute.

• Consider the background. Simple backgrounds – a blank wall, a dog bed, a sofa, are often best—Avoid

photos straight down (especially on white tile floors!)

• Make sure the dog takes up most of the frame. Remember, the shot is of the dog, not the back-

ground. Photographer’s tip: don’t center your dog right in the middle. For a more interesting photo,

place your dog slightly off center.

• STAY CALM! If you get excited or frustrated, your dog will, too. He doesn’t know you’re trying to get a

glamour shot, he just senses your energy.

• Take LOTS of pictures. Then take some more. Just keep snapping. You’re bound to get a few usable

ones. And the more often you take pictures, the more likely your dog will get to know what you ex-

pect.

• Try to get a face shot as well as a side shot as potential adopters like to get an idea of a doxies size.

• Photos with people or kids are GREAT as they show how friendly and social a dog is!

Sources:

• http://www.howtodothings.com/pets-and-animals/a4104-how-to-choose-between-male-and-

female-dogs.html

• http://channels.isp.netscape.com/homerealestate/feature.jsp?story=dogmyths

Props and colors in the background make

for a great shot—Foster Mom Lyn

Showing a dogs personality is a sure way

to help them find their forever home—

Foster Mom Jackie

Which Dog Would You Be More Likely To Adopt?

Handsome Bronco before and after he found his forever home with Dad Mark who saw

his beauty even through the shelter photo!

Other Tips In Action!

Photographing pairs together demon-

strates how well they get along—Foster

Mom Cindi

Photos can help tell a dogs story of heal-

ing in their foster home—Foster Mom

Caye

Pictures with people are great as they

show how friendly a dog is—Foster Dad

Kurt

Black and Tan doxies photograph very well

in the grass from their level! - Foster Mom

Eve