There's no question, dog photos are just about the cutest way to make use of a camera. There's nothing quite as adorable as the perfect shot of your dog with their head tipped curiously to one side or snoozing in a nest of blankets. While you probably have plenty of casual snapshots, how can you up your game for some truly engaging dog photos?

To get that perfect doggy iPhone photo for Instagram or a cute family pic, your pup might need a little more training. The good news is teaching tricks can be fun and rewarding for everyone as your dog learns how to pose for photos both at home and out on adventures.

As a professional pet photographer, I'm here to share how you can teach your dog some awesome tricks that will make any dog photo shoot easier and infinitely more adorable.

Tips Before You Get Started

When training your dog, remember to go at their pace. Be patient and consistent. Using the same cue and tone of voice for each behavior will lead to better results. I’m a huge proponent of reward-based training and using a treat to lure your dog into position. Use your dog’s favorite toys and treats as motivators. Be generous with your rewards and remember that your dog is always trying their best! You can gradually fade out the frequency of treats once they’ve got the behavior down.

Don't worry if it takes a few days or weeks for your dog to get the hang of a particular cue or trick. Keep training sessions short and super fun. Every dog is different and learning speeds vary, just like people.

Best Tricks for Dog Photos

Sit

Hold a treat in your hand over your dog’s nose
Move your hand over their head from nose toward the tail
When their bottom touches the floor, reward
Once they’re performing the behavior reliably with lure, add your cue (“sit”) before you lure them into position
Repeat a few times each session
Try using your empty hand to cue + lure, then reward
Eventually, fade out the treat

Stay

When your dog is stationary, hold up your hand and say "Stay". Wait two seconds, then reward.
Gradually increase the time between cue and reward, bouncing back and forth between shorter and a little longer durations
If your dog gets up, calmly return them to their original position
Start stepping backward during "Stay", then reward when your dog stays put
Always walk to your dog and reward to teach stay in position

Down

Sit on the ground with your dog
Lower a treat from nose to floor. Pat the floor or move your hand downward.
When your dog lays down, reward
Reward and name the action "Down" each time your dog lays down
Associate lowering your hand (with or without treat) with "Down"

Look at the camera/watch (eye contact)

Use a treat to lure your dog to look at your face or camera lens
Reward when they look
Add the cue “Look” or “Watch me”
Slowly increase the "look" duration before a treat
Phase-out treats

Stationing/hop up

Lure your dog onto a platform (e.g. low bench, rock, log, etc.)
Name the behavior and reward when all four paws on
Repeat, gradually building up some distance so you can send them to their spot if you’d like
This can combined with the stay behavior so you’re able to gradually build distance

Front paws up

With a treat in your hand lure your dog so that their front paws are placed on top surface of the object (e.g. rock, log, etc.) and their hind paws are on the ground
Reward when their front paws reach the surface and name the action "Paws Up" or something similar
Repeat and reward each time paws touch the surface
When paws go up, reward
Start stepping away and gradually add in distance

Paw wave

Hold a treat in front of your dog
Wait until they paw the hand. Name the action and reward lavishly
Repeat until the paw comes up first, before nosing
Name the action and try without the treat
Move hand further away until they paw the air without your hand to touch
Reward as your dog gets more independent with their paw.

Book your own cute dog photos

For a professional pet photo shoot, contact me to book a session. As a fellow dog lover, you can bet we'll find the best poses and adorable expressions for your dog's photos. Learning a few posing tricks will make our session together that much easier and more dynamic. Contact me today to schedule your pet photo shoot.

How to Teach Your Dog to Pose for Photos