Finding the Best Dog Models for Commercial Pet Photo Shoots
How do you know if your dog would be a good dog model for commercial pet photography? If you’ve thought about getting your dog into modeling, keep reading to learn more about what makes the best dog model for commercial work.
When I’m photographing my private clients’ dogs, the dog doesn’t need any type of training. From puppies who have no training to the senior dogs who may not be as mobile as they used to be, I can photograph any of them.
I can capture the essence of your dog’s personality. That’s what you hire me to do. Whatever that personality is.
However when a commercial client hires me to photograph their product with a dog, I am looking for specific qualities in the dog.
I’ve had commercial clients reach out to me from all over the US who have found my Instagram or website and they want me to take photos of their products with dogs.
Here are 5 things I generally look for when I’m searching for dog models:
Well-trained dog
Happy looking
Confident
Flexible availability
Easy going owner
I’m in a blog circle and the topic this week is Doodles. So why am I talking about the best dog models for commercial pet photography? Because of this guy right here.
His name is Ansel and he’s a doodle. And if his name isn’t foreshadowing, I don’t know what is!
His dad loves photography, hence his name. For those unfamiliar with the name, google Ansel Adams.
Ansel is off leash trained. But even more important than training is the fact that he’s a happy, confident dog.
Commercial clients want dogs that look happy in their photos. If I used a dog that looks unhappy or stressed in commercial photos, that probably wouldn’t portray their products the way they want.
The photo needs to say, “look, my dog loves this product” not the opposite.
One thing I found is that the owner and his relationship with his dog is important and that means the owner’s personality is key too.
This is true at any photo shoot, whether it’s for a private client or a commercial client.
If the dog mom or dog dad uses any type of negative tactics to train his dog, that can come through in the photos too.
If the dog mom or dad gets stressed or impatient, the dog can pick up on that. Easy going, laid back owners tend to work best. Because this describes my personality, perhaps that is another reason why I think this works best. (Why did Taylor Swift’s song Lavender Haze just pop into my head??)
The pet parent needs to be calm and reassuring and not put pressure on the dog. The relationship between the two is so important. Not just for commercial pet photography but for the dog’s general happiness and quality of life.
When Ansel’s dad Jason first reached out to me in 2019 to hire me to photograph his doodle Ansel, this is what he said on his inquiry form:
To say Ansel is my best friend would not even begin to describe how I feel about him. Each dog that I’ve had in my life have been great in their own way, but for me, this guy is different. Ansel is sweet and also sometimes shy. He has confidence with a little encouragement. Highly food motivated, he is rather easy to work with. From early on he’s had iPhones and DSLR’s in his face with different types of artificial lighting used, so he’s not easily spooked or agitated. He doesn’t venture far from me which means he works well both on and off leash.
I find a lot of my dog models for my commercial photography work from those who have hired me to photograph their dogs. I can quickly assess whether or not a dog is a good candidate for commercial work and if I’m being completely transparent, I can assess whether or not I could easily work with the owner.
Do what you love and love what you do, right?
If every dog was loved as much as Ansel is loved, every dog would be incredibly lucky.
This is a blog circle and next up is MA and NH dog trainer and photographer Darlene Woodward shares both pros and cons of owning a Doodle Dog. Be sure to click the link at the bottom of each post and I’m pretty sure you’re going to see lots of adorable Doodles. You’ll end up back here once you’ve gone through the circle.
If you have questions about private or commercial photo shoots, please email kim@barkography.com or fill out the contact form. If you think your dog may be a good dog model, please reach out.