Getting Your Dog to Close Its Mouth for Pictures
Here’s a photography secret that Virgil and I have learned over the years:
Have you ever tried to take your dog’s picture, only to find that the dog keeps panting?
If you like the open-mouth look, then you’re ready to photograph. But if you don’t, how do you get your dog to close its mouth?
The secret is often a sudden quiet sound.
Instead of shouting "Here, girl!" or "Here, boy!" or calling the dog's name, or barking and making other loud noises (things that can be effective for getting a dog's attention), try these ideas:
- Make a very soft whistle sound.
- Rub your hands back and forth quickly. It creates a soft high-pitched sound that can surprise the dog into focusing on you.
- Give a sharp, audible intake of breath, as if you’re surprised.
- Make a soft "brrrr-ring" sort of noise.
- Or hold a squeak toy concealed in your hand, with your hand right behind the camera. Squeak it very gently exactly when you want the dog to look at the camera. The soft squeak sound⎯and the fact that the squeaker is hidden⎯can get the dog's attention and surprise the dog into closing its mouth.
Do these things always work? No, but they often do. We’ve used these methods to get five out of six dogs in one shot to close their mouths for a photo, and that’s a pretty good success rate!
Do you have any questions about photography? Please email Rebecca@PawPrintsPet.com or Virgil@PawPrintsPet.com.
PawPrintsLife Blog
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
