In this article, I’d like to show you 12 fun tricks for dog photography for those who are interested in giving them a try.
Does your dog need to know tricks for a successful photoshoot? Absolutely not! As long as your dog is not fearful, we can always make it enjoyable! Not every dog is equally enthusiastic about learning tricks; some dogs may not enjoy it at all, and that’s perfectly fine too!
However, you don’t need to have a border collie or a Belgian malinois at home to teach some fun tricks. As you’ll see in the examples below, you can achieve something enjoyable with any breed, both in the studio and outdoors!
Many people often come for a second or third photoshoot with their dog. If they enjoy it, I’m happy to give them some tips to practice, so we can add a fun and original extra during the next shoot! So, here’s some inspiration below!
1. Stand
Often, you can capture great photos in a standing position even if the dog hasn’t been trained for it. However, it’s especially helpful if your dog is already familiar with this command.
For breeds with distinctive tails, it’s enjoyable to highlight this feature!
2. Place paws somewhere
If your dog can easily place its paws somewhere, it opens up many additional possibilities during the photoshoot. In the studio, we can use this to position the paws on a fun prop, and outdoors, it comes in handy when there’s a nice low tree stump or another low object in the surroundings. The level of difficulty can vary. Placing paws on a stable object like a vintage TV or a low tree stump is much easier than placing them on a moving object like a vintage carriage or wheelbarrow.
3. Shake paw
Many dogs can shake paw. It reflects the bond between the dog and the owner, so it can result in even more charming photos, both in close-up and in full-frame!
4. Waving or paws in the air!
Waving is the advanced version of “shake paw” without the owner’s hand touching the dog’s paw. Paws in the air is a breeze for many dogs when you simply hold something tasty in front of their noses!
5. Catching treats or toys
Catching treats may seem easy, but if your dog is not accustomed to having treats thrown to him, he may not always catch them spontaneously. It’s useful to practice this a bit so that your dog understands what’s expected. Afterward, he’ll be unstoppable in performing this fun trick!
Some dogs find catching toys even more enjoyable than catching treats. All good! As long as the dog is having fun during the photoshoot, it will result in delightful pictures!
6. Head down
Head down is by far one of my favorite tricks for both studio and outdoor photography. Some dogs do this spontaneously, but if they don’t, it’s not so easy to coax. It’s handy if the dog simply knows this as a command!
Many large breeds that quickly stick out their tongues don’t do so when they lay their heads down, an additional advantage for an expressive look!
This aussie performs “head down for advanced” with an additional twist of adding a little leaf!
7. Bow
Many dogs bow as a way to initiate play. Fun for the dog and fun for the photo, whether with or without a toy!
8. Beertje
For this trick, the dog remains seated while lifting its paws in the air. Not easy to teach, but very enjoyable to photograph when the dog can do it!
Lola the border collie has created her own variation!
9. Pang!
With “pang” or “dead,” you make a shooting motion, and the dog lies on its side.
If dogs know this, we can try “advanced pang” with a toy between the paws! Adorable, isn’t it?
Even a happy face can come after this trick, as you can see with this golden retriever!
Billie also creates his own variation of “pang” by looking up at the same time.
10. Holding something
Many dogs can easily hold something in their mouth when they are in action, but holding something while standing still is a bit more challenging. It’s worth practicing, and you can vary with different materials.
Luna is holding a toy, nice and soft, making it relatively easy to teach.
Holding a metal fork is a lot more challenging, especially when it’s pierced with a delicious sausage! Nevertheless, Kyle managed to perform this trick because he knew a tasty reward would follow afterward. The owner was also motivated to practice this at home in advance of the shoot!
Fake flowers are more convenient than real ones because they give you the chance to make multiple attempts to achieve the perfect photo without the flowers being damaged right away!
The dog’s favorite toy is also super fun to hold!
An action shot with something in the mouth is much easier than a still photo because it feels more natural for most dogs.
Border collies always like to go the extra mile when it comes to tricks. Fay effortlessly goes for a combination of 2 tricks!
11. Crossed position
Even with multiple dogs, you can create more creative photos than the standard “sit” and “lie down.” One of my favorite poses is the crossed position where one dog is standing, and the other dog is lying underneath. This is certainly not straightforward for every breed to execute, so the message here is, once again, to first check whether this is a feasible idea!
This creates a nice effect with different breeds if their sizes are compatible!
And here, you can once again try an advanced variation by involving three dogs!
12. Eye photo
Eye photos are currently very popular, and many people include them in their wishlist when they come for a photoshoot. However, it is not necessarily easy to capture this type of photo. Many dogs like to be close to their owner, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they also enjoy standing “eye to eye” with them.
Usually, I also ask to practice this at home beforehand. The dog becomes somewhat accustomed to the action when coming for a photoshoot, and usually, it quickly becomes apparent whether it’s feasible or not.
It is fascinating to see how many beautiful dog and human eyes there are!
With one of my own cats, I once tried to create a variation of the eye photo. Completely different but still fun! It just shows that with any animal of any size, there’s always something enjoyable to capture!
I have an Australian Shepherd myself who loves learning tricks. If you want to try one of the above things with your own dog but have no clue how to teach it, just let me know, and I’ll be happy to help you out!