How I greet dogs for their photography session

/ Terri J Photography/

I am a Toronto based dog photographer so I am constantly meeting and greeting new dogs.  There is a protocol to this, especially if the dog is shy or anxious.  My dog training experience comes in handy when greeting new dogs.

So what is the best way of greeting a dog?

These are the do’s and dont’s I follow when I meet dogs for their photo session.

  1. When I initially meet the dog I don’t approach him/her. I do gently say “Hi Rover” and then basically ignore the dog while I continue to chat for a few minutes with the humans. In this way I am not invading the dog’s space or making them feel uncomfortable in any way and they are slowly getting used to my voice, smell and presence.

  2. I don’t stare at the dog or make direct eye contact. This could be construed as a threat.

  3. The dog may approach me of his/her own accord and that is great! But if not then I move on to step 4.

  4. If the dog shows interest by sniffing me with a gentle tail wag, (remembering that dogs greet with their noses), after a few minutes I do carefully and slowly extend my hand towards the dog’s nose to allow the him/her to sniff my hand. Note that I say “towards” the nose - not right up so I am touching the dog’s nose as the dog might perceive this as an invasion of their space. Dogs have a great sense of smell so even if my hand is a few feet away, the dog can smell me.

  5. I don’t pat the dog on the head. Imagine how you would feel if someone patted you on your head. Besides being rude, the dog may feel threatened and scared.

  6. Next step - it is time to make friends with the dog. I do not bend over the dog, creating a threatening stance. I sit or kneel down so that I am at the same level as the dog. I give the dog some gentle (never rough) petting and I may now offer treats if the owners approve.

  7. At this stage the dog will usually be quite happy to befriend me and we can begin our photography.


Exceptions:

  1. Dogs that are extremely shy - I may never actually get to pet the dog. I may be required to simply give them their space and photograph them from a distance. And that’s okay too! I will still be able to get amazing photographic memories.

  2. Puppies that are extremely friendly and want to jump up - Well I must admit that I am a sucker for this! While common sense says that you should not allow puppies to jump up, teaching them “bad”behaviour, I love it when they jump up to greet me. So unless the owners prefer not I have a great little play session before we begin taking photos.

    BUT - I am not recommending anyone do this. You may have some very upset people telling you that you are ruining their dog’s training and encouraging bad behaviour!

  3. Reactive dogs have their own greeting protocol. Please refer to this post on reactive dogs

    You may also like to read this post for more on what to expect at your Toronto dog photography session.

If you are in the Toronto or South Florida area and would like to discuss a photo session for your family and pets, please contact me for your complimentary consultation.

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