The dog

[timd346]

Here are for shot of my favirote subject.
Tell me which one you like and wich one you dont. Thanks for your comments.

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[timd346]

Sorry abot the double image

 

[dpolston]

hummm. I don't know where to start.

Do you have other shots that are a tad further away? The extreme close up using a flash (which is apparent in the first one - red eye - even though it's a B&W) is a bit... can't think of the right word... uncomposed? The others have things in the way (an arm, pillow etc.) to be considered on "OMG, I have to have a copy of that" photo.

Love the dog... love the idea behind the photos. Would like to see more of the dog.

 

[timd346]

The reason behind all the objects in the way is that the dog is very very hyper and she loves to move around. I will take you advice and try to take some pictures farther away.

 

[dpolston]

Photograph him after a good meal and a good poo, he'll be more relaxed then! =o)

I'm not slamming the photos. I love dogs and cats and their personalities can make it difficult to capture. This is my cat Mervin. I actually held the camera upside down and followed him around my front yard for this one. For me this photo is a pure snapshot and I don't think it's "wall worthy" but sometimes you need to shoot for yourself... if you love it, fabulous! Although these "domestic predators" do make great, free models. They also say that working with kids and animals are the hardest subjects.

Have fun!

 

[Mike Jordan]

The first one she's thinking... "I'll just fog your film with my x-ray eyes. Darn, blasted digital camera. Foiled again."

The second on she's trying to discourage you by rolling one eye, hoping that will freak you out.

The 3rd one she's giving up with a big sigh and telling you to go hurry up and take the picture.

The 4th one she is thinking "Just wait till you go to bed, I know where you keep your camera. It's going to be in soooo many pieces when I get done."


Yep, back a way a bit. Have a treat in your hand so her attention is on you. You got down to her level, which is good, but be careful of your on-camera flash. Trim her toe nails and keep trying. It just takes practice.

Mike

 

[timd346]

The thing is if i have a treat in my hand she will be so exited and she will just keep moving.

 

[Mike Jordan]

It does take some training to teach the dog that they won't get the treat until they do what you want, sit, lay, stand, etc. It is hard to get good pictures if the dog doesn't have basic obediance or if they are so wound up from excitment that they can't hear your commands.

We are constantly training and re-inforcing what we've trained to our dogs. Mostly we use positive re-inforcement on things they do that we want them to do on command. Like if they sit, we'll say good sit and treat them. If they lay down, we'll say good down and treat them. It doesn't take long before they associate the command with the treat. As they learn, you don't give them treats every time they do the command, but praise them. While most would rather have the treat, they like getting praise as well.

With our dogs, if we have some good we're fixing, they will go through ever trick they know on after the other hoping one of them will get our attention and they will get some of what we are fixing. And when you have dogs that can sit, lay, bow, twirl, spin, yawn, sneeze, bop, etc., it can be quit a site to watch them all going through their routine at the same time. Now if we could just teach them a "do everything" command, they could put on quit a show.

It just takes a lot of practice. Work with your dog when it's going good and stop before you start getting to frustrated and you start yelling at the dog. You can tell I've taken a lot of pictures of our dogs... when I get out my camera they all head for the living room where I have my backgrounds, lights and other equipment. They know they get treated very well for posing.

Mike

 

[timd346]

Our dog is very well trained. We got her when I was at my brothers football game. She just walked up to us very slowly and started rubing he head on my leg after the football game with some bargaining with the parents we got to bring her home. For thenext week or so she just slept while we put up signs that we had found her. Then we brought her to the pound and they said they would hold her for three days and if no one claimed her they would give her shot and give her back to us for a small fee. No one picked her up. When we got home she was very hyper. So we got her treats as soon as she saw the treat she sat so we gave her the treat then we got another treat and told her to lay down and she did. We guessed that she had lived with a very mellow family because as the months went on she began getting more hyper because our family is always moving.
At

 

[timd346]

At family party a couple of months later we were showing pictures of her to our family. And one of my moms brother in laws said that it was one of thier good freinds dog. As soon as they said this all of our faces droped. then my mom asked him if they wanted the dog back and they said no. because the guys freind was getting married and the fiance did not like the dog. So she "accidently" let the dog go.

 

[Mike Jordan]

Our dog is very well trained.

I guess I miss-understood then. When you said she won't hold still if you have a treat in your hand, I assumed that she wasn't trained well enough to hold still on command. Have fun taking pictures of her.

Mike